Featured Artist
Kun Zhao

Kun Zhao is an visual artist and educator whose practice spans painting, drawing, printmaking, and material expression. With a solid academic background and extensive teaching experience, Kun bridges traditional techniques with contemporary themes. Kun holds an M.F.A. from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, concentration in Printmaking and Material Expression. Prior to this, Kun have completed an M.A. in Printmaking and a B.A. in Art Education. These formative years laid the foundation for a career dedicated to exploring and expanding artistic practices.

As an educator, Kun has taught extensively, most notably as a Tenure-Track Assistant Professor and Director of Fine Art Foundation Courses at Zhuhai College of Jilin University in China, where Kun led curriculum development in Drawing, Painting, 2D Design, and Material Expression. Additionally, Kun has contributed to workshops on Chinese Calligraphy and Printmaking in various Chicago high schools, promoting cross-cultural understanding.

Kun’s artwork has been exhibited nationally and internationally. Recent exhibitions include the “Chinese Culture Visual Art Exhibition” at Hinsdale Library, the “Emerging Artist Program” at 4C Gallery in San Gabriel, and a show at Color Gallery in Chicago. These exhibitions reflect Kun’s evolving artistic voice, with works like the “Rose Window” series critiquing consumer culture and environmental impact through pointillism and color theory.

Kun has also participated in significant educational collaborations, such a the China-US Design and Cultural Exchange Studio Program, which fostered cross-cultural artistic dialogue and collaboration. Awards and grants received include first prizes in watercolor and etching at the Arts Exhibition in Hebei Province, and multiple Guangdong Provincial Curriculum Reform for Higher Education Grants for innovative course design. Kun continues to push the boundaries of artistic practice and education, contributing to both the academic and artistic communities.

“In my Rose Window series, I explore the intersection of environmental concern and artistic expression, blending low material and high art. This body of work, created using collage for the first time, reflects my deep engagement with the aesthetics of daily life and waste. Each piece in the series, which takes approximately six months to complete, repurposes discarded plastic packaging from everyday commodities like snacks, tissues, and drink labels. These materials are both a source of inspiration and a commentary on consumerism.

The vibrant colors and dense dots in the artwork evoke the effect of light spots and incorporate the pointillism technique from Impressionism, resulting in rich visual effects and intricate color layering. The Rose Window, a historically significant religious motif, serves as a central symbol in this series. Before the Renaissance, religious authority often constrained personal creativity and freedom. The shift toward secular life after the Renaissance marked a new era of individual liberation and creative expression”.

“The rise of consumer culture and mass production since the 1950s has introduced a different form of constraint – environmental degradation and commercial waste. Through this series, I reflect on the impact of consumerism on the environment, ecology, and human spirit. I use the Rose Window form to articulate the historical and ongoing changes in consumer culture and behavior, highlighting the pressing environmental issues associated with contemporary consumption patterns. My work aims to provoke thought about the consequences of mass production and its effects on both the natural world and our cultural values.”

more. www.kunzhao.art

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