KE ZHANG was born in China and later moved to the UK in 2008. Influenced by her cartographer parents, Ke developed a deep interest in drawing and painting from a young age and later became attracted by classical and representational art. Ke initially came to the UK to study psychology. After receiving her degrees, she decided to follow her long-lasting passion for visual art and changed the career path from behavioural research to representational art.
Ke’s academic training of representational art began in 2016 and continued on a part-time basis until her graduation in 2021. She started private atelier style training with Sarah Margaret Gibson and later joined The Glasgow Academy of Fine Art when it was founded by Sarah and Lee in 2019, and graduated from the academy in 2021. In the same year, Ke started her teaching role as the principle instructor at the academy.
Ke specialises in representational drawing and oil painting and is particularly interested in portraits and still lifes. While making regular journeys to teach at the Glasgow Academy of Fine Art, Ke now lives in Oxford, England, and has set up her personal studio for ongoing projects in London.
* This statement has been provided directly by the artist in association to their 16th International ARC Salon entries. This content has not been edited for typos or grammatical errors and has not been vetted for accuracy.