Zhong Biao: Finding Beauty in Chaos

Now a quarter of the way through the semester, it seems a routine has begun to manifest itself in the daily attendance (or skipping) of classes and in anxious attempts to complete assignments, causing chaos to emerge in the rush of over-commitment. Thinking of all the craziness that makes up my day-to-day in the throes of early fall, a particular artist comes to mind: Zhong Biao.

Through art and the open door of creativity, symbols and pictures of everyday reality, either experienced inwardly or outwardly, can be clearly described and put on display. The work of Zhong Biao conveys truths related to the tensions found in everyday life and his pieces display the chaos and conflict common to the human experience.

Quoted on Artnet as he responds to his own work, Zhong Biao explains, “In my paintings, Eastern and Western, historical and modern opposites coexist, reflecting the reality of today’s lifestyle.” Though perhaps not necessarily directly related to the life of college students here at Virginia Tech, the conflict and coexistence of opposites present in Biao’s paintings are mirrored by the cultural opposites existing within the lives of those on campus as well as the opposites found in students’ desires as they struggle to find direction and prioritize their activities.

Zhong Biao’s work is descriptive and intense and serves as a strong example of how painting, among other art forms, can clearly convey the dualities and conflicts of life. As we students at Virginia Tech make our way through this fall semester and experience the conflicts that come from relationships, deadlines, expectations, aspirations, and just life in general, maybe we can find the artful beauty that exists within it.