Louise Zhang is an Australian multidisciplinary artist working across painting, sculpture, and installation. Her practice investigates the interplay of aesthetics and cultural identity, often embracing contrasts to evoke a sense of otherness. Drawing inspiration from mythology and botany, Zhang weaves together symbols and motifs into compositions that balance harmony with dissonance.

Materially, her practice is highly considered, paying great attention to her choices in paint, she utilises the historical and instinctive associations of colour to create visual dichotomies from her subjects. In the sweeping visual landscapes of her work, the textural consideration of her paint creates windows into another world, some elements of her works are within our grasp and others remain deeper within. As a deconstruction of the world around her, she weaves together symbols from reality and memory, transforming them into something more lucid and surreal, documenting identity in the process of its own making.

For this project Zhang has utilised silk, embracing the material’s fluidity, translucence, and sensitivity to touch. Botanical and symbolic motifs appear and dissolve across the surface: peaches reference longevity, ginkgo leaves symbolise hope, lotus pads evoke harmony, and dotted forms suggest seeds and future growth. Oranges, a symbol of luck and prosperity, are woven throughout, with subtle contrasts in tone and texture creating balance and quiet tension.

Experience Louise Zhang at The Galeries until 23 February 2026.