Man with Roses, 2024

This self-portrait is influenced by Édouard Manet and Caspar David Friedrich, utilising the Rückenfigur composition method to depict a solitary figure from an unusual angle, whose ambiguity prompts the viewer to question the scene. The painter, dressed in black, stands monumentally at the centre of the painting, but his modern clothing does not create a sense of distance or oppression. The soft, blurry abstract background, dominated by yellow-green and gray-blue tones, enhances the atmosphere of uncertainty. It does not anchor the figure in a specific time or place, leaving his destination—and his thoughts—open to interpretation. This undefined space invites the viewer to project their own emotions onto the scene, making the painting not just a depiction of a figure, but a mirror reflecting the viewer’s inner world. The skin tones of the face and hands echo each other, and the flowers correspond to the red shoelaces, guiding the viewer’s visual experience. The figure’s posture suggests a quiet tension—caught between movement and stillness. Where is this man going? Is he moving forward? Or has he come to a stop? The heavy black coat seems to offer him some form of protection, symbolising an emotional heaviness, which contrasts with the delicate roses in his hand. This creates a visual dialogue between fragility and tenacity. The flowers burn like torches and beat like hearts, symbolising passionate desires, yet their downward angle evokes a sense of loss, as if foreshadowing the collapse of some wish. Through this work, I use symbolism to express universal human emotions—joy and sorrow, anticipation and disappointment, determination and hesitation. The transitions between these emotions often lack clear boundaries, and their diversity shapes our rich life experiences.

On July 26, 2022, I bought some brushes, oil colours and canvas paper from an art store in Newtown and began my art journey. Since then, I have never stopped painting.

My name is Yuanzhou Zheng. I was born in China and moved to Australia in 2004. In 2011, I completed my master’s degree in professional accounting at UTS. Currently, I am a full-time second-year student majoring in oil painting at the National Art School.

Before turning 37, I worked various jobs, including salesperson, accountant, bank officer, and self-employed. Although I have always had a deep love for art, maybe because I never received any formal training, I never imagined I could become an artist until two years ago, when I first picked up a brush.

In July of this year, one of my works was selected as a finalist in the Mosman Art Prize, marking my first finalist recognition. In August, another work was chosen as a finalist in the Hornsby Art Prize. These two occasions represent all of my exhibition experience so far.

One after another, the great difficulties of art bring me anxiety, confusion, and self-doubt. But at the same time, art also rewards me generously with an indescribable pleasure of the soul. It has helped me find the significance of perseverance and passion. So, as long as I live, I will create art.