Zhang Yuqing 張鈺卿
Branch in a Temple (II), 276 x 175 cm
Acrylic and pine needle powder, 2026
聖所中的一根樹枝 (二)
壓克力和松針粉末, 2026
Courtesy of Artist

About Artworks

Branch in a temple (II) is a painting installation depicts a branch covered with lichens in Yunnan, China. It is displayed in the center of the picture like a specimen. I recorded the appearance of the lichens in a seemingly realistic way, but it is actually blurry, just like the untouchable, vague sacredness. It is composed of many repetitive brushstrokes in painting, and the process of creating it was like copying scriptures.The shape of the same species of lichen varies across different regions, which could also reflect the language of trees in those regions.

聖所中的一根樹枝 (二) 這件繪畫裝置描繪的是雲南的一根附著地衣的樹枝。它像標本一樣陳列在畫面中心，我以看似寫實的方式記錄下地衣的外觀，但它其實是模糊的，就好似神聖性的不可捕捉；它由很多的重複性繪畫筆觸構成，繪畫的過程就像是抄經。不同地區的同種類地衣有著不同的形態，我想它們也可以代表著，那個地區的樹的聲音。

Zhang Yuqing 張鈺卿
Evernia Prunastri in the rain, 151.5 x 230.5 cm
Acrylic and pine needle powder, 2025
雨中的 Evernia Prunastri
壓克力和松針粉末, 2025
Photographer: Huang Xinyuan
Courtesy of SUAVEART

In the work “Evernia Prunastri in the rain”, I use an almost symmetrical branch from Scotland to imply the cosmic tree representing the sacredness and life in various cultures, and the Evernia Prunastri growing on which is like a cluster of bushes.The holes on its shape look like the shape of caves, which in some legends implies the abode of the gods. In the background, I created a texture similar to raindrops, as a hint of chaos and the source of life.

作品《雨中的 Evernia Prunastri》中，我用一根來自蘇格蘭的幾乎對稱的樹枝來暗示多種文化中代表神聖與生命的宇宙樹，而上面生長著的 Evernia Prunastri 就好像一團樹叢，但它形態中的孔洞又很像山洞的形態，這在一些傳說中暗示著神的居所。在背景中我創作了類似雨滴的質感，作為混沌與生命源頭的暗示。

Zhang Yuqing (b.1999, Sichuan), graduated from China Academy of Art in 2022 with a Bachelor of Arts in Animation(Illustration and Cartoon),and completed a Master of Arts in Fine art: Painting at Camberwell College of Arts, University of the Arts London in 2025.

Zhang Yuqing‘s work began as a visual exploration of abstract concepts, memories, and emotions, combined with observations and sketches of natural environments. While painting remains her core practice, she has expanded into mediums such as printmaking, installation, and zines. Through a process of restructuring experimental narratives and pictorial frameworks, “plants” gradually emerged as a crucial thread in her work.

In her latest series, ‘Sacred Lichens’, she engage with lichen,tiny yet complex symbiotic organisms through observing them under a low-power microscope. This practice of gazing serves not only as a method of scientific observation but also as a metaphysical path toward religious symbolism and spiritual nature..

張鈺卿出生於 1999 年，本科畢業於中國美術學院，碩士畢業於倫敦藝術大學。她的創作始於對抽象概念、記憶與情緒的圖像化探索，以及對自然環境的觀察與寫生。她以繪畫為核心，同時延展至版畫、裝置、藝術書等媒介，在實驗性敘事與圖像結構的重建過程中，逐步確立了「植物」作為創作的重要線索。

在她最新的系列《神聖地衣》中，她用低倍顯微鏡凝視地衣這一微小又複雜的共生生物。這種凝視不僅作為科學層面的觀察方法，也成為她通往宗教象徵、靈性自然的形而上路徑。