Art Review
The artist is synthesizing the divergent cultural histories of Western oil painting and Eastern ink painting into one.
Installation view of Leah Ke Yi Zheng, Change, I Ching (64 Paintings) (2026) (all photos Forrest Frederick for Bob, courtesy the Renaissance Society)
CHICAGO — I planned my visit to Chicago to coincide with Leah Ke Yi Zheng’s exhibition, curated by Myriam Ben Salah and Karsten Lund, at the Renaissance Society. My only disappointment was not having the time to visit the exhibition more than once, unlike her New York debut at David Lewis Gallery in 2023, which I reviewed. Observing Zheng’s work remains a learning experience, a delightful aspect of engaging with art.
Zheng’s work offers not only pleasure but also intellectual engagement and introspection. It explores the synthesis of Western oil painting and Eastern ink painting, marking the beginning of a significant artistic journey. I perceive Zheng as leading a movement among Asian-born artists to redefine ink painting, particularly while residing in the diaspora. Her art transcends personal identity, focusing on a broader narrative that is dynamic and evolving.
In researching Zheng’s initial exhibition, I came across an interview with Nicky Ni (Sixty Inches from Center, March 26, 2021):
My paintings branch off from the lineage of Chinese traditional paintings — it’s important for me to receive but also move beyond the influence of history. I use the same materials and techniques that a Chinese painter from the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period (907 AD–960 AD) would use, but I turn the scroll painting and its flatness into an object …. And silk is a seemingly delicate but strong and finicky material; it feels like skin.
The I Ching (or Book of Changes) is a Chinese divination text, approximately 3,000 years old, offering guidance through 64 hexagrams made of six stacked lines. These hexagrams can be seen as geometric symbols, stripped of their predictive meanings when viewed through a Western lens.
Zheng’s choice to depict each hexagram in oil or acrylic on various silks aligns with her desire to both embrace and transcend historical influences in Chinese and Western art, especially geometric abstraction, carving out her own unique space.
In preparing for the exhibit, Zheng transformed the gallery by modifying wall dimensions and covering windows, a move described in the press release as creating a “new rhythm” to highlight “the light of the here and now.” Her exploration of light interaction, from textured surfaces to semi-transparent materials, builds on Robert Ryman’s use of natural light as a fundamental element in site-specific works, as exemplified in his Dia Beacon installation.
Two paintings, No. 63 “After Completion” and No. 64 “Before Completion,” are positioned on opposite sides of the gallery’s entrance. These substantial pieces, measuring 9 x 10 feet (~2.7 x 3m), are displayed on the wall across from the entrance, drawing visitors in. Their dimensions are guided by the wall’s size. One piece, painted on semi-transparent silk, features six bright celadon bars against a soft pink background, creating a dynamic visual play that challenges the traditional six-bar hexagram format.
The viewer’s experience of the paintings, especially those near windows, varies with the silk’s weave and the paint’s texture. Zheng views all 64 paintings as a cohesive work, though each stands alone in color and texture. The paintings range from square to rectangular, with sizes such as 14 by 14 inches (~35.6 x 35.6 cm), 11 by 11 inches (~27.9 x 27.9 cm), and 9 by 9 ¼ inches (~22.9 x 23.5 cm), as well as 5 by 6 feet (~1.5 x 1.8 m). Zheng experimented with different ideas and sizes, as she mentioned in an interview.
Zheng’s flexibility is evident throughout the exhibition, seen in the varied sizes of the paintings, ranging from small to large. There is no fixed palette; some pieces employ tonal harmony, while others use contrast. Zheng worked with thinned oil paint and thick acrylic on surfaces from transparent to rough. The hexagram served not as a template to replicate but as a structure for exploration. For example, in “No. 34,” she added an extra bar, modifying the internal rhythm of the hexagram. This collection, representing Zheng’s personal interpretation of the I Ching, deserves to be preserved and showcased in a museum.
Leah Ke Yi Zheng: I Ching (Book of Changes) continues at the Renaissance Society (5811 S Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois) through April 12. The exhibition was curated by Myriam Ben Salah and Karsten Lund.
