By Nick Christophers
It seems like more and more Asians are setting foot in America to cultivate their God given talents in the past 10 years. Multidisciplinary artist Dier Zhang is one of them who is building her worth in more than just one medium. She grew up drawing, dancing and mastering Chinese calligraphy. But she only viewed these as hobbies. To appease her family, she majored in Marketing at the University of Richmond. But that did not last long.
Her artistic “bulb” took root after taking part in art classes she took and even received higher grades than her other classes. It was obvious where her heart would take her. She in turn minored in Studio Art which later became her double major. She is a diversified artist who does everything from digital photography, video to ceramics, and also small-scale sculptures using wide range of materials such as resin, silicon, and clay. Besides the art she also has incorporated her love for dance in the works.
“I’m into so many different mediums and they all speak to me in different ways. I think the one thing that I care about the most is how do I get the message crossed in the most desirable way. The medium itself acts as a placeholder for the message but also contributes to how is it delivered. For me, a medium choice always comes from decision making. It’s very important.”
Dier has participated in a recent show entitled “WHAT A WOMEN” group show at Artosino Gallery in Manhattan. Also, this past summer she participated in the Pioneer Works “Press Play” Art Book Fair where she had a table displaying her works. She is also preparing another show with a fellow artist in the coming weeks. Her education is quite impressive earning a BA in Science of Business Administration in Marketing; Marketing; Studio Art from the University of Richmond to a Masters in Communication Design at Pratt Institute.
As we mentioned before Dier is also involved with dance in an inspirational way. She has not done any dancing professionally but is moved by its sense of restructuring time, space, and body movement. She has admired such performers like Yvone Rainer, Merce Cunningham and Lucinda Childs. When it comes to applying her skills in the business end, she has offered her talents to such companies like Gagosian Gallery, Acne Studios AB and Condé Nast International in China.
On the horizon Dier has a show at the Vanities Gallery on October 13th in Paris entitled “Out of focus/Ambiguë” which she is very excited about. Her work is unique and creative as it fuses many mediums. If you can visit her show on the 13th you can get a personal look at this growing talent.
