Emily Zou is a Toronto-based Canadian-Chinese multimedia artist, sculptor, illustrator, painter, and maker of earrings. Emily is a 2020 OCAD University alumna with a BFA in Drawing and Painting. She has exhibited her work at Nuit Blanche, the Toronto Outdoor Art Fair, Mackenzie Investments, Propeller Art Gallery, Northern Contemporary Gallery, Gallery 1313, John B. Aird Gallery, Florence Contemporary Gallery, The Jackalope Contemporary Art Gallery, the University of Toronto, OCAD University, and featured in Existere - Journal of Arts and Literature, and the 2020 Mental Health Europe Empowerment Webinar.

ARTIST’S STATEMENT

My art practice explores the intersection of climate awareness and mental health. I create intricate small to large-scale sculptures of found objects to confront material waste and unsustainable consumerism. Through sourcing my materials from community donations, close connections, and the street, I give trash a new life.

Beginning in 2020, during the pandemic, I realized that my apartment had become a pigsty. To declutter my apartment, rather than toss the mess, I played with the mess. I used string to tie objects together and this physical act of tying became an obsessive outlet for my anxiety. These works are capsules of the chaotic emotional energy felt during their creation. A metaphor for transformation, change, and healing, trash is upcycled and takes on a new life. I hope to spark dialogue with people about their stories and experiences with mental health. I want to inspire people to see their darkness as a source of strength and challenge what we define as “trash.”