Tianli Zu
Born: China
Lives and Works: Sydney, NSW
Artist Statement
New Tale: the Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea, 2024
Mulberry paper, watercolour, hand-cut installation
Once upon a time, 2024
Animation, 13 mins Music by Andrew Zhou
New Tale comprises large-scale hand-cut paper installations and an animated film with sound.
The Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea narrates the stories of eight Chinese labourers who were brought to Australia by Alexander Berry in 1852. He sent them to work on his properties in Shoalhaven.
The animated film Once upon a time features my papercuts and explores the history and heritage of the Chinese diaspora. It aims to address themes of cultural conflicts and narratives within the Shoalhaven region.
About the Artist
Dr. Tianli Zu is an Australian multimedia artist. After graduating from the Central Academy of Fine Arts, China with a BAshe relocated to Sydney in 1988 and obtained a MFA by research from the University of Sydney’s Sydney College of the Arts (2010) and a PhD from the same college (2014).
Zu’s art has been exhibited at the Art Gallery of NSW, National Library of Australia, Adelaide Festival Centre, Centre Pompidou, Paris, and other art institutions. She has been commissioned by The Powerhouse Museum, Walt Disney, Maritime Union of Australia, City of Sydney, Sydney Aquarium, Vivid Sydney at Chatswood and Darling Harbour. Zu has been a finalist in numerous national art prizes, including the Archibald Prize twice, Salon des Refuses (People’s Choice Award), Dobell Drawing Prize, Blake Prize, Portia Geach Memorial Award, Mosman Art Prize, National Works on Paper, Hazelhurst Art on Paper Award, Paddington Art Prize and North Sydney Art Prize.
Zu creates large-scale papercuts by hand often combined with installation and animation to provide viewers with immersive experiences of time and space. She has spent over 30 years in Australia telling stories that convey philosophical ideas that explore the old/new, nature/technology, and East/West, working with a range of materials and methods to reveal the interplay between light and shadow.
