"Abstract Fish 3" Painting

Nan Zhao — Artist Biography

Nan Zhao (b. 1987) is a Chinese visual artist based in Munich and Berlin. Her practice explores identity as something continuously constructed rather than a fixed form or expression.

Working across figurative and abstract visual languages, Nan examines how identity is shaped through the interaction of language, the body, perception, and visual structure. Her paintings bring together elements of lived experience and cultural context with abstract systems of line, color, space, and layered form, exploring how forms emerge, shift, and acquire meaning.

Rather than presenting identity as a stable category or personal narrative, Nan creates visual environments in which identity remains fluid, relational, and constantly evolving. Her practice is informed by her experience of living and working across China, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, and Germany.

Before developing her artistic practice, Nan worked in animation design in China. After moving to the UK in 2016, she became increasingly engaged with contemporary art and returned to painting. Since 2022, she has focused on developing a practice that moves between representation and abstraction.

Nan’s paintings are held in private and institutional collections worldwide.