Biography
Shengjia Zhang is an artist and filmmaker from Guangdong, China. Inspired by cultural anthropology, his practice delves into minor social histories and cultural hybridity, intertwined with everyday objects and concepts, through collecting and investigating relevant marginal archives. By examining such as birthday cakes, British chinoiserie ceramics, and family migration history, his recent works explore postcolonialism, Orientalism, and the histories of Chinese diasporas.
As the winner of the Dean’s Award, Zhang graduated from Central Saint Martins with an MA in Fine Art in 2022, supported by the Mona Hatoum Bursary. His video essay 'Birthday Cakes From China' was nominated for Silver Dove Award at DOK Leipzig and the CIRFA Awards for Bridging East and West in Venice. His works have been also selected for London Design Week, Beijing International Short Film Festival, Biennale International Design Saint-Etienne in France, among others.
Education
MA Fine Art
2020-2022
Central Saint Martins College, University of the Arts London, UK
- Scholarship& Funding: Mona Hatoum Bursary, Turing Scheme
BA Interior Design
2015-2019
College of Art and Design, Shenzhen University, China
- Scholarship& Honors: Excellent Student Scholarship, Graduation Project 1st Place
Awards
2024
Nomination of Silver Dove Award, International Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Film, leipzig, Germany
Nomination of Young Artist Prize, UCCA Center, Beijing China
Nomination of the 6th 1839 Photography Award, Chengdu Contemporary Image Museum, Chengdu China
Nomination of Bridging East and West, CIRFA Award, Venice, Italy
2023
Audience Choice Award, LL Interspace, leipzig, Germany
Deans Award, Central Saint Martins, London, UK
2022
Long List, Graduate Award, Lewisham Arthouse, London, UK Cactus Projet 3.0, Post-Flamand Art Space The Third Prize, Milan Design Week- China Design Exhibition
2020
Excellent Award of Interior Design, The Second Black Box Creative Design Award2019
Excellent Award of Public Environment and Architecture, Asian Design AwardExcellent Award of Lighting and Architecture, Asian Design Award
Collection
2022
Permanent Collection, Central Saint Martins Museum, University of the Arts London, UKGrants
2022
555 Project, SandwiChina, Shanghai, ChinaResidencies
2024
LL Interspace, leipzig, Germany
2023
Arbre Space, Shenzhen, China
Publication
2024
Unknown Quantities, Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London, UK
Asian Delights, Shanghai, China
2023
Cambridge Journal of Visual Culture, Cambridge University, UK
Screening
2025
InScience Film Festival, Nijmegen, Netherland
2024
International Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Film, leipzig, Germany
Wuhan bǎilin Film Festival, Wuhan, China
The Sleepless Night of (Re)imaginning Marco Polo, Venice, Italy
The idea of Southeast in (South)east Asian cinema, Zagreb, Crotia
The Nearby Independent International Film Festival, Guangzhou, China
2023
Beijing International Short Film Festival, Beijing, China
2022
Malarkey Film Festival, Phoenix Cinema, London, UKThe Thin Metal is Going Through My Left Ear Hole, LUX, London, UK
Exhibition
2025
THE MENU: Art & Design Inspired by Food, Ramp, Beijing, China
2024
Porthole, SWCAC Art Center & Art Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China2023
I SAID FRUIT SALAD, HYPHA Gallery, London
Hotpot, KUB Gallery, leipzig, Germany
Big Family Happy, Arbre Space, Shenzhen, China
Thermidorien * Cactus in Pairs, Tree Art Gallery, Pairs, France
Project by the Sea, Dalian City Art Museum, Dalian, China
Action against Hate: Diversity & Religion Exhibition, University of Westminster, London, UK
Dreams of a new moon, Lethaby Gallery, London, UK
Moving Image, The Assembly Room, Northampton, UK
2022
Video Sound Archive S5, Online, USAMuddy Mulark, Candid Arts Trust Gallery, London, UK
Human Resources, London Design Festival, Lethaby Gallery, London, UK
Co_vid: Wir im Um_bruch, Leipzig, Germany
History Reviewed: We Can’t Forget How to Move, Silpakorn University, Thailand
Seeing You in Us: Weave Eastern and Western contexts, Triangle Space, Chelsea College of Arts, London , UK
All Change Please, Banner Repeater, London, UK
Reassemblages, Central Saint Martins Window Gallery, London, UK
2021
MERCH, Lethaby Gallery, London, UK2020
Transference.tv, Online, UK2019
Biennale International Design Saint-Etienne, FranceBi-City Biennale of UrbanismArchitecture, Shenzhen/Hongkong, China
The night of asgardia, Shenzhen,China
2018
Shenzhen C Future Festival, Shenzhen, ChinaThe Seventh Shenzhen City Art Fair, Shenzhen, China
Shenzhen International Art Fair, Shenzhen, China
Lecture
2024
Artist Talk on Short Film: Birthday Cakes From China, LL Interspace, Leipzig, Germany
Artist Talk, Shenzhen University, China
Research Programme
2022
Chelsea College of Arts, UK
- Rivers.Jugular Veins of Empire- Shared Campus International Summer Schools
Silpakorn University, Thailand
- History Reviewed: We Can’t Forget How to Move- Shared Campus International Summer Schools
2017
Palacky University, Czech Republic
- Fine Art, Summer Programme