Z.Z. Wei's paintings have been exhibited all around the U.S. and even a few foreign countries. For this Washington artist, a paintbrush is a huge part of his life.
Wei was born in Beijing, China, in 1957. He inherited artistic talent from his father who first exposed him to paintings. In 1984, Wei graduated from the Central Institute of Arts & Design, which is now known as the Academy of Arts and Design of Tsinghua University, in his hometown.
Some years after graduation, Wei was invited to participate in the Washington State Centennial Celebration in 1989. One of the artists he met was from Whitman College in Walla Walla. She opened an opportunity for Wei to expose his works, "She invited me to be an artist in residence at Whitman College," remembered Wei.
His visualizations come from his life's history, including the long journey from Beijing to Walla Walla. "What I saw really moved me deeply. The light and the color are so uniquely different than everything I've seen before. It's simple but so strong. It's quiet but full of movement."
"It seems that there's a power running under the earth. The movement is like Lava. Slowly, powerful, movement. It's the energy that I feel from this land."
Besides road paintings, Wei also likes to paint abandoned cars with its detailed characters: "They got dents here and there, and they get rusted. And they're getting old. Old and broken just like me."
For Wei, paintings should be meaningful. "The value of being an artist is that a painting is not something they put on the wall, but something they could have a conversation with every day. Or a place they could go into -- to get away or get in."
He focuses his art on what touches him and what he holds dear, "My life experience takes me on a journey. And I hope my art will take my audience on a journey."
Visit Patricia Rovzar Gallery for Z.Z Wei's 2020 exhibition.
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