A selection of paintings by New York City-based artist Shuyang Zhou. The series began in March of 2020 with a desire to attend to the ubiquitous but often overlooked emotions of everyday objects. Believing in the ability of inanimate objects to convey just as much, if not more, emotion than human beings, Zhou argues that while the inconspicuous nature of these objects often leads them to be under-appreciated, it is their very simplicity that liberates them from “the harsher judgments of daily life.” As Zhou states:

“They call out to me, sometimes for a brief conversation, and other times for a lengthy one. I listen to them. The only way I know how to respond to them truthfully is to paint them, unembellished.”

See more images below.