Michael Zheng creates situations that often feel like aberrations and yet on second look somehow point more aptly to the essence of things, questioning the established positions so that new perspectives can be experienced. His thinking is influenced by his interest in Ch’an Buddhism’s notion of the intrinsic nature of all things. Being present is at the core of his practice. He often uses the spatial, historical, and other contextual characteristics of the site or situation as the formal materials to create his work. His works are characterized by a performative nature and are often shown in the form of site-specific interventions, photographs, video, and sculptural installations. Many of his works are infused with sincerity, absurdity and humor, and often engender a poetic feeling.
His works have been reviewed in Sculpture Magazine, Yishu, Artweek, Shotgun Review, San Francisco Chronicle, SF Weekly, The BayCitizen, Portland Phoenix, Neue Rheinische Zeitung and Rheinische Post in Germany, Lietuvos Zinios and Lietuvos Rytas in Lithuania, and the Artists Magazine in Taiwan, among others. His debut solo in San Francisco, As the Butterfly Said to Chuang Tzu, won critical acclaim.
