Although Zongbo Jiang comes from a background in graphic and product design, his philosophy is more akin to sculpture and storytelling. He creates complex digital worlds, constructing narratively rich spaces full of extraordinary characters which often take strange and comedic forms. These creatures act as the lynchpins in his virtually-crafted universes, and function much in the same way as protagonists do in fairy tales or horror stories.
The spaces he fabricates are designed to open up the debate that Jiang hopes to generate around his practice as a visual activist, and that illustrate his passion for social and environmental rights, such as mental health, animal rights, and climate change. Jiang offers us an alternative digital representation of the dilemmas within these areas, to continue the conversation of how we can improve the way we all live harmoniously as members of planet earth.
‘Shared Planet’ is an exhibition of digital film as an environmental wake-up call. Inspired by the resurgence of the natural environment during the first London lockdown, Jiang has created a world bursting with new life and hope. The piece includes four main characters as eco-deities; Water, Air, Wildlife, and Noise, each representing an element of the ecosystem that was positively affected during the lockdown. We see these characters are flourishing in an environment free of the pollution that, in normal circumstances, would hinder their existence. Whilst this exhibition was inspired by the lockdown, the immersive nature of the exhibition requires in-person viewing to truly experience the world he has created.
Jiang is an artist who straddles two seemingly disparate worlds in a very contemporary way, he is an environmentalist who has taken up residence in this new digital realm, which has altruistic goals. Among them are social betterment, tackling climate change, and building a better society for us all.
ZONGBO JIANG SHARED PLANET 13th January – 4th February 2022 at Bomb Factory South Gallery, Unit G13, The Plaza (Lots Road entrance), 535 King’s Rd, Chelsea, London, SW10 0SZ Private view Thursday 13th January 2022, 6-9pm – Tickets
About the artist
Jiang is a visual artist based in London. With a background in Graphic and Digital Fashion design, his design philosophy has always been true to sculpting a narrative. He observes the collisions between aspects of daily life, focusing on social and environmental issues. His work centers around creating digital characters, which often take strange and comedic forms. These characters are placed in virtually crafted spaces to solidify the narrative he creates to share the concepts he is portraying. @zongbo.jiang
