Zhenye Feng

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Zhenye (Steven) Feng (b. 2003, Guangzhou, China) is an interdisciplinary artist currently based in Chicago. His practice investigates the tension between information and materiality, taking scale, historical archives, and everyday experience as his starting points. Working across photography, mixed-media installation, sound, and digital coding, Feng deconstructs how reality and human lives are formatted by institutional power. He is currently a BFA Candidate at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC). Previously, he studied at the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) under the mentorship of Harry Gamboa Jr. His recent work has been exhibited at SAIC Galleries, CalArts Gallery, and Happy White Gallery in Rhode Island. He is a recipient of the Scholastic Art and Writing Award and a 2023 inductee of the National Art Honor Society (NAHS).

Self Portrait
2025

The City
2023

The tension between the micro and the macro—individual and society, species and nature, the raindrop and the ocean—fascinates me. Many questions compel me to reflect: Why do we mourn the loss of a single life close to us, yet feel unable to empathize with the sheer numbers in statistical data? Why do we critique narratives in the news, yet remain indifferent to the reality unfolding before us? I believe these distortions of scale serve as mirrors, reflecting the psychic numbing inherent in our society’s obsession with vast data.

Accumulation has always been my starting point, akin to a child instinctively stacking mud. While digital algorithms and institutional filters seem to offer a sanitized and trustful reality, they often condition us to accept the edited surface as the whole truth.

I believe we must physically deconstruct the medium rather than blindly adhering to the screen. Instead of seeking immediate clarity, I trust in the power of opacity and texture. Thus, I create tactile situations that encourage viewers to slow down, penetrate the static, and sense the emotions that formatted information can no longer hold.

© 2026 Zhenye Feng