Qianyi Zhu is an abstract artist working primarily with painting and etching, alongside pastel and mixed works on paper. Currently based in Glasgow, she is soon to graduate from the Glasgow School of Art. Her practice is grounded in a quiet exploration of inner landscapes, where remembered fragments of nature – trees, grasses, rivers, lakes, fields and urban edges – are revisited not as static images, but as shifting emotional states.

Qianyi’s recent work examines the recurring pull of certain places and sensations, tracing how memory is never fixed, but continuously reinterpreted through time. She engages with repetition – not only as a visual motif, but as a way of navigating the distance between feeling and form. In her process, one site or image might be approached through multiple gestures, mediums, or layers, each iteration dissolving and reforming with subtle variation. 

See Qianyi’s work as part of our exhibition of work by emerging artists, Starter Pack, curated by gallery intern Hope Reynolds. Starter Pack is many things: it’s a grass roots opportunity for artists to begin, or expand on, their repertoire of exhibitions, to connect with other artists in Glasgow, to further their understanding of working with galleries and curators, and to gain publicity. Starter Pack runs at Six Foot from August 12th to August 26th.

Hi Qianyi! What excites you most about your work?
What excites me most is the uncertainty within the process. I often begin without a fixed image in mind, letting gestures, colors, and textures lead the way. When fragments of nature emerge—branches, flowing lines, traces of leaves—they feel like memories surfacing unexpectedly. That moment of recognition, when something both familiar and elusive appears, is deeply exciting.

Who or what inspires you? Do you interact with your inspirations? 
My inspiration often comes from trees. They accompanied me through a very fragile and difficult period of my life, witnessing time, change, and resilience. I see them as silent companions—living presences that remind me of cycles of loss and renewal. In my work, I try to interact with trees not as subjects to be depicted, but as rhythms and energies to be felt and translated into mark-making.

Can you elaborate on the themes you explore in your work?
I am drawn to the connection between nature and memory. My paintings often evoke a sense of time passing—things disappearing, reappearing, or existing in transition. I explore how abstract marks can hold emotions of fragility, resilience, and hope, and how viewers may sense the in-between state of “almost gone, not yet here.” 

What is your chosen medium, why do you enjoy working with it?
I mainly work with acrylic, oil pastel, and sometimes tracing paper or layered surfaces. I enjoy these materials because they allow me to build, erase, and rewrite gestures. Layers become like memories—some clear, some fading, some overwritten. The physicality of the medium mirrors the way emotions accumulate and transform over time.

Tell us about your creative process. From the origins of an idea, to the outcome of creation. 
My process often starts with an inner feeling rather than a planned image. I respond intuitively to color, layering, and movement on the surface. I embrace accidents—stains, overlaps, and marks that don’t fully obey me—because they carry their own life. Gradually, a landscape-like image emerges, something between abstraction and memory, open enough for viewers to bring their own associations.

What emotions or reactions do you hope viewers experience when they see your artwork?
I hope viewers feel both a sense of intimacy and openness—like standing before a memory that is partly your own, though you can’t fully name it. If my work can evoke the sensation of pausing, breathing, and sensing something fragile yet resilient, then it has fulfilled its role.

Find out more about Qianyi’s work on her Instagram. Starter Pack runs at Six Foot Gallery until Tuesday 26th August 2025.