Born in 1970 in Beijing, China, Ji Zhou graduated from the printmaking department at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing in 1994, and later received a MFA from the Panthéon-Sorbonne University, Paris in 2005. Ji Zhou's quiet observation of contemporary society is reflected in his object-based works, often rendered in photography or sculpture.
Ji Zhou's oeuvre explores fragmented and whole images, comprised of images of objects and installations that are not what they always appear to be. His series Dust, which was exhibited extensively across Asian fairs and in New York's The Armory Show (2013), explores the perceived image of hand-assembled objects, rendered in monotonous grey as a mean to focus on the shape and form of these sculptures. In Ji's series Civilized Landscape, he explores illusory landscapes created by mankind: using maps and books, he sculpts mountains and skyscrapers in carefully placed installations before photographing the compositions. His most recent series of work consists of photographs taken of a variety of scenes within a landscape during different times of a day. Through this illustration of the world, Ji Zhou constructs an understanding of the world around us.
His work has been exhibited around the world, including solo exhibitions Form, Space Kaan, Seoul, South Korea (2017); Civilized Landscape, Klein Sun Gallery, New York, NY (2015), Objectified Spectacle, Tang Contemporary Art, Beijing, China (2013); and In Situ, Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing, China (2008). His recent group exhibitions include Imaginary Frontiers, Boghossian Foundation at Villa Empain, Brussels, Belgium (2017); Children of Hangzhou: Connecting with China, Young At Art Museum, Davie, FL (2016); Photography and Film Constructs, Ringling College of Art and Design, Sarasota, FL (2016); WALK! Passages: Walking in Contemporary Art, Perlman Teaching Museum, Carleton College, Northfield, MN (2016); Another Landscape, Yang Art Museum, Beijing, China (2016); Real/Unreal, The First edition of Changjiang International Photography & Video Biennale, Chongqing Changjiang Museum of Contemporary Art, China (2015); The Persistence of Images, Redtory Art and Culture Organization, Guangzhou, China (2015); The 2nd Three Shadows Experimental Image Open Exhibition, Three Shadows Photography Art Centre, Beijing, China (2015); The 9th Shanghai Biennale, China (2013); Retrospection & Deviation, Times Art Museum Beijing, Beijing, China (2011); Rendez-vous 09, Institut d'Art Contemporain, Villeurbanne, France (2009); and 55 Days in Valencia, Chinese Art Meeting, Institut Valencia d’Art Modern, Valencia, Spain (2008).
Ji Zhou currently live and works in Beijing, China.