Jesse Zuo
New York, NY
Summer 2026 * Art
Artist Statement
This body of paintings begins with an absorption of light, color, memory, and feeling. Jesse Zuo transforms these quiet observations into paintings that give lasting form to fleeting experiences. Rather than seeking the extraordinary within the mundane, Zuo draws attention to the moments that often go unnoticed: a ray of sunlight across a surface, a glimpse of color, or the passing gesture of a friend. Through sustained observation, these seemingly insignificant encounters become emotionally charged images.
Her paintings do not document these moments so much as reconstruct the sensation of experiencing them, allowing a fleeting feeling of joy, stillness, or beauty to remain. At the heart of Photosynthesis is the idea of transformation. Just as plants convert light into matter, Zuo transforms observed light into color and passing sensations into images. Her increasingly soft and contemplative palette reflects a growing interest in stillness over spectacle, inviting viewers to slow down, look again, and discover the beauty that emerges through sustained attention.
The artist in the studio.
Works
Silver Slippers, oil on canvas, 16 x 12 in. exhibited in "For Scale Only" with V1 Gallery
Bordeaux, oil on canvas, 10 x 8 in, exhibited in duo show "Youth Will Always Win" at Long Story Short Paris
Dress Shoes, oil on canvas, 8 x 10 in, exhibited in duo show "Youth Will Always Win" at Long Story Short Paris
Polished, oil on canvas, 10 x 8 in, featured in solo exhibition "Photosynthesis" at Piero Atchugarry Gallery in Miami.
Fever Green, oil on canvas, 16 x 12 in, featured in solo exhibition "Photosynthesis" at Piero Atchugarry Gallery in Miami.
Bloomers, oil on canvas
Silver Slippers, installation view © Jesse Zuo
About the Artist
Jesse Zuo is a New York-based figurative painter whose work explores womanhood and everyday intimate moments through a lens of traditional realism. Her recent practice centers on the interplay of light and shadow, with color emerging as a natural consequence of illumination rather than a deliberate choice, blurring the boundary between what is seen, felt, and remembered.
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