Chong-Xiao Zheng’s practice interweaves humor, environmental consciousness, and social reflection. Through his signature alter ego “Pouting Boy” — a cartoonish avatar derived from his own image — Zheng engages in a playful yet critical dialogue between tradition and contemporaneity. By reinterpreting classical Chinese landscape paintings alongside iconic Western masterpieces, he bridges cultural and temporal boundaries to address urgent issues such as ecological preservation, energy crisis, and environmental ethics.
His journey began in 2014, after encountering Fan Kuan’s Travelers Among Mountains and Streams at the National Palace Museum. Moved by the profundity of classical aesthetics, Zheng initiated a project to “remake” historical landscapes, aiming to resonate with younger audiences and to recontextualize traditional painting in a contemporary visual language. This series became a turning point in his career, establishing a conceptual framework grounded in art historical inquiry.
