Meet Zengyuan Ma

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Zengyuan Ma. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Zengyuan below.

Hi Zengyuan, thank you so much for making time for us today. Let’s jump right into a question so many in our community are looking for answers to – how to overcome creativity blocks, writer’s block, etc. We’d love to hear your thoughts or any advice you might have.

Whenever I hit a creative block, I do three things.

First, I turn to things unrelated to art — philosophy, religion, social news, history, or theater. These help me shift perspective and recharge intellectually. Second, I spend time in nature. When I’m anxious, I literally go hug a tree — because trees are incredible. Third, I doodle without thinking. Letting my hand move freely often reveals something my conscious mind couldn’t access.

To me, a lack of inspiration isn’t a dead end — it’s an opportunity to expand my aesthetic boundaries and sharpen my sensitivity to the world.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I’m a visual artist born in China and currently based in New York. My practice spans installation and painting, and centers on the fractured and often conflicting expectations placed on women across traditional Chinese and Western cultures. As an Asian millennial woman, my work unpacks the confusion of identity formed in the tension between these cultural narratives.

A recurring theme in my work is “escaping from the embedded expectation of females.” In my paintings, I often engage with the image of my mother — a figure who embodies both love and constraint. Through this, I perform a kind of spiritual matricide, confronting inherited gender roles and moving toward becoming the woman I choose to be. I’m currently developing a new body of work focused on the totemic and topographic qualities of the female body — exploring how maternal politics, bodily memory, and Asian cultural codes can be translated through a contemporary expressive language. Ultimately, I hope my work creates a space where the boundaries of perception are redefined — where silenced emotions are allowed to emerge with quiet but insistent force.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

There are three personal qualities have shaped my journey in a profound way:

The first is persistence. I’ve always been a bit “slow” in the way I process things — not in a negative sense, but in the way that I don’t easily give up. I started learning to paint when I was five. Many people around me gave up because they didn’t receive immediate validation. But because of my slowness — or rather, my quiet persistence — I kept going. Now at 25, I’m still making art.

The second is gratitude. I’ve always felt that when someone helps you, the best response is not just to say thank you, but to find a meaningful way to give back. That attitude has kept me grounded and aware of how interconnected we all are.

The third is curiosity. I try to stay curious about what I don’t yet know, and equally curious about what I think I already know. That mindset has kept my practice alive and evolving.

My advice to those at the beginning of their journey is this: You will meet many mentors and experienced voices along the way — but learn to distinguish which advice truly resonates with your path. Never assume someone is right just because they’re older or more established. Trust is important, but discernment is essential.

What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?

My mother is a professional woman, and one of the most impactful moments in my memory happened when I was in primary school. One night, after an argument with my father, she quietly packed her suitcase, took me by the hand, and checked us into a luxury hotel.

That night, she told me something I’ve never forgotten:

“A woman must have her own income. Never depend on anyone — not even your husband. You need both financial independence and the courage to walk away when necessary.”

To my younger self, it felt like a scene from a movie. But that moment — and her words — planted a seed in me. It became an inner conviction that shaped the way I see autonomy, strength, and what it means to live and create on your own terms.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: tutu.is.my.nickname