(Chicago, IL) At the Research House for Asian Art in Chicago, the recent October group exhibition Flowing: Her Forms, Her Voices, Her Spaces unfolds as a constellation of works exploring identity and narrative. When the viewer’s gaze finally comes to rest on the paintings of Zelene Jiang Schlosberg, the word architecture surfaces — paradoxically. It is not built of steel and concrete, but composed through brushes, pigments, knives, and scissors — cut and layered upon canvas into a kind of improbable architecture. Schlosberg’s works merge the languages of painting and sculpture, creating visual spaces that are at once solid and fluid — breathing structures of form and emotion.
Jiang Schlosberg describes her works as “relief sculpture paintings,” existing within an exhilarating liminal zone. The small-scale Microtale series resembles miniature architectural models of imagined worlds — intimate, palm-sized structures of perception. Solitary figures inhabit these abstract dimensions, their forms drawn from a rich range of visual references: from historical artifacts and architectural fragments to contemporary digital culture. Through a meticulous orchestration of color, shape, texture, and spatial tension, Schlosberg distills these materials into pure formal language, pursuing emotional resonance. Each work resembles a visual haiku — a suspended moment that invites viewers to imagine the unfolding of past and future.
When the viewer’s gaze extends toward Glide and Analysis, the architectural ambition reaches its full scale. Art critic Michael Hanna notes in his review of Glide:
“Glide (pictured above) represents a playful painting of figures ranging in activity from dancing, diving, walking, or standing in pose. The figures almost seem like representations of aliens with their extraterrestrial color and imaginative antennas. We find the composition contains stylized elements of interiors, architecture, and landscapes invoking a sense of an abstracted interpretation rather than an abstraction. Stripes within the planes accentuate senses of staircases and the flat shapes as well as dots seem to indicate both interior and exterior walls. A complex piece which creates a mysterious conviction in analytical and distorted perspective.”
Hanna’s observation captures precisely the visual paradox Schlosberg constructs: she builds rational spatial order through stripes and planes, yet simultaneously dissolves it through distorted perspective and transcendental figures — their extended antennae symbolizing the expansion of perception. This is an improbable architecture whose blueprint draws from modernist abstraction, yet its inhabitants obey the logic of dreams and the subconscious.
In Unraveling, this improbability is pushed to the extreme — staircases, swimming pools, and deep-sea organisms collapse into one another; spatial logic disintegrates and reconfigures into latent new structures. Through this highly charged visual thinking, Schlosberg provokes multilayered reflections on identity, space, and modes of perception.
Ultimately, these works transcend physical space, becoming vivid metaphors for the exhibition’s theme of fluid identity. With her distinctive visual language, Schlosberg constructs improbable architectures on canvas — fortresses of inner strength that are simultaneously fluid territories of consciousness. Rather than depicting specific sites, these paintings invite the viewer into layered states of existence: part urban landscape, part stage set, part psychic theatre — where the laws of perspective and time are rewritten, and the viewer becomes a participant in meaning-making. Here, the self soars, secretly, between the shelter and constraint of structure.
In Jiang Schlosberg’s practice, one may discern her study of Renaissance panel painting (including triptychs), as well as the spiritual influence of East Asian ink traditions.
Review by Hu Xichen
Hu Xichen is an art critic who received degrees from Johns Hopkins University and SOAS, University of London.
Exhibition Details
Flowing: Her Forms, Her Voices, Her Spaces is curated by Kira Wu, Senior Curator at the Research House for Asian Art. Born in Beijing and educated at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Wu integrates cutting-edge theoretical perspectives with curatorial practice, weaving local concerns into an international vision. Her approach constructs immersive visual narratives that revitalize the artistic ecosystem.
Participating artists include painter Hana Jiang , installation artist Xingyu Huang, multimedia artist Anne Skaug, fiber artist Seonyoung Lee, and sculptor Olivia JS Lee, among others. The exhibition examines how women use material and form to shape, challenge, and reconstruct their own narratives. Each gesture carries the force of renewal. Flowing: Her Forms, Her Voices, Her Spaces opened in early October and runs through November.
According to Professor Qigu Jiang — academic director of the Research House for Asian Art (RHAA), artist, and faculty member in the Painting and Art History departments at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago — the Research House for Asian Art was founded in August 2008. Dedicated to enhancing public understanding of Asian art and culture in the United States, the institution promotes dialogue and exchange between East and West, providing a professional platform for exhibition and engagement for contemporary Asian artists. RHAA also supports scholarly publishing and other public research initiatives.
About the Artist
Zelene Jiang Schlosberg is a relief sculptural artist who has exhibited throughout the United States as well as internationally. Notable solo exhibitions include Gallery 456 in New York, Woldt Gallery in London, University of Illinois at Chicago, Schoenherr Gallery at North Central College, and East Central College Art Gallery in Missouri. Recent group shows include ZhouB Art Center, Epiphany Center, Prairie State College, Northern Illinois University, theBLANC, Village One Art Gallery NYC, and Bendix Art LA. Recent publications include Artist Feature Catalogue, Shoutout LA, and Cedille Records. She also exhibits regularly at Art Miami+Context and the LA Art Show.
(text & photo courtesy of Hu Xichen & Zelene Jiang Schlosberg)
