Early Life, Family and Training
Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, provides the backdrop for the beginnings of Zhao Fei. Born in 1985, she enters a household where art is a fundamental language; she is born into a family of artists in the south of China. This environment shapes her early perception of creative practice long before her formal training begins.
The trajectory moves toward the capital. Zhao Fei studies at the Normal University of the Capital Beijing, focusing her technical development within the academic structures of the university. Her training is dual-natured, bridging the gap between visual and auditory disciplines. By 2009, she graduates with a degree in oil painting and piano. This intersection of disciplines marks the end of her initial formative period in China.
Academic Career and Life in France
The year 2009 marks a definitive shift in her trajectory. After completing her studies in oil painting and piano in China, she moves to France. This transition leads her directly to University Paris VIII, where her academic focus begins to deepen within the European contemporary landscape. She does not merely settle; she integrates into the rigorous intellectual environment of the institution.
Her progression through the French university system is steady and methodical. By 2016, she has secured a Master in Contemporary Art and New Media from University Paris VIII. This period marks a transition from foundational training toward a specialized investigation of new media and contemporary forms. The academic pursuit continues until 2022, when she receives her PhD in Plastic Arts (Search - Creation) from the same university. This doctoral achievement solidifies her position within the academic and professional spheres of the French art scene.
Today, she remains rooted in the French capital. She lives and works in Paris, maintaining a presence in the city that has served as her primary intellectual and creative base for over a decade. Her life is defined by this ongoing dialogue between her Chinese origins and her established professional existence in France.
Artistic Methods and Exhibitions
Zhao Fei moves between diverse modes of expression, utilizing drawings, paintings, installations, and performances to navigate her creative practice. Her early exhibition history in China established a presence through the 2007 Southern Oil Paintings exhibition, which spanned Guangzhou, Macao, and Hong Kong. This momentum continued into 2008 with the Nature/unnatural exhibition in Dali, followed by her participation in the 2010 Great Prize of Fine Arts in Guangzhou.
The transition to France marks a shift in her exhibition landscape. In 2014, she participated in the Jeunes Créateurs exhibition in Paris. Her work moved into more complex spatial territories, such as the 2019 Moonlight Garden exhibition at the BOAB Art Gallery in Anvers, Belgium. This period also saw her involvement in the 2021 Au commencement exhibition at the Edouard Branly Museum in Paris. Most recently, her work was featured in the 22.07 20.08 Le dessus des cartes exhibition at Art contemporain, Le Hézo, France, in 2023.
