Twister #2, Hong Chun Zhang

Hong Chun Zhang draws intricate images of long hair that transcend human scale to become the size of landscapes. In Twister #2, Zhang blends richly detailed hair strands to form a tornado—a weather phenomenon she encountered in her adopted home of Kansas. Referencing both Chinese scroll paintings and Zhang’s own black locks, the twisted tornado of hair forms an unconventional portrait of the artist that also speaks to collective identities. Twister #2 portrays hair—often considered a marker of femininity—as a beautiful and destructive force.