Yujie Zhou

Yujie Zhou (b. CN; they/them) is a visual artist based in Helsinki, Finland. Their practice navigates performativity and a decoded notion of language through photography, textiles, video, and publishing. Drawing on the juxtaposition between their nationalist upbringing and their current life in Finland, Zhou interrogates dominant historical narratives and power structures while reframing collective individuality.

Zhou completed a Master’s Degree in Arts with a Major in Photography and a Minor in Textiles—Materials and Structures at Aalto University in 2023. They have exhibited their works internationally, including in Finland, Switzerland, Germany, Spain, Estonia, Singapore, and the UK. Zhou has been awarded the FUTURES Photography Talent 2024 nomination by Fotogalleriet, Oslo, Norway; the Finnish Art Society’s Young Artist Grant (2023); shortlisted for the PhMuseum 2024 Photography Grant’s Main Prize; and nominated artist for Plat(t)form 2023 at Fotomuseum Winterthur, Switzerland. Zhou’s selected residencies include the Kone Foundation’s Saari Residency Fellowship (2024) and an 11-month Artist-in-Residence program at the Helsinki International Artist Programme (HIAP) in 2024.

This residency is organized in collaboration with the Finnish Cultural Institute in New York.