Linda Zhengová: Oxymoron

Linda Zheng’s Oxymoron is a disturbing exploration of intimacy, power, and self-renewal. Drawing from the artist’s personal history, the series creates a visual archive of warning signs, fleeting escapes, and the subtle violence of self-harm.Linda Zheng’s Oxymoron is a disturbing exploration of intimacy, power, and self-renewal. Drawing from the artist’s personal history, the series creates a visual archive of warning signs, fleeting escapes, and the subtle violence of self-harm.

Created in the aftermath of a toxic and abusive relationship, her work was shaped by her nocturnal alter ego—a shadow version of herself that became both a refuge and a lens through which she viewed the world. In this liminal space, Zheng sought intensity as a way to break through emotional numbness. Drawn to acts of raw exposure and extreme, she pushed the boundaries of vulnerability and control. These encounters became a stage where desire, obsession, and empowerment collided—and from which emerged fragments of self-reclaimed identity and fragile self-love.

The resulting collection is an oxymoron in itself: tender yet confrontational, destructive yet cathartic. It serves as a testament to perseverance and a dedication to all those who – like the author – have found a way to step out of their cages.