Bio
Ke Zhang is a visual artist with a background in architecture and graphic design. He discovered his passion for various forms of storytelling while pursuing his BA in architectural studies at Arizona State University. His imaginative interpretations of future cities are the visual documentation of his ideas regarding community, his personal history, and nostalgia. His drawings are produced at large scales, using pen and watercolor.
In 2021, he won the 56th Central Glass International Architectural Design Competition. He is currently working and living in New York City.
Artist Statement
Born and raised in China, I left home at the age of 17. As far as I can remember, life has been a succession of departures and arrivals. As a result, home became a mythic place of desire, like a mirage, within my sights but never truly reached. As a first-generation immigrant in the United States, much of my energy is expended navigating the diasporic currents of the various cultures that I inhabit. In moments that feel suffused with fear, confusion, and loneliness, I use my work to capture the images flickering and manifesting in my deepest nostalgic dreams, in search of a sense of belonging. Working predominantly with watercolor on paper, my imaginative interpretations of spaces offer a glimpse into the alternative home that I can always escape to on the journey of self-exploration.
Awards
2025
3rd Prize - NON Architecture | SKETCHING BATTLE
2024
Bronze Medal - RVID International Train Design Competition
2023
Honorable Mention - “7th Open” Teravarna International Juried Competition
Finalist - Splash 24 | The Best of Watercolor
Longlist - Jackson's Painting Prize 2023
2022
Finalist - Architizer : One Drawing Challenge 2022
2021
1st Prize - 56th Central Glass International Architectural Design Competition
2020
Finalist - RE-DRAW.02: Guggenheim New York Competition
2019
2nd Prize - 46th Nisshin Kogyo architectural design competition
Honorable Mention - “TEAMZERO Award” International Architecture Design Competition
Honorable Mention - ARA Student Housing Competition
Publications
2022
January issue of SHINKENCHIKU
February issue of a+u Architecture and Urbanism Magazine
2020
January issue of SHINKENCHIKU
2019
Discipline: ASU Architecture Journal 05
2018
Arizona Residential Architects 16 (ARA 16) Magazine
Discipline: ASU Architecture Journal 04