About Ze
Born in 1997 in Shandong, China, Ze Tian studied at The University of Iowa where he received his BFA in 2020 in Art Photography and Film. In 2024, Ze graduated from Syracuse University with an MFA in Art Photography. He has exhibited in Drewelowe Gallery (Iowa City, IA), Levitt Gallery (Iowa City), Novado Gallery (Jersey City, NJ), Nancy Cantor Warehouse (Syracuse, NY), Point of Contact Gallery (Syracuse), 16x16x16 traveling exhibition in Omaha, Lincoln, Iowa City, and Lawrence.
Coming from a traditional Chinese family, Ze Tian didn’t grow up in a photographic environment. He has been focusing on traditional street photography since he was in college, which allows him to observe the Western world from a wonderer’s perspective—capturing other people’s lives with the camera to document the moments that are precious to him. During the pandemic period, he started thinking about the fragile connection between his family members and exploring what’s behind the bond that ties everyone together in a dramatic way. The road to understanding “kinship” is also the way for him to consider what makes him an artist.
Ze draws inspiration from his rich experiences traveling across diverse landscapes and cultures. He made his travels to Alaska, Cuba, Thailand, Mexico, and other places where different cultures and people reside. With the reflections of his odyssey, the experiences became a vessel for his art practice, and heavily influenced his work.