Artist interview: Mingzhang Sun
Photo courtesy of the artist
The old adage “You can never go home again” isn’t supposed to be taken literally, but fate has dealt a cruel irony to Mingzhang Sun. Though it was named after the songbird, his childhood village was literally swallowed up as part of the expansion and modernisation necessary to accommodate China’s relentless post-war population growth. Far be it from me to find silver linings in someone else’s cloud, but my wistful concern for his village was quickly wiped away as Mingzhang recounted stories about the street fights, sex workers, unlicensed food stalls and roads filled with rubbish that he experienced growing up. He frequently used the word chaos as he recounted vivid childhood memories, and repeatedly reassured me that he never once felt unsafe. “As kids you don’t know what’s unsafe sometimes.”
That might explain why his precarious installation inside the Smallest Gallery in Soho looks unstable but never dangerous. He describes it as a playful collection and a sugar-coated tribute to his village. It is filled to the brim with structures that rise from the floor, extend off the walls and hang from the ceiling. They resemble council tower blocks, out of which canvas and mesh burst as if it had exploded from within. Everything is splattered red, inspired by Mingzhang’s recollection of his neighbours setting off fireworks on the night before demolition began.
Armchair psychologists would be quick to draw parallels between the snow globe of chaos inside the gallery with Mingzhang’s childhood memories, but as I dug into his past I discovered a recurring theme of stability and optimism. Starting from a young age and lasting until his late teens a succession of encounters with art teachers encouraged him, and his parents, to nurture and develop his talents. Training in Chinese traditional painting at 12, a specialist fine art high school and then acceptance into China's most prestigious and renowned art academy, the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing. He earned a BA in Fashion Design, chosen in part by a childhood obsession with the glamorous life, which in turn led him to London where he earned another BA from the London College of Fashion.
Though he’s now lived in the UK for over a decade Mingzhang still considers himself an outsider and generally views that as a good thing. Ingesting and blending multiple cultures both allows and encourages him to experience “a more beneficial tension” that influences his art, which often results in works that defy normal categorisation. Even a casual glance at his portfolio reveals what is clearly a desire to utilise as much of his artistic training as he can feasibly fit into each and every body of work.
Photo courtesy of the artist
He says he “likes discovering feeling through the artwork” as he attempts to address questions that may never be resolved. Fittingly, most of his works are visually abstract, something that he also attributes to the way he views himself. “I definitely see myself in the abstract side. I feel like myself is always in-between.” Though he has explored a wide range of medium, he never specifically sets out to achieve any certain style. “Step by step, to push yourself, is more fascinating than to target a result.” He goes on to explain that story-based art, or getting too bogged down in technique, is something from which he quickly loses joy. “If I can predict a result, it loses the authentic feeling of the reason why you want to pick up (your brush, pencils, etc).”
As we talked about the emotions in his art Mingzhang lamented that during the installation he felt like a fish in a tank, but there was one moment of surprise when a group of teenage boys had stopped to watch. The boys had no clue that the exhibition being constructed was inspired by a village in China that had been demolished before they were born, yet they commented through the glass that they liked what they saw. Mingzhang snapped a picture of them from inside the gallery, all giving him the thumbs up as they stood on the street and gazed inside. His childhood village might be long gone, but through Mingzhang’s art it continues to influence and inspire young minds.
A quick disclaimer:
As a Friend of the Gallery, London Art Roundup is provided with advance and behind-the-scenes access to interview the artists that exhibit at The Smallest Gallery in Soho. All contributions are voluntary. Neither the artist, gallery or London Art Roundup received any financial compensation for this interview.
Click here to read our interview with The Smallest Gallery in Soho.
Plan your visit
‘And, Yet’ runs until mid-July 2026.
Visit mingzhangsun.com and follow @themingzhangsun on Instagram for more info about the artist.
Visit thesmallestgalleryinsoho.com and follow @thesmallestgalleryinsoho on Instagram for more info about the venue.
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