Yi Zhou is a young Chinese artist, whose work is mainly based on films and 3D animation. She was raised in Rome and graduated between London and Paris with a degree in political science and economics. Upon completion of her studies, from the age of 22, Yi Zhou has been gaining international recognition for her works. Yi Zhou’s films have been consecutively nominated in competition at Venice Film Festival and Sundance Film Festival. Thanks to her sense of style, she has been a Muse for designers such as Olivier Theyskens, Rick Owens, Giambattista Valli. Fashion houses such as Chanel, Dior, Alaia, and Givenchy are also long term supporters of her work as well as dressing her for international events.
Read MoreAlthough grown up abroad, Yi Zhou has always been proud of her Chinese cultural heritage, therefore, she never wanted to name herself with a foreign name, and she’s been known in the West as Yi ZHOU. In April 2008, she has held a public exhibition entitled, 1280 Towers shown in Place Vendome, Paris, inspired by chopsticks as homage to Chinese culture, right before the Beijing Olympic Games took place with great international repercussions. Shortly after, she shot My Heart Laid Bare featuring Charlotte Gainsbourg in Italy, followed by the much hyped short film entitled The Ear featuring Rapper Pharrell Williams.
A key part of her work is also based on experimental collaboration with worldwide famous musicians such as the French band “Air”, and the Oscar Lifetime Achievement Award winner Ennio Morricone. The latter has just won the Polar Music Prize, which is described as the Nobel Prize of music.
In addition to exhibitions and film festivals, Yi Zhou has just recently founded a film and advertising production company “Prime Timer Group” in Shanghai in association with Première Heure, one of the leading advertising production companies in Europe. Yi Zhou has, therefore, relocated herself in China, with a new challenge of bringing international talents to China with the goal of propelling China as the new international cultural platform.
