comet without a tail

In comet without a tail, Zhong builds a metaphysical space, one that operates across imagined dimensions. A raised floor spans the exhibition space, reorienting the viewer's experience of the gallery. Beneath the floor, Zhong embeds a constellation of non-representational, idiosyncratic sculptures that carry out motions of slicing, reorganizing, and reconfiguring—simulating the perpetual splitting and merging at the particle level. Their forms are only partially visible through rounded slits in the floor’s surface, rejecting conventional modes of viewership and encouraging a tactile imagination. Zhong’s practice is intrinsically speculative and propositional, influenced by an interest in astrophysics and quantum mechanics. With a trust in the unknown, her activated objects, observed happenings, and built environments evade logic and definition. Throughout the exhibition, the artist embraces polarities that defy logic. The deviation preset in her works and their arrangements tune to the unstable nature of the universe. A monumental, inverted conical sculpture at the front of the installation contrasts a nearby grouping of conical miniatures. Tiny, intricate elements rest atop the large sculpture’s otherwise minimal form—almost, but not fully, out of view. In placing her work beyond total perception, Zhong creates a speculative space. She denies the viewer's urge to point to what “is”, to draw connections, to make sense, to know, and instead, prompts them to consider what could be. Stella Zhong was born in Shenzhen, China (1993). She holds a BFA in Glass (2015) from Rhode Island School of Design and is currently an MFA candidate (2021) at Yale University. Solo presentations include Peninsula Art Space, Brooklyn; Weybosset Gallery, Providence, RI; Hunter College, New York; and Guan Shan Yue Art Museum, Shenzhen, China. She has participated in group shows at Essex Street Gallery, New York; ZH Projects, New York; Tiger Strikes Asteroid, Brooklyn; Paris School of Art, Paris; and Herbert Read Gallery, Canterbury, UK. Works: Σ(79, 45, +/-2.3), (3, -1, -264)V26, 2020 Plasticine, epoxy, string, wax paper, wood, foam, plaster, paint Cone: 78 ½ × 45 × 45 inches (199.39 × 114.30 × 114.30 cm) (-3.5, +/-23.9, 4.25),(+/-0.75), 2020 Clay, epoxy, plaster, pigment, wood, foam 4 ¼ × 47 ¾ × 8 ½ inches (10.80 × 121.29 × 21.59 cm) (-4.8, +/-5, +/-7.5)∉(2), 2020 Resin, clay, wood, graphite 3 ⅛ × 14 ½ × 10 inches (7.94 × 36.83 × 25.40 cm) BOnano1220∈(0.25, -8.25, -11.5), 2020 Clay, string, plasticine, resin, pigment, wood, cement 10 ¼ × 12 ½ × 6 ¼ inches (26.04 × 31.75 × 15.88 cm) (1.5,0.8)∈(-3.125,28,12)∩(5.5), 2020 Paper, string, epoxy, plaster, pigment, wood, foam 2 ⅞ × 31 ¾ × 12 inches (7.30 × 80.65 × 30.48 cm) (8, 2)∈(-2, -13.5, 8), 2020 Wax paper, wood, resin, pigment 5 ¼ × 16 ½ × 8 ¼ inches (13.34 × 41.91 × 20.96 cm) Ø(6+/-2.5), 2020 String, clay, epoxy, paint, foam, wood 6 ¼ × 13 ½ × 8 inches (15.88 × 34.29 × 20.32 cm) BO1220(-264), 2020 Resin, clay, magnet ¼ × 9 × 13 inches (6.35 mm × 22.86 cm × 33.02 cm) Button 003, 2020 Oil on panel 36 × 48 × 1 ½ inches (91.44 × 121.92 × 3.81 cm)