Artist and researcher · installation and digital interactive media

Hello,
I’m Skye.

Skye Zheng is an artist in the Washington, D.C. area. Her work starts with research into injustices that are real but easy to overlook.

Past projects have looked at how East Asian women are represented in media, how trauma passes between generations, and how public spaces in Baltimore speak to the people who use them. Born in China and based in the U.S. for over fifteen years, she trained first in communication studies and writing at the University of Iowa, and still begins every work with qualitative research. More than ten years as a content creator, building an audience of over 800,000 on her own, showed her how images move people and how platforms decide what gets seen. That is why her art is made to communicate. She works across installation, sculpture and interactive media, and is pursuing an MA in Social Design at MICA and an MA in Communication at Johns Hopkins.

Skye Zheng, wiring a vessel for the perfect moldWashington, D.C. areaMICA · Johns Hopkins

Contact

  • Based inRockville, MD · Washington, D.C. area
  • Emailskyezheng15@gmail.com
  • LanguagesEnglish · Mandarin (native) · Korean

Education

  1. 2026–MA, Social DesignMaryland Institute College of Art (MICA), Baltimore, MD
  2. 2026–MA, CommunicationJohns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
  3. 2024–26AFA, Studio Fine ArtMontgomery College, Rockville, MD (GPA 4.0)
  4. 2010–15BA, Communication Studies; BA, Interdepartmental Studies (Business Track)University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA. Certificate in Creative Writing

Research methods

  1. FieldQualitative research · structured field observation and coding
  2. DeskLiterature review · media and archival analysis · secondary data analysis
  3. LanguageResearch in English and Mandarin

Tools & making

Interactive
TouchDesignerArduinoProcessingprojection mapping
3D
BlenderRhino (jewelry making)3D printing
Image
PhotographyvideographyFinal Cut ProAfter EffectsDaVinci ResolvePhotoshopInDesignFigma
Studio
Wheel-throwing and hand-buildingglaze developmentmetalsmithing and lost-wax castingoil painting
Practice
InstallationSculptureCeramicsJewelryInteractive technologySocial designResearch

Experience

  1. 2014–nowIndependent content creator & strategistbuilt a bilingual fashion, photography and lifestyle audience of 800,000+ followers across Weibo, Bilibili, YouTube and Instagram; brand partnerships including Canon, Macy’s and La Mer
  2. 2022–nowFounder & Creative Director, ACE STUDIO LLCphotography, video and social media strategy; event documentation, including filming for the Chinese Embassy (2025)
  3. 2021–25Independent ceramic artist and designerdesigned and made products and ran a store that reached 8,200+ sales on Etsy
  4. 2015–17Social Media Manager, Instasize (2016–17); Social Media Coordinator, Meitu (2015–16)

Research & fieldwork

  1. 2026–The Cultural Visibility Gapteam field research at the city-owned Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor, asking what a city communicates, or fails to communicate, through a building it owns. Structured observation with a team codebook (103 coded observations in the first three-hour session); synthesis workshop and visitor journey mapping
  2. 2026–Baltimore Inner Harbor Atlasindividual design proposal from the fieldwork above. An interactive 3D map of downtown Baltimore in five languages, proposed for the hotel lobby; low-fi prototype
  3. 2024–25Calm Beforesemi-structured interviews with five women and one clinician on emotional eating; analysis of three apps and four wearables; personas and journey map
  4. 2024–25Beauty Standards in Mass Media, 1960 to Presentindependent research on advertising and media images of women since the 1960s; literature review and secondary data analysis. The basis for The Displaced Realm

Recognition & exhibitions

  1. 2026Paint the Town 2026, invited student artistEvery Pearl Has Its Own Tide, sculpture
  2. 2024Etsy Design Awards, invited artist

Beyond the studio

Wiring a vessel for The Perfect Mold
Wiring a vessel for The Perfect Mold
Filming an event at the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China, Washington, D.C., 2025
Filming an event at the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China, Washington, D.C., 2025
Camera setup before the event
Camera setup before the event
Wheel-thrown mug, marbled glaze
Wheel-thrown mug, marbled glaze
Hand-built bowl
Hand-built bowl

Short bio

For residencies, open calls and press. 92 words.

Skye Zheng is an artist based in the Washington, D.C. area. Trained in communication studies and qualitative research, she makes installation, sculpture and interactive work about injustices that are real but easy to overlook. Her projects have examined how East Asian women are represented in media, how trauma passes between generations, and how a city-owned hotel in Baltimore communicates with the city around it. She uses sensors, projection and film as sculptural materials. She is pursuing an MA in Social Design at MICA and an MA in Communication at Johns Hopkins University.

Say hello

For exhibitions, residencies, commissions, studio visits and research collaborations.

skyezheng15@gmail.com