I was born in China in 1981, a year after the one child policy became enforced. Since my father and mother both had many siblings, I had a large extended family, but I often felt isolated and lonely as an only child. I also felt the pressure of high expectations from my parents and wished that I could escape. At age 26, I left home to study art in Japan. I was scared to be on my own for the first time and very excited by this new adventure. It was challenging to learn how to live on my own while attending school and working two-part time jobs to survive. Life as a single mother is difficult, especially as an immigrant. Every morning as I wake up, I would contemplate how I could do the best for my children. How will I pay my bills? How and what will I prepare for meals today? How can I ensure that my children can get to all their activities? I began to feel overwhelmed. This was Trauma. Art is the best therapy that slowly helps me heal everyday. Even the darkest painting I have made, I still put a “hope” there. I need it to encourage myself to keep going.

-JingLu Zhao

After JingLu got her MFA degrees from China and Japan, she taught Visual Art at Chengdu University until she moved to Canada in 2013, where she has focused on raising her children.

JingLu’s art explores the identity of her family as they explore the world. She creates acrylic/oil paintings combining figuration and landscapes reflecting her children's Chinese and First Nations heritage.