Zearo, native to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, is a London-based artist whose early fascination with visual storytelling led him to pursue a formal education in fine arts. His artistic journey began at The One Academy of Communication Design in Selangor, where he completed a Diploma in Fine Arts, and continued with advanced studies at the Royal College of Art in London. This move marked a pivotal shift in his artistic direction, allowing him to explore deeply personal and psychological themes through his work. His Southeast Asian heritage and experiences navigating identity have played a central role in shaping his creative voice.
Working across drawing and painting, Zearo creates poignant and contemplative scenes that explore queer identity, longing, memory, masculinity, and emotional vulnerability. His recurring portrayal of male figures—captured in fleeting, introspective moments—challenges the traditional male gaze by offering a softer, more vulnerable perspective. He often integrates symbolic objects, windows, and thresholds to evoke the fear of solitude and the presence of absence. Zearo’s materials, particularly chalk pastels, reflect his sensitivity to transience and fragility, and he draws inspiration from Chinese hand scroll painting and medieval spatial concepts to create layered compositions that invite slow, emotional viewing.
Zearo’s work has been widely exhibited internationally, with notable solo exhibitions including If I Pass Right by Here at Linseed Projects in Shanghai (2024) and in dust time at The Sunday Painter in London (2023). His group showings span prestigious institutions such as the South London Gallery, the X Museum in Beijing, and HSBC HQ in London. He was featured in Bloomberg New Contemporaries (2022) and shortlisted for the Ruth Borchard Self Portrait Prize (2023). His pieces are now part of major public collections, including the Government Art Collection in the UK and the X Museum in Beijing, underscoring his rising presence in contemporary art.
