Elina Zhou

My name is Elina Zhou and I am currently enrolled in my second year in Honours Specialization degree in Studio Arts and Art History. I was born in Canada on January 31st, 2001 but shortly moved back to China for 4 years and have returned ever since. My love for the arts started in my drawing classes which I began taking at a young age since my parents noticed my love for expressing myself creatively. As a Chinese-Canadian second-generation immigrant, I often find myself trying to include my two cultural identities in the pieces I create. Growing up in Toronto, I was accepted into a diverse community of various values and ideas that I often find myself confronting and questioning in my works. In addition to the culture-related artwork I create, the environmental-awareness is something that I prioritize in my works, as I hope to bring attention to the issues that we, as a society, often wave off. My goal in creating artwork is to be able to convey messages of cultural acceptance and appreciation, and environmental sustainability to a large audience in hopes of inspiring people to reflect upon what affects their actions have in the big picture.