Zhang Jingna

Early life, air rifle

Zhang was born in the suburbs of Beijing to a sporting family. She moved to Singapore at the age of eight, where she attended Haig Girls' School. At the age of fourteen, Zhang enrolled in Raffles Girls' School, where she began training in air rifle. She broke her first national record after nine months and subsequently joined the national team. She was active in the team for six years.

Zhang's notable achievements within the sport include breaking a record in the 10m Air Rifle event at the Commonwealth Shooting Championships 2005 in Melbourne, and a bronze in the same event at the Commonwealth Games in 2006. She was awarded Sports Girl of the Year 2006 by the Singapore National Olympic Council for her performances.

Art school, photography

Zhang declined the option to go on to junior college for A Levels and pursued a degree in fashion design at Lasalle College of the Arts. She picked up photography there as a hobby when she was eighteen. Probably due to her keen interest and achievements with the medium, she left Lasalle and the national team to pursue photography full-time in 2008.

Zhang's clientele since then include Mercedes Benz, Canon, Pond's, Ogilvy & Mather Advertising and Wacom. She also produced fashion editorials for magazines such as Harper's Bazaar, Elle and Flare.

In fall 2008, Zhang held her first solo exhibition, "Something Beautiful", at The Arts House in Singapore. In 2010, 50 of her works were showcased along Orchard Road during Singapore's fashion festival – Fashion Seasons @ Orchard. It was Singapore's first large scale street exhibition featuring fashion photography.

In late 2010, Zhang announced her second gallery exhibition, "Angel Dreams". The show was held at Japan Creative Centre in Singapore with the support of Embassy of Japan. The event was noted for her photographs of Japanese musician Sugizo (Luna Sea, X Japan).

In 2013 she was selected to be part of Vogue Italia's "A Glimpse at Photo Vogue" exhibition at Galleria Carla Sozzani in Milan.

Zhang is influenced by people such as Peter Lindbergh, John William Waterhouse, Yoshitaka Amano and Zdzisław Beksiński. She also cites her friend Kuang Hong, a fellow artist, as one of the influences to her early artistic development.

Motherland Chronicles

In 2013 Zhang started a personal project entitled "Motherland Chronicles". With the project she sought to explore subjects she loved during her childhood, including themes from anime, manga, and Japanese fantasy art. The project is intended for publication as an art book in 2014.

Collaborations, other interests

Zhang photographed Sugizo multiple times in 2009 and 2010. She also shot his band Luna Sea's 20th Anniversary World Tour in Tokyo Dome in 2010. Her photographs of Sugizo from the collaborations and concerts are collected in his book Ongaku ni ai sareta otoko: Sono haran no hansei (音楽に愛された男。その波乱の半生), the cover features an image from their first collaboration in Japan.

In 2011 Zhang photographed Korean celebrity Rain for Anchor Beer's campaign in Seoul.

Zhang also worked with cosplayer Alodia Gosiengfiao. They collaborated on a tribute piece to Japanese artist and illustrator Yoshitaka Amano.

From 2011–2013, Zhang owned and managed a semi-professional Starcraft 2 team called Infinity Seven.

Awards

2017 Gold, Portraiture, Px3 Prix de la Photographie, Paris
2015 Recipient, 7th Julia Margaret Cameron Award for Women Photographers
2013 Young Photographer of the Year, Mobius Awards
2013 Best Beauty/Glamor Photographer, FRAMED Awards, Las Vegas, USA
2012 Honorable Mention in Fine Art: Portraits, Fine Art: Nudes, and Advertising: Fashion, International Photography Awards
2011 Photographer of the Year, Elle Awards, Singapore
2009 3rd Place Fine Art: Nudes, International Photography Awards
2009 3rd Place Advertising: Catalogue, International Photography Awards
2008 Overseas Fashion & Press Photographer of the Year, British Professional Photography Awards, Newcastle, UK
2007 Master Photographer of the Year, Singapore Master Photographer Print Competition, Singapore
2006 Sportsgirl of the Year, Singapore Sports Award, Singapore

Solo Exhibitions

2010 Angel Dreams, Japan Creative Center, Singapore, 29 May – 18 June 2010
2010 Fashion Season @ Orchard Street Exhibition, Orchard Road, Singapore, 2 Apr – 9 May 2010
2008 Something Beautiful, The Arts House, Singapore, 12 – 23 Sep 2008

Group Exhibitions

2013 Vogue Italia: "A Glimpse at Photo Vogue", Galleria Carla Sozzani, Milan, 13 June-10 Aug 2013
2012 Harper’s BAZAAR: “Fashion in Focus: Asia Modern”, The Gardens Mall, Kuala Lumpur, 4–25 July 2012
2012 Clé de Peau Beauté “Art de La Radiance” 30th Year Anniversary Celebration Exhibition, Artistree, Hong Kong, 12 April 2012
2010 Harper's BAZAAR: "Spectacular Sights", ION Orchard, Singapore, 16 Jul – 7 August 2010
2010 Yangon Photo Festival, Alliance Fraicaise, Yangon, 26 Feb – 6 March 2010

Books