Hussel Zhu (Shanghai, CN) subconsciously attempt to organize a misunderstandings situation in language and culture in his works. His lasting interest in lunatic and foolish characters from the Western Renaissance, like the court jester (‘hofnar’ in Dutch) makes him use this persona to empower himself. It allows him to make errors, start unprepared, and reminds him to withdraw from the character of an artist. He grew up in an environment that lacked a strong belief in immaterial value. Thus, Hussel developed a keen interest in observing what artists, including himself, produce.

2011–2015 BA in Photography (non-art), Shanghai Institute of Visual Art, Fudan University, Shanghai, CN

2019–2021 MFA in Visual Arts and Post-Contemporary Practice, St. Joost, ’s-Hertogenbosch, NL


Selected Exhibitions
2025 FOUND & FELT, CRASH, Hong Kong

2025 Total let go cathartic healing pleasure activist transformative release dance party, Plaatmaken, Arnhem, NL

2025 De Loop der Dingen, DeLOODS, Breda, NL
2025 Art Island, with Gallery Mieke van Schaijk, IJmuiden, NL
2025 Komma Samen, Clublokaal, Breda, NL

2025 Tussen Uilen, Vleermuizen en Blinde Vlekken, Museum Cobra, Amstelveen, NL

2025 Prospects – Art Rotterdam 2024, Group Exhibition, Rotterdam Ahoy, NL

2025 Anonymous Drawings, Kunsthaus Erfurt, Erfurt (DE) and Hyperculturalpassengers, Hamburg (DE)


2024 Anonymous Drawings, Kunstraum Kreuzberg/Bethanien, Berlin, DE
2024 Crafting Futures, The Grey Space in the Middle, The Hague, NL

2024 Jan Koos Feylbriefs Levensspiegel, SEE LAB, The Hague, NL

2024 Hussel Zhu op Eindhoven Centraal, Albert van Abbehuis, by Gijs Milius & Hussel Zhu (DUO), Eindhoven, NL


2023 UNFAIR23, Gashouder, Amsterdam, NL

2023 Selling Our Soul V, ‘Jolly Jolly’, De Nachtzuster, Tilburg, NL

2023 To Riso or Not, Make Eindhoven, during Dutch Design Week, Eindhoven, NL

2023 Part 41 (Carriers), with collective “it is part of an ensemble,” Galerie KLEMM’S, Berlin, DE

2023 Façade, De Belofte 18, at Kunstliefde, Utrecht, NL

2023 Hotel Solo: Fluid Art Space, HOTEL SOLO #8, a Club Solo research project by FLUID, Club Solo, Breda, NL

2023 Salon des Refusés, IDFX, Breda, NL


2022 De Negatieve Selectie, Willem Twee, Den Bosch, NL

2022 DESTINATION UNKNOWN 2022, Heilig Hart Kerk, Venlo, NL

2022 ISSUE #III – Pieter Laurens Mol, PIER15 and Stedelijk Museum Breda, Breda, NL

2022 Performance, MELK | WATER, H(a)L in Frank Taal Galerie expo no.2, Rotterdam, NL

2022 Collective Contemplation, …ism project space, The Hague, NL

2022 ART RENDEZ VOUS BREDA, Open studio, Witte Rook, Breda, NL

2022 Tuesday Path, A/M #3, Kunstpodium T, Tilburg, NL


2021 Mid-Air, The Raw Cases #2, DOOR, Dordrecht, NL

2021 FINISH WEEKEND, Rottstr5-KUNSTHALLEN, Bochum, DE

2021 Those Are The Days, Kunstpodium T, Tilburg, NL

2021 I Believe You, I Believe in You, Solinger Künstlerprogram, Galerie SK, Solingen, DE

2021 Live Alone, Die Together, graduation show, AKV | St. Joost, ’s-Hertogenbosch, NL

2021 Fenster Gespräche, by Neuland Projektraum, Rottstraße, Bochum, DE

2021 The Raw Cases, Werkwarenhuis, ’s-Hertogenbosch, NL

2021 The Hague Contemporary Art Weekend, support by 1646 & Nest, Den Hague, NL

2021 Oude Kerk, the Tiny Gallery, The Hague, NL


2020 Annotated Memories, Undocumented Events and Object Permanence, online, by Noemata, NO

2020 Lost in Translation, Systematic, Eye Filmmuseum, Amsterdam, NL


2019 One-off Moving Image Festival, public space, Valencia (ES) and Gol (NO)

2016 Noisy, Old Millfun 1933, Shanghai, CN

2015 Hand-made Photos, The 15th China Pingyao International Photography Festival, Shanxi, CN


Performances

2024 Never Round Circle, with Shawn Pakhin Tang, Den Hague, NL

2024 The Facial Expression of a Plank, performance in Heavy Foldable Table, Club Solo, Breda, NL

2024 Early Bird, Yellow Cube Festival, IDFX, Breda, NL

2023 Can You Live My Space, StadsGalerij & Galerie Ecker, by Witte Rook, Breda, NL

2023 Draisine Derby, with Fatemeh Heidari, collective performance, Basel, CH

2022 Never Round Circle, with Fang Mijn, HUTCAFE_ORG, NS16, Tilburg, NL

2017 Shadow, with Nana Azul, People’s Park, Shanghai, CN


Curatorial

2024 An Evening of Storytelling Through Food, Art, and Shared Experiences, Club Solo, Breda, NL – Participating Artist & Curator 


Artist Residency

2025 Ploegendienst 3, Plaatsmaken, Arnhem, NL

2023 Kunstenaars jump! #3, NL

2022 Destination Unknown 2022, Venlo / Venray, NL

2022 AIR International, Witte Rook, Breda, NL

2021–2022 Apprentice Master, Kunstpodium T, Tilburg, NL


Grants & Awards

2024 Praktijkbijdrage, CBK

2023/2024 Kunstenaar Start, Mondriaan Fonds

2022 Pictoright Steunfonds

2021 Cultuursubsidies, support by the Municipality of ’s-Hertogenbosch

2022 I Leave You a Solo Performance, winner of the 4th round, Sarmad Fiction Writing Club, Rotterdam, NL


Selected Press

2022 Brabant Cultureel, NL

2022 De Limburger, NL

2022 Appearances of a Cultural Jet Lag, Interview, in conversation with Annosh Urbanke, Witte Rook, NL

2021 Solinger Tageblatt, Solingen, DE

2021 Solinger Morgenpost, Solingen, DE

2021 Metropolism_mag, Live Alone, Die Together, NL

2021 Art & Education, Live Alone, Die Together, NL

2020 Punt Avans, Onafhankelijk magazine van Avans Hogeschool, Breda, NL


Talks & Lectures

2021 Live Alone, Die Together, livestream event, AKV | St. Joost, ’s-Hertogenbosch, NL

2021 Research Hub: Live Alone, Die Together, V2_Lab, Rotterdam, NL

2021 Presenting Research in Art & Design, AKV | St. Joost, ’s-Hertogenbosch, NL


Publications

2022 ISSUE #III – Pieter Laurens Mol, by PIER15 and Stedelijk Museum Breda, NL

2022 Satellites | Laboratory for Sound and Soul, Laboratory of Sound and Soul

2022 I Believe You, I Believe in You, supported by Verein Solinger Kunstlier e.V and St. Joost

2021 Undocumented Events and Object Permanence, e-book, published by Noemata

2020 Installation on Location, Edition 02, published by AKV | St. Joost, NL


Artistic Role in the Community

2024–present Core member, Clublokaal, Breda, NL

2022–present Core member, Bossche Bol Bol project, Den Bosch, NL

2020–2024 Member, Club Colo – social media, documentation and build-up team, Breda, NL

2020 Jury Member, Eye on Art’s Research Labs, Eye Filmmuseum, Amsterdam, NL

2016–2018 Social Media Executive, Artist Relations Dept., Swatch Art Peace Hotel (Artist Residency Program), Swatch Group, Shanghai, CN