A conversation with the artists behind “Of __ & Bufferzone” on how each explores figurative painting as a space of tension, distance, and suspension.
By Shienka Martinez
On February 6, artists Ziyi “Angela” Lin, Zuoyi “Scott” Liu, Hollis Currin, and Zhuoyang Wu opened “Of ____ & Bufferzone” at The Frame Gallery, a group exhibition centered on the human figure. Across painting and a handful of sculptural works, the artists approached figuration as something unstable: caught between presence and disappearance, observation and interpretation, clarity and obscurity. While Zhuoyang Wu wasn’t able to join the conversation below, there was an unscripted interruption from a surprise guest — an exchange that mirrors the exhibition itself: thoughtful, unresolved, and open to a little humor along the way.
Hollis Currin
What inspired you to create this show together?
Hollis Currin: It started from our shared focus on figures. I was actually talking to someone earlier about how figurative painting sometimes feels a bit “uncool” right now. People tend to lean more toward newer or more modern styles, and that’s fine, but we still felt committed to it.
Angela Lin: We also just really appreciate each other’s work. We’re in constant conversation and get inspired by one another. The way we each approach the figure, how we look at it, how we interpret it, is different but connected. That made it interesting to build a show around those parallels.
Scott Liu: It’s about putting similar subjects next to each other and letting them interact. Viewers can see that it’s the human figure, but treated very differently by each person, with different layers and intentions.
Do you also share similar inspirations or reference other artists?
Hollis: Every painter has different inspirations, of course, but we come from a similar place in terms of how seriously we take painting and how much we love it. That’s the common ground. It’s important to be around people who care deeply about what they’re making. That shared commitment matters more than having the exact same influences.
Ziyi “Angela” Lin
You also included some sculptural pieces. Do those function as an extension of the paintings?
Scott: Yes, this space is what we call the “back room.” Some of the artists also work sculpturally, so we wanted to include that. It shows another side of their practice.
Angela: Even if not everyone here makes sculpture, seeing both the 2D and 3D work helps you understand how certain artists think about form and space. It provides a different kind of context. It’s also just part of how some of us experiment; not everything stays on the canvas.
I heard someone refer to this space as the “funny painting room” and the “insanity room.” Was humor an intentional element?
Hollis: Humor matters to us. It feels like humor is kind of a dying thing in painting right now, or at least it’s sometimes looked down on. I’m not sure why. Not all paintings have to be funny, most of mine aren’t, but it’s refreshing to be around people who don’t feel like humor is forbidden in serious art. Some of the works, like the Teletubbies reference and other playful elements, lean into that. It keeps things alive.
Zhuoyang Wu
The title of the show is very striking. Can you tell me more about how you chose it?
Angela: It’s a funny story, the title actually came out of a debate. We argued about it a bit and each of us suggested multiple titles and we eliminated them until one remained. Scott wanted “something blank.”
Scott: That part of the title came from the idea of painting as an open field – something viewers can enter and interpret in their own way, not something locked into one meaning.
Angela: Me and Zhuoyang [the fourth artist in the show, who wasn’t available to interview] were also drawn to the phrase “buffer zone.” We think of it as the space between things, between the painter and the subject, between the artwork and the viewer, between observation and interpretation. When you paint a figure or observe one, there’s always some distance, some middle space. That idea felt central to what we’re doing.
*Thomas enters the room carrying “Apparatus for Staying Safe,” a sculpture by Scott Liu*
Thomas: I carried this thing from the studio, and left it on the top of a trash can, and I had to go pick it up after, like hours….
Scott: Can you include this moment? Thomas is a dear friend of ours.
Zuoyi “Scott” Liu
Finally, is there anything else you want viewers to know about the show?
Angela: Buy our paintings! Just kidding lol. Come with friends, enjoy the paintings and enjoy the journey!
Scott: Just enjoy the paintings. Spend time with them. Come with friends, look around, and have fun with it.
Hollis: There isn’t a single backstory or fixed symbolism behind most of the works. Aside from a few specific references, we’re not trying to dictate meaning. Except the Putin painting.
Scott: And there is something else too!
Hollis: You should decide what the paintings mean to you, what the figures are thinking, what kind of world the painting creates, what the space feels like. The interpretation belongs to the viewer.
Shienka Martinez is a junior pursuing a BFA in the School of Art.