MARCH 2024 • WINTER FAIR • THE BRANDON SUN
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Zhao says he has painted horses be- fore, but only very occasionally, and said that he embraces that challenge of painting horses and livestock. “[They’re] ubiquitous presence at the fair challenges me capture [their] beau- ty of both elegance and strength.” Zhao, who worked as an educational assistant with the Brandon School Di- vision for 25 years, has painted quite regularly and extensively over those years. In 2022, 40 of Zhao’s paintings of Brandon were featured in an exhibit at the Daly House Museum. Other than a pause during the pandemic, the artist has had frequent solo exhibitions since 2004. Now that he’s retired from his educa- tional assistant career, Zhao has more time for painting, though for him, his artistic creations aren’t a hobby or a side hustle. “Now with total freedom,” he said. “I will definitely pursue painting even more, not so much as a job but more as a way of life.”
» gmortfield@brandonsun.com
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