Ada Zejun Shen:
Symbiosis as Post-Anthropocene
Metaphors
Ada Zejun Shen:
Symbiosis as Post-Anthropocene
Metaphors
September 18– December 7, 2025
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Ada Zejun Shen, detail from Symbiosis as Post-Anthropocene Metaphors, digital inkjet print 24 x 36 inches
Ada Zejun Shen, detail from Symbiosis as Post-Anthropocene Metaphors, digital inkjet print 24 x 36 inches
Opening Reception: Thursday, September 18, 2025, 4:30–7:30pm
Installed in the gallery’s corridor vitrines, Symbiosis as Post-Anthropocene Metaphors is the first solo exhibition by illustrator Ada Zejun Shen in New York. Shen’s project takes a critical stance against the human-centrism of the Anthropocene and the notion of technofixing—the belief that technology alone would be the solution for humans and the environment, disregarding the complexity of reality. Inspired by Donna Haraway’s book Staying with the Trouble: Making Kin in the Chthulucene, the exhibition advocates for non-anthropocentric perspectives, emphasizing symbiosis to illustrate the entangled, chaotic, and interconnected nature of all lifeforms. Shen’s illustrations function as both an illustrated essay and a self-initiated editorial practice, developed directly from scientific articles and publications. Through this research, Shen encountered examples such as how human vision developed from bacterial gene transfer and how the placenta evolved from a viral infection. Using these prompts, her illustrations invite viewers to contemplate humanity’s place in the world— to be inspired and to embrace a profound sense of connection.
Ada Zejun Shen is an award-winning illustrator and interdisciplinary artist based in Brooklyn, New York. Exploring scientific communication and conceptual interpretation, her illustration explores the intersection of science and art, using semiotics from nature, history, and mythology. Inspired by research and writings in science and biology, she creates layered visuals that intrigue, inform, and invite viewers to reconsider their relationship with the natural world and non-human entities. Her works have been recognized by the Society of Illustrators, World Illustration Award, ADC Young Ones, Communication Arts and more.
More info coming soon.