Louise Zhang

Large colourful painting with different icons and Chinese characters describing Diyu


Louise Zhang created Map of Diyu, a map of Chinese hell (Diyu) through symbols, motifs and text. The work was created to learn and understand its history, structure, and function in morality. It acts as as a way to understand the whole idea of sin equating to consequences, having grown up with a fear of Christian hell - a very westernised, rather, white washed version of punishment and faith.

“What is fairly common-plane to local or native Chinese people remains almost a novelty, or an untapped education to me, despite my heritage due to how and where I grew up.

When I first discovered it, Chinese hell (though literred with horrendous tortures) brought be a tone of comfort. It is unlike the Christian hell I grew up with, where if you turn away from God, you go straight to hell forever.

Chinese hell has multiple exit options….everyone goes in, and everyone has a way out eventually. It is a conflation of multiple faiths; Buddhism, Taoism, folk religion.”