Artist Spotlight: Zoë Wang

Meet Zoë Wang, one of the competition winners in DARA's Academic Portrait Drawing class. Fun fact: Zoë recently joined the DARA team as a studio assistant and administrator this year!
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Zoë with her winning drawings from the '25 Winter Trimester.

This year, a new initiative began in our Trimester Programme to reward excellence in the portrait drawing and painting classes with Mischa Tranquilli. Throughout the duration of the drawing programme, which typically takes three trimesters to complete, students draw a series of short studies from the live model ranging from three to six hours, as well as longer studies of up to twenty-four hours.

Zoë Wang was recognized as the winner of the long-pose portrait drawing group during the 2025 Winter Trimester, for her proficiency in drawing from the model in both graphite and charcoal. This was her third and final term in the portrait drawing class, having completed nearly 200 hours of study from the live model, including an 18-hour self-portrait study from a mirror.
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Could you tell us a little about yourself, and what sparked your interest in fine art?

ZOË: My name is Zoë, and I’m currently in my 5th trimester at DARA. I’ve loved drawing dogs and wildlife since I was a child, which is why I’ve always felt naturally drawn to fine art, especially realist art.

Because I really appreciate the natural beauty of animals, I’m not so interested in exaggerated portrayals of wildness (like roaring lions on a cheesy desktop wallpaper) or overly cute, animated versions that make animals too human-like. What I love is showing their individuality — not just the stereotypes we often attach to certain species, like wolves being “wild” or foxes being “sneaky.” Each animal, just like people, has its own personality, and I feel that only realist art can truly capture that uniqueness.
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What is it about portraiture depicting human subjects that most interests you?

Zoë drawing Fernando in charcoal.

ZOË: Portraiture is actually a subject I avoided for a long time. As a kid, I got tons of compliments for my dog drawings, but whenever I tried drawing people’s faces, the awful results honestly scared me. My mother even made fun of me for making such a terrible portrait of her! So I was probably the least enthusiastic person when it came to human portraiture.

But Mischa changed that for me. She started by teaching what lies beneath the face — the bone structure and muscles under the skin — which is exactly how I learned to understand dogs. I quickly noticed the similarities between the two subjects (no offense to the human models!) I’m no longer afraid to draw portraits, and I’ve actually started to enjoy it. I like that portraiture gives you very direct feedback: the likeness is either there or it’s not, and even the slightest tilt in the eyes can make a huge difference. It really demands accuracy and sharp observation from life, and I enjoy that challenge.
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Of the drawings you made this trimester, which was your favorite?

Portrait of Maria in charcoal, Zoë's favorite of the drawings she completed this term.

ZOE: This is a very difficult choice! I did three drawings this trimester. The first one was my first-ever self-portrait, and I had a lot of fun with it — knowing the model definitely helps to get the face on the paper!

The second drawing, of Maria, was really important for my confidence because I was hesitant about using charcoal and didn’t dare to go dark with the values. The third drawing, of Fernando, was special because he was my first model in the portrait class, and seeing the progress from my first attempt to this one feels incredible and makes me really proud!
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If I have to pick one, I would choose Maria’s portrait, because this one really pushed me out of my comfort zone and gave me a big boost of confidence.
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What kind of themes are you interested in exploring in your personal work in the future?

ZOE: I definitely want to do more double portraits of humans and their animals! I love capturing the unique bond between them, and showing that animals are not just accessories in the picture, but true individuals with their own personalities. Hopefully, I can finish one before the end of June — whoo, the pressure!
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Stay up to date with Zoë's progress by following her on Instagram: @zoedrawsandpaints