Zhang Yu's works are rooted in the concept of abandonment, as expressed by Chinese philosopher Laozi, "in pursuit of the Way, actions are reduced daily." It is through the process of abandonment that Zhang brings himself closer to the core of Chinese philosophy. He abandons the "brush" as writing implement, lines as subject, and instead uses the techniques of rubbing, smearing, and spraying to create meditative spaces in which to contemplate the majesty of the cosmos. In the "Fingerprints" series, Zhang not only abandons brushwork, but the brush itself, replacing it with his fingers, and using them to generate works that evoke the symbiotic relationship between the physical, the mental, and the temporal. In some of the works, the artist forgoes the medium of ink entirely; he dips his fingers in water and leaves subtle, uneven marks on the surface of the rice paper. Each "fingerprint" work is composed with no clear beginning or end and serves as a record of Zhang Yu's Zen-like self-cultivation, as an imprint to register a particular period in his life.
