Lanxin (Joyce) Zhao is a visual storyteller whose work moves gently between documentary and dream. Through photography, film, and other image-based forms, she explores selfhood, memory, intimacy, and the subtle architectures of human connection. Rooted in observation and care, her practice attends to the inner life of a moment — how a place holds memory, how a gesture lingers, how a passing thought takes shape.

Originally trained in filmmaking, she holds a BFA in Film & Television from New York University. After graduating, she returned to Shanghai and began working as a director, editor, and animator, drawn to the nuances of how people express themselves and relate to one another. Over time, her practice deepened into an exploration of how connection forms, falters, and endures — a thread that runs through all her work.

Her independently created animated short film Scent of Orchids was awarded at the London International Short Film Festival (2018) and the Asian Pacific Filmmakers Award (2019). She also worked as an animator on the short documentary Mizuko, which premiered at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (2019) and screened at festivals including SXSW, Atlanta, and Woodstock.