Biography
Ruofan Zhao is a PhD student specializing in East Asian Art. Her research focuses on the self-reflexive visual and material tendencies in late imperial Chinese art, particularly those produced in contact zones. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa summa cum laude with a BA in Art History, East Asian Languages and Civilizations, and a minor in Italian Studies from the University of Chicago in 2024. Her BA thesis on porcelain vases at the imperial Qing court was awarded the Robert and Joan Feitler Prize. Ruofan has held internships at the Smart Museum of Art in Chicago and the Palace Museum in Beijing. Beyond academia, she is a published poet in Chinese.