Rainny Zhao’s work is rooted in portraiture and figurative art, reaching beyond likeness into the inner landscapes we all carry. She is drawn to the language of gesture, light, and atmosphere, the fleeting moments when emotion reveals itself without words.Working primarily in oil, Zhao combines classical principles with an intuitive, fluid approach. She favors a wet-on-wet technique, allowing colors to mingle naturally and brushwork to shift between precise marks and freer strokes, guiding the viewer’s eye and emotional connection. A limited palette unifies tone, while varied edges create depth without overworking the surface.Before she was a painter, Zhao trained in classical piano, with Chopin as her greatest companion at the keys. That musical background still flows through her work today: the pacing of a brushstroke, the rise and fall of contrast, and the pauses in composition often feel to her like playing a nocturne on canvas.Her work has been widely recognized. With the Oil Painters of America, she received the Gold Medal Award at the 2025 Western Regional Exhibition, along with multiple Awards of Excellence and honors across national, regional, salon, and online showcases. With the American Impressionist Society, she earned the Southwest Art Magazine Award of Excellence at the 26th National Exhibition in 2025, and her paintings have been featured in their national exhibitions for three consecutive years. She is also a finalist with the Portrait Society of America’s Members Only Competition, placing ninth in 2022 and reaching finalist status again in 2024.