The Cicada is most widely seen, then, as a sonic entity. For Qionghui Zou , however, the cicada is, by an act of invigorating, generative expansion—a shape, an informing visual symbol and, ultimately, an almost mythic presence. As a visual glyph, the cicada quickens, animates, expands and deepens the artist’s visual work. The cicada is the genie in the lamp of her production.