Zhang Yanzi once had a conversation with her scientist friend, who explained to her the biological process behind the immune system. The immune system consists of two parts: innate and adaptive. Zhang finds this similar in her artistic practices. She said, “I may have been born with a certain way of expression and artistic language, but the stimulation from the surrounding environment has also provoked inspiration and changes in my artistic practice, just like how the immune system is stimulated when an antibody interacts with an antigen. I believe my artwork can be seen as an outcome of both innate and adaptive immune responses.”

有一次，章燕紫的科學家朋友向她解釋了免疫系統背後的衍化過程。免疫系統可分為先天的和後天的。源自個人自身的、與生俱來的、內在的可以算是
先天的免疫，那些受了外界刺激、侵略、感染後激發出來的，是後天的免疫。章燕紫說，「在我的水墨畫的成長過程中，也在不斷地遇到各種抗原，有
自身的，有外界的，每一次刺激、對抗，都會給我帶來新的抗體，有的是語言上的改變，有的是技法上的改進，有的是觀念上的調整……藝術也是一樣
吧！這麼想我的作品，應該是天然抗體與免疫抗體的產物。」