"I think the changes experienced by China's millennial generation are equivalent to what some people might experience in several lifetimes."

Interview by Richard Starbuck

Could you tell us a bit about yourself and your background? Where did you study?

I was born in Beijing, China. Because my mother is an interior designer, under her influence, I have had a strong passion for art since my childhood. I’ve always wanted to work in art-related fields since I was young. Now I am an artist, mainly focusing on painting, occasionally creating some sculptures. Currently, I work and live in Shanghai, China. At the same time, I have also established my art group, which is about organizing exhibitions for some emerging young artists. Because my works are well-known among many young people in China, I also receive invitations to collaborate with various brands. I graduated from Parsons School of Design with my BFA in Illustration, then went to Pratt Institute for MFA in fine arts painting and drawing. 

Your work is marked by a vibrant palette and dynamic characters, often serving as a medium for emotional expression. How do you balance the interplay of humor and satire with the underlying tones of sadness and impermanence in your narratives?

For me, my work is a satire of what I see and experience. I believe we are in a magical era where everything changes too fast and too drastically, and sometimes without us even realizing it. In Chinese proverbs, “extreme joy begets sorrow” depicts how certain things rapidly plummet like thunder after reaching the peak of happiness or glory, turning into tragic endings, so the core of comedy often lies in tragedy. Using exaggerated characters and vibrant colors to satirize the collision of societal concepts I observe, perhaps the scenes in my work appear cheerful like old political propaganda images, but through the characters’ expressions and interactions, and usage of subtle symbols from daily lives, I unveil the sadness or mockery beneath the cheerful surface. All those bright colors, strange characters, and blurred scenes of time and space are the joys brought by my imaginative world, and behind this, the sadness and loneliness of growing up as a queer kind are the core driving force of my creations. 

The character of Dama Wang provides a distinctive lens through which viewers experience your art. Can you discuss the development of this character and how it embodies the contradictions and collective memories you aim to portray?

Dama (aunt) Wang embodies a complex combination of childhood memories, personal experiences, and typical elements of many urban citizens of small towns. You can see two cultures in Chinese Big Aunties. On the one hand, they are very traditional, but on the other hand, they are very open-minded about many social concepts. They seem to be contradictory but also like an abbreviation of contemporary Chinese society. At the same time, the social collisions in the city of Beijing are worth telling. Using a series of works to narrate the daily life of middle-aged women in Beijing, and using this to encounter some social hot topics in the works. Regardless of the gender difference between these characters, their most important characteristic is their universality: their life can reflect moments of common lives. There is a resonance between the characters represented in the artwork and the viewers as they share the fragmented and multifaceted life typical of each individual.

In creating exaggerated scenarios that reflect on the impermanence of life, what role do you believe your artwork plays in offering commentary on contemporary society, and how do you hope audiences will connect with the deeper emotional layers beneath the surface of joy and absurdity?

My work documents the current society I live in—a rapidly changing Chinese society with a collision of different cultures and thoughts. I think the changes experienced by China's millennial generation are equivalent to what some people might experience in several lifetimes. These cultural, commercial, and societal changes have had fascinating effects on people, both psychologically and physically. So, I feel I am using my unique perspective to record all of this like a collective story of people that I’ve been observing surrounding myself. I use a narrative of satire and comedy to tell the stories of our generation. And these stories of our generation that I tell happen to many people. When they bring their personal experiences to view the works, they will discover that they are not alone in the world.

Tell us a bit about how you spend your day / studio routine? What is your studio like?

Sometimes I start with selecting a theme. Then, I take my sketchbook and stroll the street, observing interesting people I encounter. Then I imagine the background story of these individuals in my mind. It’s like casting characters for a movie, writing a script, and finally placing them in the scene. So, in a way, I never know how the final outcome will be. I typically spend 4-5 hours in the studio each day. I start working around 10 o’clock in the morning and take a break after lunch. I handle some paperwork and then continue working in the afternoon. When I feel the need to change my mindset or mood, I hang out with artist friends for coffee and chat about interesting topics. My studio is about 20 square meters, and in the afternoon, the sunlight streaming through the window is beautiful. After completing my work each day, I always clean the paints on the floor, so many friends say my studio is cleaner than they imagined.

What artwork have you seen recently that has resonated with you?

Artworks can take many forms, and I have always been fascinated by films. Recently, I watched the new film “Monster” by Japanese director Hirokazu Koreeda. He adopts a Rashomon-like narrative technique to tell a series of events triggered by two young boys, leading to the ultimate breakdown of what appears to be a peaceful world. At the same time, he also explores the emotions between children, and the depiction of same-sex emotions between the two boys has sparked a series of social discussions in Japan and China. Are we ready to explore sympathy and love among children? After watching this film, certain scenes and visual emotions from the movie have been constantly floating in my mind.

Is there anything new and exciting in the pipeline you would like to tell us about?

I will have an exhibition in Shanghai in March, and there will also be another exhibition in Guangzhou in May. These two exhibitions will showcase a series of new works created between 2023 and 2024. This time, the works will pay more attention to the emotional changes within me and some of my fantasies during solitary moments.

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All images courtesy of the artist
Interview publish date: 04/03/2024