UNIT2 ARTIST STATEMENT

A Visual Journey

At the stage of Unit2, I found myself interested in the phenomenon of "how people make rules while being trapped by rules", which is a study based on personal background and specific growth environment.
I am a young artist who was born in Zhejiang, China, and now lives in London. My work is usually a combination of composite paintings/collages/installations/sculptures cleverly combined in the form of dialogue. My works integrate the natural materials, historical and cultural background around my living places in China and the UK, and convey my struggle and feeling between ancient rules and current pursuit of personal value with extensive sculptural texture and strong color relationship. I tried to construct strong visual symbols belonging to this context, such as feet, red cloth/line, etc., which are most common at present, reflecting the great cultural shock that post-colonial Chinese traditional rules are experiencing and the complexity of contemporary life shaped by the process of globalization.
As a multinational artist, my reflection on different families, regions, groups and cultural backgrounds runs through my creation process on the topic of "rules". I think the real significance of my work lies in resonating and discussing with the audience based on identity. In my case, the identity labels of 'Wenzhou native', 'merchant family' and 'eldest son' have shaped who I am today, and these words are synonymous with certain rules.
In my recent installation works, I continue the habit of using natural and organic materials, as well as the intervention of traditional sculpture materials and paintings. The serious and cold plaster foot molds and the nude in the painting create an antithesis structure, creating a dialogue between traditional and contemporary forms that engages the viewer.