Page 32 - Winter Issue

Your work explores the intersection of trauma and paranormal experiences. How do these themes come
together to create the alternative worlds you invite viewers into?
The core of my artwork lies in revealing the intersection of trauma and supernatural experience, this isn’t simply about
layering two emotional states; it’s about using art to dismantle and reshape the viewer’s understanding of reality.
Trauma leaves deep often repressed marks on our psyche, forming an invisible force, while supernatural experiences
open a door to the unknown, blurring the boundaries between reality and illusion. Together, trauma and the
supernatural create a transitional space—one that invites viewers to pause their habitual ways of thinking and immerse
themselves in self-awareness, a space for exploration and projection. I hope this artistic experience becomes a state that
hovers between illusion and wakefulness, guiding them to reconsider the meaning of life and to confront the often-
overlooked corners of their inner world.
Marginalized groups and forgotten stories are central to your practice. How do you connect your personal
experiences with these broader societal narratives in your art?
For example, my installation piece Urban Orphans is deeply rooted in my own experience as a left-behind child. Out of
curiosity, I initiated an open call on social media and was unexpectedly met with stories from many volunteers—people
who, like me, felt that their childhoods had been forgotten by society, so much so that they had nearly forgotten the
trauma of it. I wove these stories together, extracting symbolic images from the flood of words to create this piece.
Through this work, I hope to convey a sense of collective loneliness and neglect, inviting viewers to resonate with and
reflect on the lives of marginalized communities.
Mysticism plays a significant role in your work. What draws you to this subject, and how do you
incorporate mysticism into the visual language of your installations, videos, or paintings?
The significance of mysticism in my work stems from personal experiences rather than mere curiosity; a series of
uncanny coincidences gradually made me aware of my sensitivity to the unknown. One day in 2020, I repeatedly saw a
message in black text on a white background in my mind: Your family member will die—which I initially dismissed as a
psychological disturbance, but after a few weeks, the message vanished, and six months later, my uncle passed away.
Similar occurrences have happened repeatedly, and through conversations with Chinese spiritual mediums, I came to
realize that I may have an unusual sensitivity—so, in a way, mysticism found its way to me, rather than me seeking it
out. Through my diverse artistic expressions, using ambiguous symbols and mysterious lighting effects, I aim to draw
viewers into an indescribable space of the unknown, allowing them to touch a dimension of perception that lies beyond
everyday reality.
You mention that your art is full of contradictions and provocations. Can you share an example of how
you create this tension within a specific piece?
In collaboration with musician Sourlyx, I created an interactive online visual game, NOT PROVIDED, a surreal exploration
of an otherworldly school documented through a fictional archive, where viewers wander through a dark and eerie
environment, uncovering unsettling historical stories. During the creation process, I gathered around 20 cases of
teenagers, aged 14-17, who had taken their own lives in my hometown, receiving stories and support from over 80
volunteers. I delved into the systemic issues behind these real events, reinterpreting and weaving them into the game to
form a powerful critique—and perhaps a provocation—against the hidden violence within the oppressive educational
systems of my hometown and Asia as a whole. Each image text in the game is based on true stories, using both words
and surreal visuals to reveal the profound psychological suffering caused by educational pressures, creating emotional
and intellectual tension in viewers and prompting reflection on deeply rooted societal issues.
Your art spans multiple media, from installation to video and painting. How do you decide which medium
best suits the themes or emotions you want to express in each project?
My choice of medium is guided by an intuitive judgment rooted in the depth of theme and emotion, rather than by
technical preference. Installation art’s inclusivity breaks the boundary between the viewer and the work through spatial
experience, inviting the audience into the physical and emotional space of the piece, allowing them to experience
suspended emotions or isolated existence and evoking a deep internal resonance. Video art, as a metaphor for the flow
of time, uses gradual imagery and immersive sound to blur the line between reality and illusion, allowing emotions to
unfold and dissipate over time as the viewer enters a dreamlike psychological space, delving layer by layer. As for
painting, my core practice, captures complex, unspeakable inner experiences in symbolic form, freezing emotions in a
moment of stillness, offering the viewer a glimpse into the abyss of feeling through a brief but intense gaze.

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