We were lucky to catch up with Xinyu Wo recently and have shared our conversation below.
Xinyu, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s been one of the most interesting investments you’ve made – and did you win or lose? (Note, these responses are only intended as entertainment and shouldn’t be construed as investment advice)
For me at present, the best investment I have made is coming to New York to develop my career and find my direction. Five years ago, I completed my Bachelor’s degree at the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou, China. At that time, I was eager to establish myself as an artist in Hangzhou. However, I quickly encountered several limitations. Firstly, in Hangzhou and its surrounding areas, the group willing to spend money on art is quite rare, and I may not have had many opportunities to gain favor from others. All the insiders in the art world, as well as collectors, may be more inclined to focus on young artists who already have a certain family background. Secondly, China is a place that values etiquette and conventions, and I clearly stand out as a nonconformist. Rather than obeying rules, I prefer to establish them. Therefore, a capitalist society suits me better, where I can freely explore, think, and seek resources. Thirdly, the city of New York has a wealth of information available. I am someone who pursues perfection, and if I am to delve deeply into an industry, I am willing to position myself at the top of the information gap to ensure I have firsthand information. Lastly, New York’s urban culture advocates diversity and inclusivity. There are many different ideas and lifestyles here, providing me with the fertile ground for creation and enabling me to produce works that are uniquely personal.
Xinyu, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
My art creation aims to find the brightness of human nature in the chaotic social landscape. I believe that moral principles and the beauty of human nature represent the ultimate pursuit of civilization and the meaning of human existence.
In fact, the 5,000-year civilization of mankind is a bloody history. Confronting human nature is a quite cruel thing. The essence of marriage is for reproduction, the goal of social interaction is for value exchange, and the truth of love is actually about sex and attraction. People can indiscriminately kill the innocent for their desires, resort to any means for survival, and betray their principles for profit. If reproduction is the only meaning of human existence, then we are no different from monkeys in the zoo. I often wonder if there is something that sets us apart from animals, something that makes us a little greater. I think the charm of art lies in opening up a non-existent space, allowing chaotic human nature to catch a breath. Different artists provide different ways of looking at the world. If reality is imperfect, then I can create a perfect two-dimensional space through images.
In all of my creations, I try to transform the absurd and chaotic things I see into an aesthetic. In the images I create, surrealism is my main visual expression. For me, purely realistic techniques simply replicate what we see, without guiding the viewer’s visual experience. Surrealism is about deviating the composition and combination of things in different directions based on reality. Reality is orderly, but surrealistic images can be illogical. For the vast majority of viewers, “making life controllable” is the main theme of their lives, so I can provide them with an “out-of-control” image.
How to make the image attractive is what professional creators need to think about. In my images, the color palette of Impressionism has played a significant role for me. I hope the colors in my images can achieve a harmonious comfort. In selecting elements, I try to choose things that can resonate with the vast majority of viewers, and then I “process” the forms of these elements to show a different way of expression.
Lastly, apart from just the image itself, my images also aim to create a certain narrative. I try to make all elements in the image engage in a dialogue, linking them together, so that different viewers can have different interpretations. Therefore, the images I create can transcend the limitations of the two-dimensional plane.
Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?
There are many wonderful articles, books, more or less influenced my way of creation and thinking, but I can only give two examples that left a deep impression on me. When I was 10 years old, my mom used to pick me up late from school every day, and there was a bookstore next to my school where I read a lot of books. The first book I read was Hugo’s “Les Misérables,” which was undoubtedly shocking to me at the time. This book helped me understand that the world is not simply black and white, and human nature is complex. When I had just graduated from SVA, a sociology book called “The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind” greatly inspired me. Throughout my upbringing, I often found myself inexplicably excluded and isolated by others, especially in groups of more than 50 people. I always wanted to understand why this was happening. Sociology books helped me better understand human nature and groups, and also made me realize how important it is to stay clear-headed and rational.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
As a creator, my mission and goal are to show the audience the romantic and uncontrollable side of life, to bring creativity to this world, and to give the chaotic human nature a moment of respite.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Wo_Xinyu
