We were lucky to catch up with Shuwen Xiao recently and have shared our conversation below.

Shuwen, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. One of our favorite things to hear about is stories around the nicest thing someone has done for someone else – what’s the nicest thing someone has ever done for you?

At the end of 2021, my depression relapsed. I locked myself in my room, sleeping away the days. My weight had dropped below 103 pounds. One day, a friend messaged me, suggesting I take a part-time job at her friend Xiaoying’s art studio, once a week. “She’s too shy to tell you herself,” the message read, “but I think you’ll be interested!” I stared at the message nervously, unsure if I might cause trouble for the artist. Soon, we met, and a weekly “appointment” began.

She often told me, “I’m seeking your opinion—this matters greatly.” “You’re an artist, not a technician.” “You should study abroad; don’t get stuck here.” These were words no one had spoken to me before. Every meeting felt like a healing session. She took me to book fairs, we caught COVID together, and she watched as I fell in love and broke up.

“Shu, you should look for a partner, not play these games of love.”
“I’m very much in love with my boyfriend now.”
“You’ll understand, but not yet.”

“Xiaoying, are you a feminist? Or perhaps a celibate?”
“Miss, I just do what feels right to me, and it’s naturally led to where I am now. In truth, I hope for a lifelong partner too, but I haven’t found one yet. I’m not an -ist of any kind, nor do I want to be understood through such labels.”

These conversations became a routine part of our work. After two years, at the beginning of 2024, I decided to study abroad.
“I’ll miss you, my best partner!” She said.
I’ll miss her too. She never asked much, yet understood everything I was going through. Her patience guided me out of numbness, showing me another way to live and helping me realize who I want to become.

Shuwen, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Creating art has always felt natural to me. I began painting at home when I was very young, treating it as a way to play and connect with myself. My inspiration comes from family, daily life, and those easily overlooked moments. My grandmother’s red thread, my mother’s hands, and ordinary objects serve as the starting points for my creations.

My work spans prints, art books, and installations. I enjoy expressing complex emotions in simple ways, believing that moments of true understanding between people often arise without the need for words. For me, art is a means of connection. Through creation, I engage in a dialogue with the past and establish a bond with the viewer.

Secondary Growth
Sophora stakes, mineral pigments, and single-folder Xuan paper are the principal materials used for the creation. There are special epidermis in various body parts, such as pus-filled and inflamed pimples, spots formed on keratinized skin, bruises, breasts, stretch marks, etc. I produced them using the watermark woodcut print technique and arranged them for hanging exhibition. The state of the Xuan paper flatly wrapped around the cross-section of the wood block lasted just over a week. Meanwhile, the physical properties of the paper and the wood confronted each other, leaving traces of tension pulls on the paper surface and forming folds. Eventually, an equilibrium was reached between them. The flesh underwent a “shift” from its tight-fitting state at fabrication. The deformation of wood and paper also shows the difference between artificial reconstruction and the original characteristics of materials.

Let’s Stay Together Forever.
This work explores the relationship between my mother and me. My mother is obsessed with red. The red thermal top in the piece is one that she wears daily in colder months. The use of red cotton threads to secure the quilt core and cover together is a technique my mother learned from her grandmother. The red cotton thread is a symbol of auspiciousness and not only connects the bedding but also brings the family members closer together. I stitched veins in different shades of red cotton threads on the belly part of the clothing. These veins converge at the umbilicus to form an umbilical cord, the other end of which is connected to a translucent red balloon filled with helium. The airborne balloon is pulled by the thermal top on the ground via the umbilical cord, preventing it from detaching. The deflated balloon is shriveled and flabby, echoing the wrinkled thermal top. Together they lie exhausted on the ground.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

For me, creation starts with an impulse. It is a desire to express and a way of communication. It is part of my life, or it is the kind of life I want. I heal myself in the process of creation, and the audience will also participate in it to give me feedback and inspiration. This is what creation can bring me, it will nourish me and keep me sensitive. I hope that the world can be better, and I will create with this hope.

Moreover, creation is a very natural thing. I don’t regard it as a sacred and great thing. It can happen at any time, and sometimes it happens more actively than I expected. When that moment comes, I have to create. It is stronger than me, and I am just a carrier.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

Some of these obstacles are related to occupation or profession, but obstacles also exist in other aspects, such as gender, race, culture, language, personal experience, etc. I believe that the differences between individuals are greater than those between creatives and non-creatives. Even as creators, we may not necessarily understand each other. Moreover, the identity of creators is fluid. Some creatives will choose not to create anymore, and some non-creatives will decide to devote themselves to creation. Whether they can better understand my creative process does not depend on their occupation or profession. I think this is also the charm of creation. It can break through some obstacles and make the work match different people.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: xiaoshuwen11

Image Credits

My personal photo was taken by my friend Zhang Rui and she agreed to use it.

The pictures of my work were taken by me.