We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Shawn Xiao a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Shawn, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I was interning at an investment firm as an assistant after finishing my bachelors in business. After several months of working long hours on very boring and repetitive work that did not rely on any of my skills I got worn down. I felt lost and unable to see the path forward. I was feeling very much unmotivated about everything, like I had lost my passion for life. At this point I realized I needed to make a change. Creativity is at my core. I have been making art since I was a young child, and I had always viewed it as a meditative practice. When I was making art, I wasn’t stressed about the future or frustrated with the present, I was completely enveloped in the work. I realized that I am not able to separate myself from the work that I am doing all day, and that I needed a way to combine my job with my interests.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

How you got into this craft/profession?

I grew up in Chengdu, China like every other Chinese kid. Go to school, study hard and try your best to get a good job that will make a good living. The early parts of my life aren’t that interesting. The one difference is that from a very early age, around 5 years old, I have been emersed in the artistic realm. I was a very energetic and sometimes naughty child and my mom tried to look for many different avenues that I could utilize my energy for a more creative rather than destructive tendency. So I got involved in painting and sculpturing in my free time.

Art went on the back burner for a while as I went off to business school and tried following the typical advice that directed me into the future, get a good job to secure a good living. However as I said before, I came to realize that the business world was too boring for me. I felt like I was in a dead end and needed to break out and do something I’ve never tried before. So I decided I would go to the US and study fashion design. This realization came at with inopportune timing as I only had two months to complete my applications for entrance that year. So I quit my job and worked day and night creating a complete portfolio from scratch. But that hard work paid off, as several months later I was on a plane to Boston to study Fashion design at Mass Art.

I graduated from my BA at the beginning of the Pandemic, so I took a gap year to try and figure out what my next move should be. I ultimately decided to pursue a masters degree in fine art in order to expand my artistic practice. Which leads me to where I am currently, a second-year masters student at the School of Visual Arts in New York.

What type of creative works you provide?

In general I am a multi-disciplinary artist. Currently I’m working on a large installation, The Past Within, composed of varying sizes of sculptures

What sets you apart from others?

I think that my curiosity is one of my defining features. I have been curious about a wide variety of things ever since I was a child. This has left me with a very wide range of interests, which gives me a uniquely deep well of experiences from which to pull from when drawing inspiration for my work.

What are you most proud of?

I am proud of my ability to overcome obstacles. – I think a key part to this is my keen sense of creativity that allows me to see the obstacles from many different angles and figure out the best solution.

What are the main things you want fans/followers to know about your work?

I really aspire to use my work to connect more fully with my audience. I want to hear from people from many different backgrounds and engage with them about what meaning they take away from my pieces. I ultimately want to create a dialogue with the viewer, where I am not trying to tell them anything but rather trying to initiate a conversation that could take on very different directions depending on the experiences and viewpoint of the person viewing it.

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.

I think that it’s common for those not immersed in creative pursuits to view artistic work as somewhat frivolous and abstract, disconnected from real-world impact. However, I believe that the essence of creativity is pivotal in every profession. It’s not just about art or design; it’s about thinking innovatively, solving problems dynamically, and pushing boundaries. Even in the most technical or structured fields, a creative approach can lead to groundbreaking developments and enhance human experiences.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

I In my view, fostering a supportive environment for artists and creatives begins with societal engagement and curiosity. I believe that people should actively engage with artistic spaces, even if they sometimes find it challenging to connect with certain artworks. This hesitation, often stemming from a fear of misinterpreting the piece or offending the artist, can be overcome with open-mindedness. As an artist, I appreciate all feedback, regardless of the viewer’s familiarity with art. Perspectives that diverge from my intended message are especially valuable, as they reflect diverse backgrounds and viewpoints that I might not have considered.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.shawnmxiao.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shawnmatrex/

Image Credits
Shawn Xiao