Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sofia Shen. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Sofia, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

I believe that most of the projects I’ve worked on hold meaning for me in their own way. Meaning is inherently subjective; anything can become meaningful if we assign it value. That said, I’d like to share a project I’m currently working on that feels particularly significant to me. It’s a collection of fashionable handbags made from real chicken bones.

This collection is part of a speculative futuristic world I’m building, intended to reflect and critique humanity’s selfishness and the way we treat other forms of life as mere objects of utility and pleasure. The project imagines a future where chickens are extinct, yet their existence remains commodified. In life, they are products for us to consume; in death, they still serve as products.

Through this work, I confront the uncomfortable truth about humanity’s greed—something I am not exempt from as a consumer myself. While I don’t deny my participation in this dynamic, I feel compelled to face and explore the darker side of human nature through my art.

Sofia, 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 name is Xi Shen, but most people know me as Sofia. I was born in Hangzhou, China, and raised in Vancouver, Canada
From a young age, I’ve been a curious person, always seeking meaning in life. I’ve questioned everything, even the meaning behind the word “meaning” itself. My curiosity led me to explore various forms of artistic expression, such as writing, sketching, and photographing the little moments in life. These creative experiments allowed me to find glimpses of the meaning I was searching for and gave me a voice to express my perceptions of the world.

To me, art is not just a form of self-expression; it’s a dialogue—a way to connect on both a personal and communal level. My ambition is to use art as a medium to bridge thoughts, emotions, and experiences, making every creation an opportunity for connection.

I am also the founder of a brand, LOWSH (@LOWSHOFFICIAL on Instagram), which draws inspiration from my background in fashion design. LOWSH uses fashion as a vessel of time, serving as a memory stamp for different stories. My work reflects my belief that art and design can transcend mere aesthetics to hold deeper meaning and connect with others on a more profound level.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

To be honest, I don’t have a specific goal or mission driving my creative journey, unlike many of my friends. I create simply because I want to—at least for now. If there comes a time when I no longer feel the desire to create, I will stop.

For me, creative expression is a form of communication—a way to articulate my personal views and better understand myself. However, I recognize that this might not always be the case. In the future, I may discover a different way to explore and express my thoughts and emotions.

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

Call me cynical or pessimistic, but I don’t believe there’s a definitive way to support artists and creatives. Many continue to create until they can no longer financially sustain themselves.

A so-called “sustainable” or “healthy” creative ecosystem would, at the very least, need to support itself financially. However, this ultimately depends on the commercialization of creative work—its value determined by the market. The reality is that a piece of creative work can be both fascinating as an artwork and fail miserably as a commercial product at the same time.

This tension between artistic integrity and market viability makes it incredibly challenging to establish a system that truly supports creatives without compromising the essence of their work.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://buymecheesecake.com
• Instagram: sofiashen_