We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Xiao He. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Xiao below.

Hi Xiao, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

I would say it’s an artists’ book called “A Collection of Random Thoughts” I made back in 2017. This project combined my writings and photographs from years of living in the United States and China.

I chose to write in Chinese and English to explore the subtleties of language and emotion, especially how the subtle emotions were lost during translation. I also carefully considered the binding, typography, and visual communication design since I believe book art is an art form in itself. Therefore, I hand-bound the whole book from the case, book cover, printing, folding to threading.

This project is meaningful to me because it allowed me to reflect on my experience as a Chinese living in the United States in the form of artists’ books. I am very happy that the book is now part of the Joan Flasch Artists’ Book Collection in Chicago available for more audiences.

Xiao, 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?

Hi, I’m Xiao, a Chinese visual artist based in San Francisco. I explore human emotion and storytelling in my works. I create drawings and paintings that often feature portraits and figures in spaces, and I draw inspiration from literature and film. Lately, I’ve also been incorporating more references to Chinese mythologies and non-fictional books on motherhood, which has been an exciting new direction for me!

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

What I love most is the freedom and flexibility to create my own schedule and to be constantly inspired by the world of art, film, and literature. Unlike the corporate world, there are no set paths or promotions to strive for. Being an artist allows me to take my time and truly develop my work without many worldly constraints.

I’ve also learned to develop a thicker skin as an artist. As humans, we naturally seek recognition and validation from others, but I’ve learned that there’s no need to make art just for the sake of selling or pleasing the viewers. When I feel unsure or insecure, I often think of artists like Edvard Munch and Louise Bourgeois, who created works that were true to themselves and therefore timelessly powerful and touching. Similarly, I want to stay true to myself, even if it doesn’t follow the market trends. This realization has brought me inner peace and I feel like I’ve found true freedom in my artistic expression.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

In Charles Baudelaire’s 1860 essay, “The Painter of Modern Life,” he describes modernity as “the transient, the fleeting, the contingent; it is one half of art, the other being the eternal and the immovable.” I first learned about this concept when I was still in college, and it has stayed with me ever since. As artists, we strive to find the eternal beauty of art, while also observing the contemporary world around us. Therefore, pursuing that immovable part of art while capturing the fleeting moments of life is the goal that I am striving for.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://xiaohe0225.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xiao.he.art/