We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Xiran Sun a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Xiran, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.
I just made a life-changing decision, after living in the state for nine years, I got a call from my mom saying:” You should come back for the spring festival and move back to China for now!” In the conversation, she made it sound so easy, as if moving, packing, subleasing, and leaving a country where I almost spent half of my life was no big deal. I was astounded and overwhelmed for a whole week, solely auto-piloting, quitting jobs, and organizing farewell parties. It is a risk, a risk of making the wrong decision, I was asking myself, once again at the crossroads of my life, What does it mean to move back to China at this point?
Since I am already in China now that means I decided to move back. But two months ago, a deep fear was growing in me, grasping my heart and irritating my mind. Sometimes I would feel a deep rage that I blame my mom for making such a brutal and unconsidered proposal. However, I was also confused about how I said yes to Mom’s suggestion with calmness immediately at that FaceTime. Later my therapist commented on that: “Unconsciously, and rationally you know she is right about homesickness and financial conditions. You know living with your family will affect your identity as an individual.” This makes me gradually come to terms with my “individuality”, maybe being an independent adult I do not have to find a perfect job in the United States to support myself, obtain legal status, and fend for myself. Maybe I do not have to become fully American or Chinese. Being an individual means I will have the courage to give up my life and start a new journey. Now I will live on with this braveness and take more risks than I ever expected.
Xiran, 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?
Xiran Sunny Sun is a Chicago-based artist who graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She found her interest in art in her Sophomore year after attending the summer program at Rhode Island School of Design. After the intense summer working solely on art, she realizes this is the subject she finds exciting even when she suffers and struggles. After that, she decided to put full effort into this major. After expiring multi-major and trying different mediums at the Art Institute of Chicago. She found her artistic inspiration is rooted in her experience of moving homes from China to the United States, from California to Chicago. As she moves back to China now and is planning to move to Europe this journey continues. Sunny takes observations and memories of surrounding natural landscapes and human interactions and relationships to develop metaphorical and expressive paintings. She is mesmerized by the uncertainty that she finds in the process of moving, encountering with new environment, and also in the painting process. Her work discusses the paradoxes and mysteries of human nature, fascinated by the inherent tenderness and fragility, but also the power and chaos that make up humanity. She also tends to write prose to express her curiosity about these ideas:
In the Steel City, I see forests;
In people’s hearts, I see grass and trees grow.
Now, memories of the past form my reality,
In my mind, the present is shaped by imagination and memory,
The line between reality and fantasy isn’t clear,
Thus the world is granted infinite possibilities,
Like an endless wilderness.
On a canvas held by wooden frames,
A sanctuary where I feel secure,
Far from technology and solid reality,
With a brush in hand and paint on my fingertips,
The heart beats softly, close to humanity.
I’ve only just begun to grow,
Unsure of what it means to be human,
I paint small grass and big trees,
Hoping to see them clearly.
During her university years, Xiran participated in multiple art exhibitions, including four held at different departments of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, encompassing fields such as Art and Technology in LED light installation art(2021), Nature illustration in the Field Museum(2021), Online film festival(2022) and “Femme” Painting exhibition For Woman History Month celebration(2022). After graduating, she also participated in group exhibitions at the local Kiki&Bouba Gallery in Chicago “Ecotones”(2023). Sunny’s Writing “Garden in the Wild” was also published in Mouth Magazine(2023).
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
Two books have had a profound impact on my perspective on my career. One of them taught me specific methods, while the other provided me with new insights. The first book, Lean In by Nell Scovell and Sheryl Sandberg, was gifted to me by my mother who is an accomplished female entrepreneur. One of the authors is a former Google executive and created this wonderful practical guide to help women enter the work field. It teaches specific methods and techniques that I found incredibly useful when writing resumes and interviewing for jobs in the past few years.
The other book that significantly impacted me is called Misogyny, written by Chizuru Ueno, a well-known East Asian feminist writer. Interestingly, I read this book and gave it to my mom. The book delves into the subtle gender biases prevalent in East Asian society, and how women often impose constraints on themselves in the workplace. It suggests that misogyny exists in both genders. This book is like a mirror, it reflects many struggles that were unconsciously rooted in me.
Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
I wish I had known earlier that my school had free psychology sessions and that our medical insurance covered outside psychologists. Studying art and becoming an artist goes beyond acquiring painting skills.
It’s essential to take advantage of the opportunities that our school provides, such as job expos, as early as possible. The earlier we start, the more time we have to learn and develop our skills. Two years of internships in the junior and senior years are not always enough, because you always have to work on graduation exhibitions and other opportunities.
Additionally, I would recommend attending open studios hosted by graduate students. They are students and emerging artists, which usually makes them generous in sharing their opinions and experiences. They are one of the living examples for BFA students of what the closest future would look like. Another interesting resource is to visit galleries run by students. Generally, these places provide a relaxed atmosphere where you can meet other students and university professors who are easy to talk to.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://xiransun.com
- Instagram: @icecreammelt233
Image Credits
Meiru Liu Linye Jiang