I like to talk. Talking allows me to exchange ideas with other people and to learn and grow from our individual experiences. To me, art is a constant and everlasting dialogue between the artist and the viewer, and that is why I make art. I use photography to focus on the theme of identity in my artwork, because I seek to initiate a conversation with my audience that creates a meaningful connection.

The experience of moving to the U.S. by myself for high school has had a profound influence on my life and my art. I started to see myself in the context of the world and how truly unjust the world is. There is a quote from one of my favorite authors, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, that describe some of my experiences: “I wasn't black until I came to America.” I am, of course, not black, but the idea is the same. Through this cultural exchange, I often feel that I don’t fit in with my native Chinese culture or my adopted American one. Because of this, I have a deep empathy for people who don’t fit in and those who feel different, and I yearn for genuine connections with people from different backgrounds than me. My art helps me to achieve that.

I have learned that I can use art to tell my story. Everyone talks, but talking is just the beginning. It order to form lasting relationships, people have to be willing to be vulnerable and discuss topics of meaning; I realized that my art achieves that purpose. I cherish my artworks because they are often the beginning of a deep conversation that leads to a new understanding, a different perspective, or simply a renewed interest. It helps me to find meaning in a chaotic world and serves as a tool to strengthen my connection with those I love.

Through studying the history of art, I have come to the realization that we have been repeating the same act for thousands of years. We have a desperate desire to be heard, and we like to tell stories. We want the world to know that we have existed, and that our ideas mattered. From Jade Cong to Book from the Sky, artists are constantly engaged with their audience in their views of the world and their place within it. This is why I love art history. It allows me to connect with artists of the present and the past. It allows me to revisiting and remembering the rich and diverse culture of the human civilization. And it allows me to examining all the different ways people have utilized different mediums and processes to tell stories.