Meet Xianglong Li | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Xianglong Li and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Xianglong, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
During my teenage years, the kids around me often sought their own identities and sense of belonging, sometimes gravitating towards specific cultures or groups. Many of them chose to align with non-mainstream and gang cultures, expressing their personalities and uniqueness through various behaviors and appearances. This often involved incorporating artistic elements into their physical transformations. They’d create their own clothes, cutting up oversized school uniforms and adding graffiti-style patterns, and even experiment with designing their own hairstyles.

While such behavior might be perceived as rebellious or unconventional, it also reflected their quest for self-expression on their own terms. I found their way of life incredibly appealing, perhaps because it represented a departure from the norms of collective campus life, and instead emphasized alternative beauty and individuality. At that time, the concept of beauty had deeply rooted itself in my mind. I began experimenting with painting, design, and anything else that could shape beauty.

Regardless of the culture or group, everyone has their own lifestyle and values. Understanding and respecting others’ choices and pursuits, while staying true to oneself, is vital in such environments. It was within this context that I decided to pursue my artistic career and path.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Living and making art in New York, I often experience alienation, being trapped, and uncertainty about the future. Life suddenly seems fractured; I know that something is wrong with the world, but I struggle to find the words to express it, or I’m unwilling to speak, so, I started adopting a nonchalant and worldly attitude on social media, using humor and memes to brush off these emotions. Therefore, the playfulness and even absurdity in my artwork aren’t necessarily a form of criticism; they might be a way of examining and reflecting. It’s a kind of “negative positivity” where I seek refuge within it, ultimately leading to resolution and release.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would take them to explore the ruins on the outskirts of the city, where we can witness how, as modernization progresses, people construct buildings in the natural world, continuously raising more and taller structures. Eventually, as time passes, these modern buildings are abandoned to nature, gradually deteriorating and falling into ruin.

The marks of humanity are reclaimed by nature once more, through both gentle and relentless forces. This sense of nature reclaiming its space is incredibly romantic. This is why I have always been obsessed with urban exploration of ruins.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Honestly, every stage of friendship holds significance. Even if, over time, friends move on to the new environments and make new connections, resulting in dwindling contact, those moments remain cherished memories and experiences for both them and me. Much of my artistic inspiration stems from shared experiences, laughter, and even arguments with my friends, which is why I’ll always shoutout to my friends.

Website: www.xianglongli.com

Instagram: @wakeupdragon

Image Credits
credit by Xianglong Li