Meet Xinyu WO | Creator&Artist

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

Hi Xinyu, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
In 2021, I graduated from SVA MFA Fine Arts without any money. I had not yet become a full-time artist, so I took a full-time job helping others do business. I had never thought of having any “full-time office job”; I had always wanted to work in a creative field. But at that time, I had to learn how to help others do business in order to survive. Using my creative thinking, I extrapolated business information I encountered and came up with several new business ideas, which I later turned into projects. The results were good. Although working in the office provided me with a stable income, I did not want to continue living like that. Most of our lives are spent dealing with work, so choosing a career we love is crucial. Although any career involves pushing stones uphill and downhill, we can choose a stone we enjoy pushing. During my free time at the office job, I started paying attention to information related to the art market. What kind of artists do galleries need? What kind of art can stand the test of time? After observing for a while, I realized this was something I could do. I also analyzed my strengths and time costs. Would I be a good creator? Would I have the time and energy to do this? Could I do this well? The answer was that I was very suitable for this. At that time, I didn’t think about how I would end up if I failed; I only cared about becoming an artist, an independent creator, and whether this would bring me joy and how I could do it best. When I first decided to become an artist, I had to go to the office five days a week, so I spent 4 hours after work and weekends creating paintings. I posted my creations on Instagram, and slowly, a few months later, some art dealers found me and invited me to participate in group and solo exhibitions.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My art creation aims to find the brightness of human nature in the chaotic social landscape. I believe that moral principles and the beauty of human nature represent the ultimate pursuit of civilization and the meaning of human existence.

In fact, the 5,000-year civilization of mankind is a bloody history. Confronting human nature is a quite cruel thing. The essence of marriage is for reproduction, the goal of social interaction is for value exchange, and the truth of love is actually about sex and attraction. People can indiscriminately kill the innocent for their desires, resort to any means for survival, and betray their principles for profit. If reproduction is the only meaning of human existence, then we are no different from monkeys in the zoo. I often wonder if there is something that sets us apart from animals, something that makes us a little greater. I think the charm of art lies in opening up a non-existent space, allowing chaotic human nature to catch a breath. Different artists provide different ways of looking at the world. If reality is imperfect, then I can create a perfect two-dimensional space through images.

In all of my creations, I try to transform the absurd and chaotic things I see into an aesthetic. In the images I create, surrealism is my main visual expression. For me, purely realistic techniques simply replicate what we see, without guiding the viewer’s visual experience. Surrealism is about deviating the composition and combination of things in different directions based on reality. Reality is orderly, but surrealistic images can be illogical. For the vast majority of viewers, “making life controllable” is the main theme of their lives, so I can provide them with an “out-of-control” image.

If one only wants to make the image “out-of-control,” then children can easily do it. How to make the image attractive is what professional creators need to think about. In my images, the color palette of Impressionism has played a significant role for me. I hope the colors in my images can achieve a harmonious comfort. In selecting elements, I try to choose things that can resonate with the vast majority of viewers, and then I “process” the forms of these elements to show a different way of expression.

Lastly, apart from just the image itself, my images also aim to create a certain narrative. I try to make all elements in the image engage in a dialogue, linking them together, so that different viewers can have different interpretations. Therefore, the images I create can transcend the limitations of the two-dimensional plane.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I currently work and live in New York. Of course, if my friends come to visit, I would first take them to my studio at Mana Contemporary in New Jersey, then visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art, have authentic Chinese food in Flushing, and explore the numerous galleries in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. I’m not sure about the profitability of galleries in the Lower East Side, but I often find innovative and experimental art there, which reminds me of the pure mindset I had when creating art as a student: I focused solely on whether what I was creating was good. Lastly, I would take them to the Metropolitan Opera House. In my free time, I enjoy going there to watch operas.

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?
First, I want to thank my family. It is their constant encouragement that has always filled me with confidence, fearlessness in the face of setbacks and challenges, and the self-assurance to pursue any career. Next, I want to thank my most important current partner, VillageOneArt Gallery. It was they who discovered my talent when I had just graduated and gave me my first solo exhibition. Lastly, I want to thank my friends who have always supported me. Their support and help have enabled me to move forward more effectively.

Instagram: Wo_Xinyu