We had the good fortune of connecting with Zhouyi (Joey) Ye and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Zhouyi (Joey), do you have a favorite quote or affirmation?
Jean-Luc Godard’s words always span around in my head: change nothing so that everything is different; don’t show every side of things, allow yourself a margin of indefiniteness. I’ve been struggling for a long time to be with myself since my culture taught me that I have to ignore myself, and obey the majority and the collective. I tried to change myself by agreeing and catering to make myself better integrated into the society, but I know I am not a conformist by nature, so I feel exhausted by constantly questioning and denying myself. These years, I gradually accepted myself as being different, and don’t try to change, because everything is different.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Most of my work concerns the relationship between one’s self-consciousness and society’s collective consciousness. I am exploring the potential for combining contemporary art with technology, psychology, and sociology to analyze people’s cognitive states under the collective unconsciousness. I am currently working with filmmaking, depicting my own experience regarding the cultural dilemma of Asian women. I am writing a synopsis based on personal thoughts, confusion, and frustration I experienced in China, Japan, and even here in the US with surreal visuals, which I would call “My Quarter-life Dictionary” reflecting my past 25 years. I think my artistic strength comes from my personal experience in diverse cultures, which is personal at the beginning but turns to be political as a result even though I didn’t mean to.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My friend and I both prefer a relaxing schedule. I think we will spend most of our time walking along the seaside, like in Malibu and Vince. I also will take her to the New Beverly cinema to watch Pulp Fiction and other Tarantino films. Hanging out in downtown and Hollywood, talking and drinking cocktails by the pool, and sleeping in.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My family, obviously, my parents and partner. My parents always open their sweetest home to me when I need a rest from an intense period.
Both at work and in daily life here, I am always strongly supported by my partner, an artist with a strong will and talent who always encourage me to make art.

Website: http://www.yezhouyi.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/youuko__

Linkedin: Zhouyi(Joey) Ye

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