Duration: Two years.

Location: New York, NY.

Education: BA in television and broadcast journalism from Capital Normal University, Beijing, China; MFA in digital photography from the School of Visual Arts.

Cultural influences: I spent 23 years in a relatively small circle, in a quiet and somewhat strict, yet lovely military environment in Beijing. I was born into a military family—no one in my family has any background in art—and grew up in a very traditional environment. The place where I grew up means something warm and safe to me; it has influenced my personality and my way of seeing the world. My work is usually tranquil and peaceful on the surface, but conveys strong emotions from the inside. I connect with Edward Hopper’s art; his paintings always seem so tranquil and isolated on the surface, but convey strong emotion. Besides Hopper, the art of Italian Surrealist painter Giorgio de Chirico also inspires me a lot. 

Favorite project: I’m most proud of my latest personal project, The Nostalgia of the Infinite. As a tribute to Giorgio de Chirico, I re-created my inner world of struggling, escaping and breaking free through digital art. It also enabled me to experiment with combining fashion photography and my fine art.

Work environment: I currently freelance in New York City, a super dynamic place with a wide variety of culture. Working there gives me a lot of freedom to do what I like. However, New York is also very much flooded by trends. I’ve always wanted to see what the fine art and fashion photography market in Europe is like, and to further discover my own style. 

Philosophy: Honesty is the key to my work. To face my emotions and memories frankly is very important, since getting closer to my memories and emotions is my journey.