Gold Shark V

I was born in Shanghai, China. was living in both the UK and China, inspired by both Western and Oriental cultures, history and present. The source content of my works is traditional Oriental culture under the influence of classical Chinese culture as well as Western and European culture. In the works I place together individual elements from different times and backgrounds. To begin with it was purely experimental, allowing these elements from different cultures to be combined together. Actually, the background to this behavior reflects the environment in which I and other urban youth of China grew up.

I have tried hard to understand why I instinctively chose to express Eastern and Western cultures in a state of combination. People are the product of a time and a specific historical environment. I, myself, am a product of the fusion of Eastern and Western cultures. I was born in an era when Western values and culture hold a leading position – at least the mid-later 20th century and the beginning of the 21stcentury have been that way. Added to this, the city I was born in is a place where Eastern and Western cultures meet, so, although I am a Chinese person with an Oriental background, there is no way I can avoid at least partial Westernization in this era. For example, from the mid-20th century to the present day, mainstream aesthetics have all been produced on a foundation of Western values. It's all related. Traditional Oriental and Western cultures are completely different in systematic terms. Their modes of expressing the inner core into the exterior –those kinds of powerful discrepancies and contrasts are what attract me most. These two cultures can simultaneously be traced back for very long periods of time. There is a great deal of historical records that allow us to select any particular age to serve as a template for purposes of comparison.

For me as an artist it's like having access to a bottomless source of creativity. I think that it is an advantage. Because of the fierce contrast, these two cultures must be integrated within a single work of art. My instinctive feelings towards this kind of conflicting aesthetic expression are quite interesting.