COLLECT

ART
Summer Issue
Seasonal Edition

VOL 70

June, 2025
on the cover ‘About Landscape’ by Xiaoyi Lin
Summer
Issue
S E A S O N A L E D I T I O N | V O L U M E 7 0

- 0 3 -
Table
of
Contents
Alina Zhilina 05 Kai Sebek 52

Ana Andreeva 08 Krede Photography 56

Anning Song 11 Laura Andrejka 60

Antonina Vasiuk 16 Lewis Andrews 64

Chloe Culley 19 Lexiong Ying 69

Chris Silver 23 Margie Nottingham 74

Cibo 27 Simone Figus 78

Demi Paaske 31 Ştefania Crăciun 84

Huiyan Zhang 35
Tanya Preminger 89

Irina Korshunova 39 Xiaoyi Lin 93

Jan Wurm 43 Xin Zhang 97

Jonathan Lei 47 Xufei Qiao 101

Alina Zhilina
Alina Zhilina is a multidisciplinary artist working with photography, video, and poetry. Trained as a
culturologist, her practice explores the intersections of visual and textual narratives, often
reflecting on temporality, memory, and the poetics of everyday life. Alina began her artistic journey
under the pseudonym Alina Belenkaya, earning early recognition as the winner of the contest
“Young Man in the XXI Century” in Kaunas (2012) and receiving second place at the III International
Media and Photo Film Festival “Stop Frame” in the same year. Her work has since been featured in
significant exhibitions and publications. In 2019, she participated in the V Biennale of
Contemporary Photography at the Russian Museum in St. Petersburg and was published in issue
#7 of the online almanac Articulation (Moscow). The following year, she took part in the online
exhibition “Abstractions” by the art platform LoosenArt. In 2021, Alina collaborated with Alyona
Kulazhina to publish the book "-and-what is water", a fusion of poetry and photography, under the
Moscow-based publisher VSEGONICHEGO. This partnership continued in the 2023 exhibition "SEE
YOU LATER", a showcase of poetry and graphic works at Ryumochnaya Zyuzino, Moscow. Alina’s
site-specific practice has led her to participate in experimental exhibitions such as "ADDRESSES (N)
YOU" in Vorkuta (2023) and “Exhibition in Front Door: Greenhouse” in St. Petersburg, curated by
Ekaterina Vasilyeva and produced by Kirill Dormenev. In 2024, she contributed to Fotosushka at
the Zotov Center in Moscow, an event linked to the exhibition “Rodchenko. Personal”, and won
second-degree honors at the All-Russian competition “Palette of Talents” in St. Petersburg. Most
recently, in 2025, she took part in the international exhibition “CONTACTS AND CONNECTIONS”
hosted by LoosenArt in Rome, further establishing her presence on the global contemporary art
scene.

SPRING, SUMMER, ATMOSPHERE 1, 2024 05 SPRING, SUMMER, ATMOSPHERE 2, 2024

You began your journey in photography in 2010—how has your artistic vision evolved since those
early days, and what moments marked significant shifts in your creative process?
I started with analogue photography, then, moved to digital. As a young girl, I wanted to capture the beauty of the
world and the magical world of my imagination projected onto the real world. After I graduated with a degree in
cultural studies, the beautiful world was filled with a search not only for beauty but also for eternity.
Operating under the pseudonym Alina Belenkaya in your early career, how did that identity
influence the work you produced at the time, and what led you to transition to working under your
real name?
Belenkaya is the maiden name of my grandmother,
who died when I was little. Photography is partly about
the space of time and memory. I used this pseudonym
to find points of fixation in my work, a kind of
"persona" or archetype. As I got older, I discovered the
source within myself and returned to my real surname.
Your practice weaves together poetry,
photography, and site-specific installation. How
do these disciplines speak to each other in your
work, and what does their intersection mean?
I am interested in the synthesis of the language of art.
When some meanings meet other meanings.
Conceptually for me it expresses the infinite connection
between human thinking and the creative flow.
The book "-and-what is water" combines poetry
and photography—can you talk about the role
SPRING, SUMMER, ATMOSPHERE 3, 2024
of metaphor and fluidity in your visual and
SPRING, SUMMER, ATMOSPHERE 4, 2024
textual work, especially in collaborative
projects?
Collaborative projects open the possibility of going
beyond metaphysical boundaries, conventions, and
walls. Metaphor plays a key role, as its significance in
the visual field extends and complements the paths of
association for photography in many ways. Poetry and
photography break the fourth wall; it is like a meeting
between actor and viewer in the theatre.
How do the spaces themselves shape your art,
and how do you adapt your work to different
environments?
It is more like an intuitive response within me. The
space or event itself allows me to look at myself in a
new way from a different angle. But the reference point
is always the inner response.

06
You’ve worked with themes of abstraction, identity, and location. What draws you to these themes,
and how do they reflect your background in cultural studies?
These themes fundamentally appeal to me, when there is an opportunity to expand the theme to infinity. My
background allows me to not only sense these themes and turn them into visuals but also to conduct research and
analysis that complements the structure of the visual language.
From winning early photography contests in Kaunas to exhibiting internationally in Rome, how do
you reconcile personal memory and public recognition in your creative narrative?
I'm an introverted person, immersed most of the time in my thoughts. At the same time, I want to share my
creativity and resonate with ideas in an understanding cultural community.
Can you describe the emotional or philosophical undercurrent that connects your recent site-
specific works, such as “ADDRESSES (N) YOU” and “Exhibition in Front Door: Greenhouse”?
I think these works will be close to understanding the deconstruction of the digital image. In this case, I used digital
processing of photographs and partly my drawings in multi-exposure. Also in the exhibition ‘ADDRESSES (N) YOU’
the photographs were hung on a red dream catcher made of threads.
In today’s image-saturated world, how do you see the role of the photographic medium evolving,
and what responsibility do you feel as an artist working within it?
In an era of total reproducibility of images, I feel a great responsibility for what I create now and what I want to
pass on to the next generation through visual expression. Photography is now a bridge that connects the
experience of the past and the unknown of the future.
Looking ahead, what concepts or mediums are calling to you next—and how might your cultural
studies background continue to inform that future direction?
I think at the current moment I am drawn to the themes of nullification and transformation. As a medium,
photography is my primary focus and I'm also trying my hand at video art. The experience of cultural studies
allows me to find meaning in everything you do. As Merab Mamardashvili said, «You should never be afraid to go
too far, because the truth is even further away».

SPRING, SUMMER, ATMOSPHERE 5, 2024 07 SPRING, SUMMER, ATMOSPHERE 6, 2024

 Ana Andreeva

‘’’ I believe in a non-compositional approach to art, where most if not all the subjects have already been discovered
and created. To me, the role of an artist is gradually becoming archeological rather than that of a maker. So in my
work, I recycle a lot and tend to use the simplest tools available to me. I also believe in a systematic approach, and
that shows a lot in my work. I’m a naturally disorganized person, so my work is a place where I strive for order and
logic. I tend to work in series. and try to tell a story with each of my projects.’’

Dwellings/ Spatial Study no. 027 - Photography/Collage, 4'’x6'’, 2023

Space: Grande Dixence, Switzerland, 2017 Building: Mexico City, Mexico, 2022

Ana Andreeva is a multidisciplinary visual artist from Brooklyn, New York. Ana’s work spans graphic
design, photography, collage, digital art, and creative coding. She tends to work in series and
systems and strives to find order in the abstract. Ana’s art is non-compositional, based on the
singular form, deploying chance and automatism.

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Dwellings/ Spatial Study

Space: Stony Creek, Connecticut, 2022

“Dwellings/ Spatial Study” is a research into

Building: Beacon, New York, 2019

Photography/Collage, 4'’x6'’, 2023
Dwellings/ Spatial Study no. 009 -
the relationships between architecture and
space. It’s a series of collages created from
photography taken in various countries
between 2017—2022. The photographs of
landscapes are combined with photographs
of buildings, following modernist doctrines.
Each
“dwelling” is a rectangular shape that
harmoniously integrates into its
surroundings, despite originating from an
entirely unrelated location. This artistic

Space: Newport, Rhode Island, 2018

Photography/Collage, 4'’x6'’, 2023

Dwellings/ Spatial Study no. 008 -
endeavor delves into the essence of place-

Building: Akron, Ohio, 2021

making, evoking a sense of belonging and
cohesiveness that defies geographical
boundaries.

Dwellings/ Spatial Study no. 007 - Photography/Collage,

4'’x6'’, 2023
Space: Acadia, Maine, 2021 Building: Brooklyn, New York,
2022

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Your artist statement frames art-making as an archaeological act rather than a creation. Can you elaborate on
how this mindset shapes your process when starting a new piece or series?
I start by looking at what’s already around: images, structures, fragments. The process is more about selection and
rearrangement than invention. Reduction feels more useful than addition.
What initially drew you to juxtaposing buildings and landscapes from unrelated locations?
I was curious what happens when buildings lose their context - if they still hold weight, or if they become something else entirely.
How do you reconcile the intuitive with the systematic when working on projects like this one?
The structure comes after. I start with fragments and try not to impose order too soon. The system usually reveals itself later,
once I’ve gathered enough material.
You mention a personal tension between disorganization and the desire for logic in your work. How does that
internal contrast manifest visually in Dwellings?
It shows up in the tension between the grid and the cut. I need things to feel resolved, but I also want them to feel inevitable, not
designed.
What role does modernist architecture play in your collages, and why did you choose it?
Modernist forms are functional and familiar. They let me focus on arrangement and relation, rather than inventing new shapes.
You use some of the simplest tools available to you. How does tool minimalism impact your creative decisions
and final output?
Minimal tools mean fewer distractions. I end up spending more time looking and adjusting than making.
How do you define “place-making” in the context of visual art, and what do you hope viewers feel or question
when encountering your fabricated dwellings?
It’s about building a context, not illustrating one. I hope people feel like they’ve arrived somewhere - even if they can’t place it.
Photography, collage, digital art, and creative coding are all part of your practice. How do you determine which
medium or combination best serves each series?
I try not to decide in advance. Each idea asks for a different material, and I follow that rather than sticking to one mode.
You mention recycling a lot in your process. How do you decide what elements to reuse, and what’s your
relationship with the concept of originality?
I reuse things that still have something to say. I think originality doesn’t mean starting from zero, it’s about how you rearrange.
Over the five years of collecting photographs for this series, how did your understanding of space, architecture,
or belonging evolve—if at all?
I started noticing patterns: where structures sit, how they interrupt space, and what they carry. Over time, the photos taught me
what to look for.
Dwellings/ Spatial Study no. 017 - Photography/Collage, 4'’x6'’, 2023 Dwellings/ Spatial Study no. 019 - Photography/Collage, 4'’x6'’, 2023
Space: Campton Hollow, New Hampshire, 2018 Building: Plano, Illinois, Space: Long Island, New York, 2020 Building: Weston, Connecticut, 2021
2022

10
Anning Song
Based in London, Anning Song is a multidisciplinary designer and artist whose work centers on
human-centered storytelling. With a passion for design and artistic creation, she explores themes
of self-discovery and overlooked social issues, aiming to reflect the complexity of the human
experience and evoke deep emotional resonance with her audience.
Anning’s practice involves distilling key elements from her chosen themes to create meaningful
dialogues through a variety of media, including video, painting, and installation. Her approach
blends conceptual depth with visual sensitivity, drawing viewers into immersive experiences that
challenge perception and spark empathy.
She holds an MA in Data Visualization Design from the University of the Arts London and currently
works in data visualization while continuing her independent art practice. Her work has been
exhibited in London, and international art competitions and has been featured in global art
magazines.

‘’As a design practitioner focused on human-centered narrative storytelling, I aim to explore overlooked social
issues and create works that resonate emotionally, reflecting the complexities of human experience. I believe art is
a bridge connecting people, fostering empathy and understanding. Through my creations, I strive to mirror real-life
experiences, inviting the audience to see themselves within the narrative.
My work is about more than just visual expression—it's about evoking connection, sparking conversation, and
shedding light on the issues that matter. I want my art to give voice to the silenced, capture the raw truths of our
shared humanity, and inspire reflection and action. Ultimately, my goal is to create pieces that allow people to feel
seen, heard, and understood, fostering a sense of belonging and collective resonance.’’

Your work focuses on human-centered storytelling. How do you find and select the overlooked social
issues that inspire your projects?
In my creative practice, human-centered storytelling is always the starting point. I often begin by observing subtle
yet authentic social phenomena in everyday life—whether through social media, news comment sections, online
forums, or real-life encounters—paying close attention to issues that are overlooked by the mainstream but have a
real impact on certain communities. When I come across a topic that exists yet lacks public attention or is widely
misunderstood, I feel a strong urge to respond through my work. These overlooked voices often reflect deeper,
structural social tensions and are capable of evoking the strongest sense of empathy. To better understand the
people and emotions behind these issues, I conduct research, interviews, and field observations, aiming to see the
world from their perspective. Based on this understanding, I use tools like mind maps to explore and expand
potential directions, linking individual experiences to broader social frameworks. For me, a meaningful project
doesn't begin with the question “What do I want to create?” but rather with “Who has not been seen, and whose
story needs to be told?

11
With a background in data visualization design, how does your design expertise influence your
artistic practice and narrative approach?
During my study of data visualization design, Giorgia Lupi’s theory of Data Humanism had a profound impact on
my creative practice. She emphasizes that data visualization should go beyond scale and objectivity, instead
focusing on the human experiences and social realities behind the numbers. Her assertion that “data represents
real life” prompted me to rethink the relationship between data and design—understanding data not as cold,
abstract figures, but as vessels for human behavior, emotion, and narrative. Inspired by this perspective, I began to
place greater emphasis on human-centered design thinking. In my artistic practice, I strive to connect data with
everyday human experiences, psychological states, and broader social structures. Through narrative-driven visual
language, I aim to produce work that conveys warmth and emotional depth. My background in design not only
sharpens my sensitivity to information structure but also equips me with a clear logical framework. This allows me
to identify core themes within complex social issues and translate them into visual expressions that resonate with
viewers and provoke meaningful reflection.
You work across video, painting, and installation—how do you decide which medium best conveys
the emotional core of a story?
The choice of medium directly shapes how audiences perceive and engage with a work—it is not merely a tool for
expression, but an active participant in the storytelling process. When selecting a medium, I typically consider three
key aspects: the design objective, the target audience, and the emotional or conceptual message I intend to convey.
Each medium carries its sensory qualities and emotional resonance: for instance, video captures the flow of time
and narrative rhythm; painting freezes emotional intensity in a single moment; while installation art creates
immersive environments that foster collective empathy. I firmly believe that a medium does more than carry form
—it carries truth. It enables the audience to sense the underlying emotions, tensions, and humanity embedded
within a phenomenon, going beyond mere visual aesthetics. Therefore, I place great emphasis on aligning the
medium with the subject matter in my creative process, striving to make the medium itself an integral part of the
narrative rather than a neutral vehicle for information delivery.
Empathy is central to your philosophy. How do you create immersive experiences that invite viewers
to emotionally connect with complex social realities?
Empathy has always been the core driving force in my creative practice. To foster an emotional connection
between the audience and complex social realities, I begin by deeply analyzing the key concepts of a given topic,
and extracting symbolic and emotionally resonant design elements. These elements are not only part of the visual
composition but also serve as narrative devices within the work. I often approach each project from the audience’s
perspective, considering how they might receive and interpret information. Depending on the specific goals of the
project, I intentionally incorporate multisensory experiences—visual, auditory, tactile—to move beyond the act of
"viewing" and create a work that can be truly felt. This immersive approach helps dissolve the distance between the
viewer and the piece, inviting them to enter the narrative space and engage in a genuine emotional dialogue with
the work. For me, every project is more than a visual presentation—it is a guided journey of emotion and reflection.
Through this method, I aim to make design not only aesthetically compelling but also a catalyst for understanding
and resonance around pressing social issues.
Can you share a specific piece that you feel successfully gave voice to those often silenced, and what
impact it had on audiences?
My project This Is Our Secret Code aims to give voice to the often-overlooked adolescent demographic. The work

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focuses on the increasing reliance of young people on internet acronyms in everyday communication, exploring
how they use trending language—often through mimicry and collective behavior—to maintain social bonds.
Through this lens, I observed a deeper phenomenon: a gradual erosion of language. As information becomes
increasingly fragmented, adolescents tend to express emotions and ideas through simplified, symbolic forms,
which may, over time, diminish their capacity for nuanced understanding and articulation. To convey this implicit
linguistic and cognitive crisis, I created an artist's book that combines internet acronyms with collage portraits of
teenagers. The visual narrative is both realistic and metaphorical, portraying the struggles of self-expression within
a digital context. Through this medium, I seek to draw attention to the social structures and developmental
environments shaping this trend. When exhibited before, the project sparked wide discussion. Many audiences
reported rethinking their use of language and expressed concern about how linguistic simplification might affect
adolescents' cognitive depth and emotional growth. I hope this book serves not only as a design piece but also as a
catalyst for broader public dialogue on education, communication, and the future of critical thinking.

This is our secret code

Digital Print, Book

21x14.5cm, 2023

It has become a trend for young people to communicate with

internet acronyms. In an era where trendy languages are
constantly being produced and discarded, young people are
pressured to be popular. They always imitate and follow the
group and try to learn online languages to maintain their social
connections.

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How do you balance conceptual depth with visual sensitivity in your work?
In my creative practice, I strive to strike a balance between conceptual depth and visual sensitivity. At the beginning
of each project, I break down key terms related to the topic, exploring the theme through social context, human
emotion, and psychological dimensions. In terms of visual expression, I gravitate toward metaphor and symbolism
—using poetic, layered imagery to make complex ideas more accessible and emotionally resonant. My goal is for
the audience not just to see the work, but to form an emotional connection through it—one that invites reflection
and empathy. I often ask myself: Does the piece convey its intended emotion and message? Does it leave space for
interpretation? Can it inspire the viewer to reflect, or even act? These questions guide me in navigating the tension
between visual impact and conceptual intention.
How do you envision the role of the artist in today’s social and political climate?
I believe art is a powerful form of expression that transcends language, serving as a bridge for understanding in
today’s complex social and political climate. Artists play a crucial role in highlighting injustice, inequality, and
marginalized identities through visual storytelling, prompting empathy and critical reflection. encourage inclusive
dialogue, helping audiences engage with social issues in deeper, more open ways. For me, art is not only about
aesthetics but also about fostering social responsibility and contributing to meaningful change.
What challenges have you faced when translating nuanced human experiences into visual
narratives, and how have you overcome them?
One of the key challenges in translating nuanced human experiences into visual narratives is ensuring that the
design elements convey the core message while also resonating emotionally with the audience. Miscommunication
can lead to emotional disconnect or misinterpretation, weakening the impact of the work. To address this, I align
symbolic elements with the topic’s key concepts, ensuring clarity and emotional depth. I also investigate the root
causes, social impact, and long-term effects of each issue to build a coherent, multidimensional narrative. Medium
selection is guided by the project’s goals and audience, allowing the work to communicate both intellectually and
emotionally.
How do you measure success or impact in your work?
I assess the success of my work through audience reactions, the conversations it generates, and its relevance within
broader social contexts. Positive feedback—especially when viewers express emotional resonance or gain new
perspectives—indicates that the work has fulfilled its purpose.
I also value it when a project sparks public dialogue, encourages reflection, or inspires action. Audience
engagement, questions, and interest in the project’s evolution are key signs of impact. These responses shape my
creative direction and reinforce my aim to make art not only a form of expression but also a catalyst for social
understanding and change.
Looking forward, are there particular stories, communities, or themes you’re eager to explore in
your evolving practice?
I continuously engage with the complex topic of social identity, which reveals the emotional bonds and
mechanisms of belonging between individuals and groups. Social identity goes beyond surface-level labels—it
reflects deeper human needs for connection, recognition, and self-worth. However, due to structural inequalities
and cultural bias, many marginalized groups and hidden issues often remain excluded from public discourse.
In my creative practice, I aim to use art as a medium to uncover these overlooked emotional and social realities. Art
has the power to transcend linguistic and cultural boundaries, giving form to experiences that are often difficult to
articulate. Through narrative-based approaches, I seek to foster emotional resonance between the audience and
the work, encouraging a deeper understanding of diverse identities and the complexities of the human condition.

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The hidden scar

Fabric and paint,

30.5x22.5cm each, 2022

This project explores the dark side of a society driven by profit. In

China, some hospitals are not supervised by the Public Health
Bureau, leading them to set up outsourced departments to
charge patients extra fees. My research shows that these
outsourced departments often focus on the venereology
department, exploiting patients' embarrassment and trust to
deceive them into believing they have an STD, offering fake
surgeries and advanced treatments. These departments, called
"hospitals within hospitals," cause patients to incur unnecessary
medical costs, resulting in both physical and psychological harm.
To represent the pain caused by these hospitals, I use gauze
shaped like male and female genitalia, red threads, and lesion
images. The gauze symbolizes surgical tools, while the red
threads and lesions depict the false surgeries and the cover-up
of the suffering patients endure.
 Antonina Vasiuk
Antonina Vasiuk is a Ukrainian artist. She graduated from the college in Dnipro with a degree in the
specialty of an artist-decorator. She mastered airbrushing in a private school in Kharkiv. She
worked in an online gallery creating friendly caricatures and portraits. She works with design
studios making wall paintings, decorative panels, bas-reliefs, and pictures. She is inspired by
creating vintage textures which she naturally integrates into her original works. She likes to work
with large-scale formats, experiment with volume, relief, and chiaroscuro, and use additional
lighting. At the moment she is working on a series of pictures devoted to the research of a human
personality, its internal contrasts, and transformations. The themes of self-discovery, spirituality,
and self-acceptance are reflected in her work. Tragic events of Ukraine’s war resonate in her works
talking about zeroing a human personality, erasing the identity and the reason for existence. In her
pictures, one can see willpower and aspiration to play a life.

To play now - Graphite pencils on wood, 50x40cm, 2024

The Unity - Graphite pencils on wood, 40x30cm, 2024

‘’My works are an attempt to capture the transience and irrevocability of a moment and illustrate its unique
atmosphere that disappears barely appearing. I try to capture the essence, character, and emotions of every plot
by combining graphics and painting with imaginary elements of relief and decorative textures. These elements
become part of my works, giving them multiple layers, depth, and a special resonance. For me art is the process of
daily discovery, finding a way to convey the intended idea. Through my works, I explore a human personality, its
internal contrast, and transformations. It is a way to awareness of spirituality through self-acceptance and self-
discovery. My thoughts about time, man, and his place in the world are reflected in my works. I try to convey the
complexity of this search and self-discovery by considering art as a tool that helps to understand this way.’’

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Your current series explores the contrasts and transformations of human personality. How do you
visually represent these inner conflicts and spiritual shifts in your work?
Contrasts and personal transformations, for me, represent a fine line showing how far a person can strive to
create, achieve, and bring forth unique things — to rise to great heights — and at the same time relentlessly
destroy everything around them. In my works, I reflect on the spiritual aspect, trying to project the best moments
that inspire, touch, and reveal the uniqueness of the moment.
You combine painting and graphics with elements like relief and vintage textures. What draws you
to these materials, and how do they deepen the meaning of your art?
By using relief and textures in my work, I give each image a special tactility, a sense of touch, a feeling of being
present in the moment. Creating the intended relief, you pass it through your soul and hands — it's especially
fascinating to watch how a three-dimensional space with many whimsical facets takes shape. It draws you inward,
creating a unique atmosphere that changes depending on the light and time of day.
You mention capturing the “transience and
irrevocability of a moment.” Can you share a
recent work where this idea was especially
central or challenging to express?
This is one of my first works reflecting on the transience
and irreversibility of time. It portrays an old man as a
symbol of fleeting time, a summing-up, a revelation, a
conversation, incompleteness, and self-acceptance. This
theme remains important to me in every piece I create.
How has the war in Ukraine shaped or shifted
your artistic vision?
War is a game of vanity, where the value of human
identity and individuality is erased. Where the world will
never be the same again. When you live in the moment
and cherish every minute, you hold onto faith in the
rebirth of your Country and Nation.
You’ve worked across different formats—from caricatures to bas-reliefs. How have those earlier
experiences informed your current approach to storytelling and texture?
Thanks to diverse experience, I approach tasks in different ways — I experiment, try new techniques, and bring
envisioned images together into a single narrative. I use reliefs and textures in my art as a special meditative
method combined with visual representation.
What role does scale play in your art? Why do you gravitate toward large-format works when
exploring deeply personal and spiritual themes?
I find it equally interesting to work with small formats (with delicate, intricate details) and with large-scale pieces. In
large works, I enjoy unleashing energy, dynamics, freedom of action, and emotion — when the image fully
immerses you in its environment. It’s a powerful experience when this happens in unison with the viewer.
There’s a strong presence of light and shadow in your work. How do you use chiaroscuro and lighting
—both real and imagined—to express psychological depth?
I prefer to create contrasting images through light and shadow. When there is deep immersion, richness — that’s

17
the shadow. The surface represents space and light. Just like in life, these are closely interconnected concepts that
cannot exist without each other.
You talk about the “zeroing” of personality. Can you elaborate on what that means in your visual
language and how you portray that kind of emotional void or transformation?
Resetting is the erasure of everything previous — the inevitability of outcome, emptiness, a scream that no one
hears, a silence from which everything begins anew.
Can you describe your artistic process—from idea to finished piece? How much is planned versus
intuitively discovered in the act of creating?
The idea for a future piece can come completely unexpectedly — from something seen, heard, or read. From
something that suddenly caught the eye, struck a chord, and resonated within. In such moments, you intuitively
feel: that this is the material from which a story can be born. Vivid human images, nature, and music can all serve
as sources of inspiration.
In what ways do you hope viewers connect with your art on a personal level? Do you aim for
empathy, reflection, healing—or something else entirely?
I share my works with the
audience in the hope that
everyone can find something that
resonates, feel a special energy,
and immerse themselves in the
atmosphere and reflections I pour
into each story.

Glass blower

Graphite pencils on a wood

50x40cm, 2024

The painting captures a mesmerizing moment

in the creation of glassware—a process where
fire and craftsmanship merge to bring unique,
delicate forms to life. Under the influence of
fire and high temperatures, through hard
work and strong, confident movements, the
magic of glassblowing is born. This artwork
not only reveals the technical complexity of
the craft but also conveys the artist’s
obsession and dedication to their work. In
each piece, they leave a part of themselves,
infusing the glass with their energy and
creative spirit. What was once a simple craft
transforms into true magic.

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Chloe Culley
Chloe Culley is a British painter whose practice focuses on image rejection, material sensitivity, and
the interplay between movement and surface. Working primarily with oil on canvas, she completes
each painting in a single session to preserve immediacy and gesture. Her process involves weeks
of surface preparation, building layers of gesso to create a responsive ground. Her work explores
monochromatic spaces, often using greyscale tones to evoke ambiguity and openness. Drawing
plays an important role, helping her develop compositional language and mark-making. Culley’s
paintings create tension between presence and absence, movement and stillness, inviting close
attention to subtle surface nuances. She holds a BA (Hons) in Fine Art from Anglia Ruskin
University’s Cambridge School of Art, graduating with First Class Honours in 2023. As the first
member of her family to attend university, her achievements mark a significant personal
milestone. She has won the Dr Supanee Gazeley Art Prize and the Freelands Painting Prize 2023.
She is currently pursuing a Masters in Fine Art at City and Guilds of London Art School on a
Leverhulme Scholarship. Culley has exhibited in group shows across the UK and currently lives and
works in Kent, UK.

No. 448 - Oil on paper, 19.5x14.5cm, 2025 19 No. 449 - Oil on paper, 19.5x14.5cm, 2025
 No. 481
Oil on paper,
19.5x14.5cm, 2025

‘’I paint monochrome spaces that explore the

relationship between movement and materiality. I
complete each painting in a singular session to
preserve the immediacy of touch and gesture,
following weeks of building the perfect surface. In this
process, painting becomes a physical and sensory
extension of navigating space, allowing traces of
action to be both embedded and removed within the
painted surface.
Colour functions as a tool rather than a subject. My
choices are instinctive, responding to how a colour
interacts with space rather than carrying symbolic or
representational meaning. My current focus is on
greyscale tones and their subtle shifts, reinforcing an
elusive and open-ended visual experience. Each hue
holds the potential for ambiguity, resisting fixed
interpretation and allowing the work to hover between
the known and unknown.
I seek to create spaces that exist in a state of tension
between presence and absence, movement and
stillness, material and space. These paintings resist
immediate narration, pushing away from imagery to
sustain an ambiguous, open encounter. They exist as
events and traces, where something is both happening
and held, yet suspended in time. These works ask the
viewer to slow down, to engage with the subtleties of
material and perception, and to find their own
moment of stillness within them.’’

No. 478
Oil on paper,
19.5x14.5cm, 2025

20
You describe painting as a “physical and sensory extension of navigating space.” How does that
embodied experience shape the final work?
When I paint, I’m responding physically to the space around me, the surface, the scale, and the reach of my body.
Each mark is a result of movement, not pre-planned decisions. The final work carries that energy as it’s shaped by
momentum, weight, and proximity. What remains on the surface is a direct imprint of how I navigated the painted
space in real-time.
Your commitment to completing each painting in a single session is striking. What does that
immediacy offer you—artistically or emotionally—that a slower process would not?
Working in a single session preserves the immediacy of thought and gesture. It prevents me from editing out
uncertainty or over-controlling the surface. I believe that this conscious decision allows the work to stay alive, open
to risk and spontaneity rather than refinement. There’s an honesty in that urgency that I wouldn’t find in a slower,
layered process.
You spend weeks preparing a surface before a single mark is made. How does this tension between
patience and urgency inform the meaning of your work?
The tension between patience and urgency shapes the energy of the work. Weeks of surface preparation create a
quiet, focused state that heightens the intensity of the single-session painting. That contrast introduces friction
between control and spontaneity, stillness and movement. It keeps the work alive and open, rather than resolved
and defined.
How do you navigate the expressive potential of monochrome, and what draws you back to it?
Working in monochrome helps me strip away distractions and heighten the sensitivity of the surface. Without
competing colors, every subtle shift of tone and light becomes more visible. Focusing on greyscale allows me to
explore these delicate nuances more deliberately. Each painting becomes an exercise in restraint and focused
attention, so I keep returning to this limited palette because it invites a deeper look and lets the material speak
more clearly.
You mention that color is a tool rather than a subject. Could you elaborate on how this philosophy
influences your compositional decisions?
Using color as a tool rather than a subject means I choose it for its physical qualities, how it interacts with light,
texture, and the surface, not for any symbolic meaning. This approach allows color to quietly support the
composition, working alongside form and material rather than dominating them. Colour becomes a structural
element that helps shape balance and rhythm, rather than creating a narrative.
Presence and absence, movement and stillness—these dualities seem central to your practice. How
do you know when a painting has found its balance between these opposing forces?
Finding balance between presence and absence, movement and stillness, is more about intuition than conscious
analysis. It’s a moment when the painting feels settled but alive, holding tension without feeling rigid. Stillness isn’t
emptiness; it’s a quiet energy where everything feels right. That balance emerges through the act of painting itself,
not by planning or forcing it.
How does your approach to drawing differ from or complement your painting practice?
For me, drawing is a mindset rather than a traditional practice. When I work with oil on paper, I think of it as
drawing, which feels more open and experimental than painting. It allows me to explore rhythm and restraint in a
quieter, more linear way while still being physical. Drawing and painting inform each other, drawing teaches me to
let go, while painting sharpens my precision, and together they shape how I think through touch and repetition.

21
Do you ever feel tempted to let imagery slip in, or is that ambiguity
something you actively defend?
I’m more interested in presence than in image-making or narration. Letting
representation in would shift focus away from material and gesture, which I
actively resist. The ambiguity that remains invites viewers to bring their
awareness rather than follow a narrative. In a world already overwhelmed
with imagery, I want to resist adding to that noise.
Being the first in your family to attend university, how has that
personal journey shaped your confidence as an artist?
Being the first in my family to attend university has made me resilient and
resourceful, but also attuned to doubt. I’m grateful for the scholarship, which
has given me space to develop, yet I still feel like I’m building something from
the ground up in unknown territory. However, that vulnerability fuels the
honesty in my work and reminds me not to take this path for granted.
What do you hope people will notice—or feel—when they stand
before your work?
I hope people will slow down enough to notice small shifts in texture, depth, Untitled ( Grey Part One)
Oil on canvas,
and the way light moves across the surface. In a world saturated with constant
100x61cm, 2025
images, I want the work to offer a pause, an invitation to be still, to look
closely, and to be open to whatever emotions or thoughts arise. The paintings
don’t demand attention, they reward it with their subtleties, encouraging a
personal and open experience.
Untitled ( Grey Part Two)
Untitled ( Grey Part Three) Untitled ( Grey Part Four)
Oil on canvas,
Oil on canvas, Oil on canvas,
100x61cm, 2025
100x61cm, 2025 100x61cm, 2025

22
Chris Silver
Chris is a contemporary Scottish artist whose practice encompasses painting, photography,
drawing, and mixed media. His work is shaped by personal experiences, particularly those relating
to mental health and the complex emotional landscapes of the human form, expressed through a
pop expressionist style. It is characterized by a strong emphasis on the emotional connotations of
color and the psychological depth of mark-making.
Chris draws inspiration from his reading and understanding of art, as well as a deep interest in
mental illnesses—a subject that resonates personally due to the influence of his late mother, a
psychiatrist. Conversations with her about iconic artists and the correlation between artistic genius
and affective disorders, particularly Mania associated with manic depressive illness, have
significantly informed and influenced his artistic practice.
Hyacinth
Oil, acrylic, charcoal, spray paint, graphite,
59x84cm, 2025

23
Your work draws from both personal experience and a deep interest in mental health—how do you
navigate the line between introspection and broader social commentary in your art?
I like to think of my art as the emotional group therapy session nobody signed up for. It’s deeply personal, tangled
in my own mental health experiences, but also taps into something universal—because let’s be real, we’re all just
trying to keep it together. Research, art movements, and lived struggles—they all feed into the work, blurring the
line between personal introspection and broader commentary. If it resonates, great. If not, well, at least the colors
are nice.
The emotional intensity of color is central to your pop expressionist style. How do you approach
color selection when dealing with psychological or internal states?
Color isn’t just a choice; it’s a full-blown obsession. A classmate once dubbed me a “color field,” and honestly, they
weren’t wrong. My selections are part instinct, part chaos, and part deeply overthinking color psychology at 5 AM.
It’s informed by everything—mental health, art movements, life itself—but ultimately, it’s spontaneous. If it feels
right, it stays. If it doesn’t, I drown it in neon and hope for the best.
Mark-making in your practice holds psychological weight—how do different gestures or textures
translate specific emotions for you?
Marks are like emotional fingerprints—delicate strokes whisper, erratic ones scream. My process reflects both the
sitter’s aura and my own state of mind, so sometimes anxiety sneaks its way onto the surface, shaping the texture
of the work. It’s a dialogue between movement and emotion, captured in every line.

The Sign - Mixed media, 84x59cm, 2025 24 Metamorphosis - Mixed media, 84x59cm, 2025
You mention your late mother’s influence as a
psychiatrist—how have your conversations with her
shaped your perception of the relationship between
creativity and mental illness?
My mother and I both read Touched By Fire, which explores the
link between creativity and manic depression—Van Gogh being
a prime example. It shaped my view that, for many great
artists, mental illness isn’t just a side effect; it’s woven into their
genius, almost a toll paid for that depth of expression.
Creativity and struggle often walk hand in hand.
Mania and affective disorders are powerful, complex
themes. How do you translate such volatile energy into
a static medium like painting or drawing?
I channel mania through movement—charcoal scraped,
brushstrokes thrown, marks piling up in a chaotic frenzy. The
energy builds, the turbulence takes shape, and suddenly the
canvas isn’t static at all—it’s alive, thrumming with motion and
emotion. Indefinite
Oil, acrylic, charcoal,
Your work bridges painting, photography, and mixed 49x42cm, 2025
media. How do these different forms allow you to
Don’t Stop Until They See The Brightness in Their Eyes
explore or emphasize different aspects of emotion and Oil, acrylic, ink,
narrative? 84x59cm, 2025

I treat art like an all-inclusive holiday drinks package —

painting, photography, mixed media—because why limit
myself? Each medium brings a different texture to emotion and
narrative. Some ideas need the raw intimacy of a photo; others
demand paint thrown in anger. Maybe I’m just easily bored
and a bit ADHD, but mixing everything keeps my practice
immersive, unpredictable, and endlessly interesting (at least to
me anyway)!
Do you see your art as a form of self-therapy, a tool for
communication, or both? How has that evolved?
Art is my lifeline—right up there with medication and an
ungodly amount of therapy. It’s how I process, communicate,
and keep myself grounded (or at least semi-functional). Some
days, it’s pure catharsis; other days, it’s an obsessive spiral of
anguish and euphoria. I know I should sleep, but my brain is
like, “Just a little bit more.” And suddenly, it’s 5 AM. It’s evolved
from survival to something inseparable from my existence—an
ongoing conversation between me and whatever chaotic force
keeps pulling me back to the page.

25
How do you respond to the often-romanticized link between artistic genius and mental illness?
I lean into the chaos—because let’s face it, the link between artistic genius and mental illness isn’t just a
romanticized trope, it’s practically tradition. Art is emotion distilled, a beautifully volatile force that can shake
worlds and minds alike. Whether it’s catharsis, obsession, or sheer existential panic translated onto canvas, I
embrace it fully—because sometimes, the messiest minds create the most unforgettable work.
Pop expressionism is a striking stylistic choice—how do you blend its bold visual language with the
nuance and fragility of your subject matter?
Pop expressionism is like turning the volume up to eleven—bold, loud, and unapologetic. I blend that intensity with
fragility by layering gentle marks that gradually unravel into chaos. Neon collides with pastels, precision gives way
to reckless abandon, and suddenly the whole thing is an emotional rollercoaster in paint form. It’s maximalism,
contradiction, and a beautifully unhinged fusion of movements—all fighting for space on the canvas like a
dysfunctional but oddly captivating family reunion.
What emotional or conceptual territories are you currently most drawn to explore?
I’m drawn to working on a larger scale with found objects: pill boxes transformed into tiny confessionals, cigarette
packets moonlighting as psychological dissertations, basically turning everyday clutter into a fever-dream museum
exhibit. I want this work to be informed by everything—I want to build a giant psychological dreamscape—a place
where art, thought, and whatever weird collection of objects I’ve hoarded can spiral into something messier,
deeper, and somehow profound

Co-morbidity - Aceylic ink and oil pastel on watercolor paper, 59x84cm, 2025 26
 Cibo

Cibo is a UK-based artist who studied Fashion Design and Fine Art, predominantly working in the digital
medium. He exhibited and participated in numerous exhibitions, creative projects, and workshops. Cibo's
work is based on the exploration of reality and its interrelations. It incorporates the element of merging,
either between physical and digital realities or between psychological and technological aspects. The
prospect of technological singularity is echoing throughout his scenes.

Observations
Video, 2025

Observations is an audio-visual experience inspired by a fleeting moment of temporal clarity or perhaps the illusion of it in the mind of the artist. It seeks to
explore and articulate the fundamental aspects of reality and the human experience. In this era of rapid technological advancements, I believe that recent
innovations can be harnessed as new tools to serve the same ancestral goals and purposes of art. While the methods and outcomes may differ, the
essence remains constant: to reflect, question, and communicate the human condition. The speed at which technology evolves today is unprecedented,
and the time between an idea’s conception and its realization is shrinking. We are now able to experience art instantly, a reality that profoundly reshapes
both creation and consumption. As a result, I believe that the future of art lies in this immediacy of experience made possible through technology, where
the journey between thought and experience is almost seamless.

27
Your work explores the merging of realities—physical, digital, psychological, and technological. What
first drew you to these intersections as artistic territory?
My experience and personal need to process and understand it, along with the current state of world affairs and
the direction in which we, as a human society, are heading. In the event of merging, something new is born, which
is both exciting and, at its core, life itself.
As someone trained in both Fashion Design and Fine Art, how do those disciplines inform your digital
practice today?
My studies in fashion design provided a foundation in aesthetics and the creative process, while my fine art
education deepened my conceptual thinking and ability to contextualize my work and improved my ability to
communicate it.

dissemination centre
digital environment, video, image, 2025

The dissemination centre is a dimension of evaluation, assessment, and further redistribution of individuated units of consciousness (IUC). The IUCs are
brought into this realm when their core information is unclear or damaged. Local central units will assess and correlate the IUC’s data with data from the
central server, which results in a decision regarding their future destination.

The idea of technological singularity echoes through your work. How do you visually interpret this
speculative concept, and what emotional tone do you aim to convey through it?
That is a good question :) My focus is more on the feeling or impression a piece evokes than on its formal qualities.
My creative process is largely intuitive, involving little pre-planning. I prefer to experiment with the scene, objects,
lighting, and camera focus until the work captures the emotion I’m aiming to convey.

28
Merging seems to be a recurring method in your
work. What does ‘merging’ mean to you beyond
technique—philosophically or psychologically?
It's about creating connections and making conscious
decisions that bring together different ‘realities’ and
concepts that might seem separate or unrelated.
Merging, in philosophy, means for me, acknowledging
and intellectually cataloging new concepts; in
psychology, it’s incorporating and practicing them in
daily life. I guess it’s easier to do in art than it is in Faces
Digital Art, 2023
science.
Your work exists in the digital realm, yet it "Faces" is a digital environment composed of 3D scans of human faces and
engages deeply with reality. How do you define natural elements, which have been rearranged and retextured into a
dreamy, otherworldly landscape. The environment can be experienced in
‘reality’ in the context of your creative process? various formats: as a 2D image, a video, or an immersive 3D space
It connects directly to what I said before. Realities are designed for virtual reality headsets.

like frameworks, each with its own set of rules. Our

My Open World Game
physical reality is shaped by the laws of physics, while Game, 2022
the digital realm follows different limitations—though it
"My Open World" is an interactive, artistic environment built using Unreal
still relies on physical hardware. I imagine that one day
Engine 5. Presented from a third-person perspective, it invites exploration
we will understand and be able to move between and interaction within a vibrant, immersive world. Blending elements of
different realities and states of consciousness more both game and art, the experience features a variety of environments,
scenes, and intriguing objects—enhanced by unique 'reality distortion
freely and seamlessly than we can now. areas' that challenge perception and add an extra layer.

29
How do you see the role of the artist evolving in an increasingly virtual and AI-influenced world?
I see it as an opportunity. An artist is not necessarily bound to one medium. Technology and AI can give us
mediums that surpass all those that came before. If you still like to do oil paintings, that’s perfectly okay, and you
can continue with it. For me, however, technology is an opportunity to embrace complexity and create fluid,
interactive experiences, rather than artworks that are separate from the viewer.
You've participated in many exhibitions and workshops. How does audience interaction or feedback
in these spaces shape your future work, if at all?
It is very important. It gives me those ‘nudges’ toward more interactive and shared experiences. Also, since different
people have different associations, for example, when using virtual reality, this helps me understand the wider
context of the medium, its impact, and its potential future uses.
Is your creative process more about discovery or design? How do spontaneity and control coexist in
your digital practice?
Improvisation and play are a big part of my creative process. It took time to become proficient with the technical
side, but once I reached a certain level of experience, spontaneity became the dominant force in my work. I need to
enjoy the process, which I believe leads to an enjoyable result for the participant.
You often explore psychological dimensions—how do internal states or subconscious experiences
influence the aesthetic or structure of your digital environments?
The mood can be reflected in the lighting of the scene or the textures and materials used. For example, when
working with more subjective themes, I tend to use interiors or enclosed spaces. With heavier topics, the lighting is
spare, which can create ambiguity in shapes and shadows. I try to tap into a certain experience or mood and let it
direct my creative process.
What kind of emotional or intellectual response do you hope viewers have when engaging with your
digitally constructed realities?
Any. If it reminds you of something or evokes an emotion, I’m glad. Of course, that doesn’t happen for everyone.
Sometimes, I aim to create a kind of three-dimensional, archetypal space or object, something people can relate to,
even on a subconscious level. In part, I do it for myself, to give form to something intangible. Once it has a form, it
becomes easier to integrate into the psyche.

Fractal Room - Digital Art, 2021 30 Cyber Room - Digital Art, 2020
Demi Paaske
Demi Paaske is a contemporary artist of the north of England, from Middlesbrough. After studying
psychology and sociology, Demi adhered to the “controversial” decision at the time to try and
make it as an artist, and so began to study what she loved. After leaving her run-down hometown,
Demi moved around the UK, leaving for the Northumbrian, County Durham, and Lake District
countryside which happened to shine a light on the industrialization of her hometown. This
contrast has a clear influence in many of her artworks, demonstrating the appreciation of nature
and also the clarity of the destruction that is ongoing in this world. Using expressive movement
and color, Demi has learned to express a feeling, emotion, or story best through painting a picture,
allowing the brush and thoughtful mark-marking to lead the way.

‘’Being constantly inspired by the natural world we share; its beauty and its inelegance, it's time we let nature speak
and feel through art. Through means of expression, mixed media artworks demonstrate my perspective of the
contrasting way of life, using color and movement to tell the story of what hides in plain sight. My art wants to say:
look after our world and our beings within, see the beauty in what we already have, pay attention, nurture it, and
welcome chaos.’’

31 Dystopia - ink, watercolour acrylic, texture mediums, 29x42cm, 2023,

Your journey from psychology and sociology to art is a bold one—how do those disciplines still
inform your creative process today?
Initially, I was interested in psychology and sociology because of my upbringing. I had a challenging childhood,
which led me to try and understand people, their behaviors, and the causes of them. Through my young
adulthood, art was my therapy and I still carry that young Demi inside me, who is simply just trying to make sense
of everything around her. Rather than using the templates of psychology, I use paint as an expression, as a way of
feeling out my surroundings, studying them, the world, and the people within it.
How do you reconcile nostalgia with critique in your work?
Honestly, the landscape of my home town is something that has always brought me a sense of dread. Driving
along the A66 back home, I would see the blast furnaces of British Steelworks, the same steelworks that would be
used to build the notable Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia. The steelworks, which went into liquidation, leaving
many people from my home town without jobs. On the same horizon you have chemical plants and power stations
which have always looked very dystopian to me. My home town is troubled, yet it is home, because there is a sense
of community, but there is also a lot of crime, and poverty, and this becomes normal for some, but I had the urge
to escape. So to answer your question, it’s hard to feel a sense of nostalgia for a childhood in a place that I was
longing to put some distance between, the place feels haunted, like an old house that was once full of love and now
lies in disrepair, in terms of Middlesbrough, to me it is with a sad nostalgia that I paint that place that once had so
much potential for growth.

Into the bark - Ink, watercolour charcoal - 29x42cm, 2025 32

You often explore the tension between
destruction and beauty. How do you approach
capturing both in a single piece?
Practically speaking…contrasting colours and
movement in a composition. Generally, I use imagery to
tell a narrative, such as architecture, symbolism or
distorted paint marks that may encourage the viewer to
feel a particular way.
The colour palette is important too, because colour
psychologically does have an impact on how we
physically or emotionally respond to a subject. I channel
many emotions when I paint, thinking about my subject
matter and visualising it vividly around me. To put it
simply, I transform a feeling into shape and colour, and
that feeling is then understood by the viewer, as if the
image itself is the messenger. Desire - Ink, acrylic, texture medium, 30.5x30.5cm, 2023
Your move through the countryside—
Northumbria, County Durham, the Lake District with nature and in doing so, reconnecting with myself. I
—seems almost like a pilgrimage. What did these realised, that just isn’t taught in my hometown and
landscapes teach you about your hometown, financial constraints made travel difficult, so that
and yourself? appreciation for nature just wasn’t formed and it was
These landscapes showed me the beauty in the world: much easier to hide away, until I had to leave, and then
long outstretched farmlands filled with grazing sheep I really immersed myself in it.
and fleeting hares, a small city with a castle, built over a You describe nature as having both “beauty” and
river, with cobbled streets not far from the sea, “inelegance”; how do you interpret them?
mountains with woodland, vegetation and wildlife, that Nature is amazing and I see the beauty in most things,
manages to find a place to grow thousands of feet but nature is also chaotic, and humans are to blame for
above sea level. I learned the importance of connecting a lot of the chaos. I paint what I portray to be the
beautiful parts of nature: the way the lights of a
landscape swoop across the sky, the lines that detail a
piece of bark and the story that they tell. However, I can
look at that same landscape to see a plastic bottle that
has been floating in the lake, or the agricultural runoff
suds that contaminate the water. The inelegance comes
in with the contrast, the colours that come in that don’t
appear in reality in the landscape or the landscape of
the subject. The contrast portrays the problem. I like to
combine the natural with the unnatural. I’ll spend hours
focusing on the detail of a tree to then boldly scrape an
oxide purple smear over the top of it. That in itself, feels
beautiful and inelegant.

The Mountain - Acrylic, ink, watercolour 42x59cm, 2023 33

Expressive movement and mark-making are central to your work—how do you know when a piece
has “spoken enough”?
Sometimes, I just know that my final mark is final. Sometimes, I have to be away from it for a while, to see it again
for the first time. It’s like saying a word over and over again until it doesn’t sound real anymore, you need to leave it
alone at that point. That takes control, which can be difficult to do when a piece is emotive. From a psychological
sense, I have always been quite good at holding back, so sometimes I even find that I am pushing myself for more,
to let go. The hard part is putting the lid back on my emotions afterward.
Your use of mixed media gives your work a textured, layered feel—how do materials influence the
emotion or message of your paintings?
I sometimes re-use materials from everyday life, such as credit cards, packaging and cardboard tubes. I struggle to
see items go to waste, as if everything has a purpose or renewed life. I have also used littered materials that I have
found as tools in artworks, which in an environmental piece, supports my narrative. Texture in my paintings adds a
sense of depth and pans the viewer's eye to a particular point of focus in the work in question.
In your statement, you urge viewers to “welcome chaos.” How do you personally navigate chaos—
both in life and in the studio?
Naturally my studio is pretty chaotic, in a literal sense, it’s a small shepherd's hut, built by my partner, the space is a
beautiful challenge to navigate when I’m feeling pretty expressive. Welcoming Chaos is my way of life, it’s never
going to be an easy ride, so why not pull up a chair, invite chaos to the table and have a cup of tea with it. It might
not be as scary as it seems, and you will for sure have a story to tell afterward.
Do you see your paintings as calls to action, or
quiet meditations?
I meditate on activism to a point where it can pour out
of me artistically. It is that quiet meditation which I
then spill onto paper or canvas, then it becomes
activism when I decide to share that paper with
people. I want my viewers to think about the world and
consider where they stand within it by looking at my
art.
What do you hope someone sees or feels when
they stand in front of your artworks?
I hope they see a reflection of themselves and their
world. I hope they feel moved, alarmed, held,
nourished, confused, uncomfortable and understood. I
hope it provokes a question, an internal one about
where their place is in this world, and what they are
going to do to ease its pain. I hope people give my art
time, in order to understand how the message of the
piece resonates within them, with the truth inside us all
that art can help us find. I want people to feel inspired
to immerse themselves with nature and welcome
chaos!
34 Oak - Ink, watercolour oil, 42x29cm, 2025
Huiyan Zhang
Huiyan Zhang’s work is driven by her deep passion for nature, particularly shaped by her
experiences walking through forests. These moments led her to explore the entanglements of
nature, plant morphology, and the microscopic world, with a focus on fungi and their connection
to human experience. Her practice delves into themes of repair, rebirth, the Anthropocene, and
new symbiosis, where human-made materials such as plastic intertwine with natural forms,
creating unintended connections between life and the environment.
Experimentation is central to her creative process. Through photography, video, and drawing,
Huiyan integrates natural forms into her printmaking. She draws inspiration from macro
photographs of fungi and videos of plastic waste found in nature, extracting stills and digitally
processing them before incorporating them into her work using photo transfer techniques.
Influenced by Merlin Sheldrake’s writings on fungi and Wim van Egmond’s macro photography,
Huiyan reimagines the relationship between humans and non-human life, offering a
contemporary perspective on the interconnectedness of life in the Anthropocene.

35 Lichen II - Stone lithography with photo transfer, printed on Japanese paper, 45x57cm, 2024
Mycelium I - Stone lithography with photo transfer, printed on Japanese paper, 45x57cm, 2024
Your work is deeply inspired by fungi and their of the natural world in the Anthropocene. Yet, through
hidden ecosystems. What fascinates you What my research, I discovered that fungi can break down
fascinates you most about these often- plastics. This quiet but powerful ability to repair nature
overlooked organisms? inspired me to enlarge fungal forms in my work. I use
What fascinates me most is their small yet powerful thread-like lines to express entangled life, balancing
vitality, and their ability to be reborn from decay. I often nature’s vulnerability with the quiet resilience of its
reflect on life and death through fungi. To me, life never smallest organisms.
really disappears—it just transforms and continues to Human-made materials like plastic feature
entangle us in different forms. Fungi are everywhere, prominently in your art. How do you perceive
just like life itself, and their hidden networks remind me their unintended symbiosis with natural forms?
that we are all living in one giant, interconnected web. I see ecology as a cycle—humans and nature are deeply
Walking through forests has shaped your arEsEc interconnected. The pollution we create, like brightly
vision. How do these immersive natural colored plastic, becomes part of the environment and
experiences translate into your creative ultimately affects us. In my work, synthetic colors
process? coexist with organic forms, creating sharp contrasts.
Walking in forests is a form of healing for me. I collect This isn’t a harmonious evolution, but an unintended
materials like photos and videos during my walks, merging shaped by human impact.
recording awe-inspiring moments and Eny, intricate life Your practice incorporates photography, video,
forms. I often find myself drawn to plant morphology drawing, and printmaking. How do you decide
and the direction of branches. These spontaneous which medium best captures the nuances of
collections become valuable sources of inspiration and your subject matter?
reflection for my creative work. I experiment with all of them to explore myself and
You explore themes of repair and rebirth within expand my boundaries. I often develop them
the Anthropocene. How do you balance the simultaneously and later choose the most fitting
fragility of nature with the resilience? medium based on reflection. Drawing, unlike
While walking in nature, I often notice traces of human photography or video, allows for more personal
waste—plastic is everywhere, and microplastics have emotion and abstraction. It’s not about replication but
even entered our bodies. This reveals the deep fragility about interpretation.

Lichen - Stone lithography with photo transfer, printed on Japanese paper, Lichen III - Stone lithography with photo transfer, printed on Japanese
46x61cm, 2024 paper, 45x57cm, 2024

37
Merlin Sheldrake’s writings and Wim van
Egmond’s photography have influenced you—
how do scientific and artistic perspectives
converge in your work?
Sheldrake’s writing introduced me to Egmond’s
microscopic photography, which opened a new world
for me. His website made me realize the beauty and
complexity of the microscopic world. I began to
appreciate the diversity of life forms and became
obsessed with small, often invisible organisms. These
scientific visuals became aesthetic inspirations for my
work.
Can you describe how you use digital processing
and photo transfer techniques to transform your
source material into your final pieces?
I edit videos recorded in forests by altering their colors
and extracting still frames, especially those capturing
unexpected encounters with plastic. These selected
images are printed out and transferred onto stone
lithography prints. This combination of digital and
traditional processes adds layers of meaning to my
work. It reflects how the artificial intrudes upon the
natural.
Mycelium II
In reimagining human and non-human
Stone lithography with photo transfer, printed on Japanese paper,
relationships, what new dialogues or 58x42.5cm, 2024
A print combining traditional lithography and photo transfer techniques,
understandings do you hope your work sparks in
exploring the interconnectedness of fungal networks within the natural
viewers? world.
I hope my work inspires viewers to realize that all life is
entangled and interconnected. If we ignore nature, we with nature. If we are nature, then any harm we cause
ultimately harm ourselves because we are part of it. returns to us. My art seeks to awaken this
Many viewers say my prints resemble neural networks, understanding and invite reflection on how to coexist.
which echoes the networks in both our bodies and Looking ahead, are there particular ecosystems,
underground. This visual metaphor suggests we are all organisms, or materials you’re eager to explore
woven into the same web of life. next in your evolving practice?
The Anthropocene is often associated with I’m eager to work with fungi as a medium for sculpture
environmental crisis—how does your art offer a or to create works that trace their growth. I also want to
hopeful or transformative perspective on this explore using earth and natural pigments to make
era? ceramic-like pieces or paintings. These materials feel
In Chinese mythology, there’s a story about humans closer to the land and the cycles of nature. I hope to
being born from mud—and returning to Earth after deepen the physical connection between my work and
death. This cyclical belief reflects our deep connection the ecosystems it reflects.

38
Irina Korshunova
‘’I am a videographer, photographer, and mixed media artist inspired by the beauty of the world and the people
who inhabit it. Combining blur, grain, and vibrant hues of blues, purples, and yellows, I create works that capture
fleeting moments with a nostalgic, retro aesthetic reminiscent of the 80s and 90s. Through my art, I explore themes
of self-reflection, the fear of embracing one’s own life, and the complexities of love, blurring the boundaries
between the public and private spheres. My creative process is a personal journey to overcome the vastness of the
world by finding light in everyday life. I aim to convey respect and admiration for nature’s intricate beauty, crafting
works that speak of both light and darkness. My art reflects life’s struggles while reminding us to discover
inspiration and hope in the beauty that surrounds us. ‘’

Visual Diary, 2024-2025

Irina Korshunova currently resides and works in Tbilisi, Georgia. Her background bridges the fields
of biology and visual arts, reflecting a strong passion for combining analytical expertise with
creative expression. She holds a PhD in Microbiology from the Institute of Ecology and Genetics of
Microorganisms in Perm, as well as Bachelor's and Master’s degrees in Genetics from Perm State
University. Her scientific career includes roles as a senior microbiology professional in the
pharmaceutical industry and as a research engineer at Perm State University. Since 2024, she has
been working as a Life Science Consultant, integrating her deep biological knowledge with IT
technologies. In parallel with her scientific pursuits, Irina has been actively engaged in photography
since 2010. Her artistic style is rooted in retro aesthetics inspired by the 1980s and 1990s,
characterized by vivid hues of blue, purple, and yellow, along with techniques such as blur and
grain to evoke a sense of nostalgia and emotion. The balance between scientific precision and
artistic vision is central to her work, shaping her unique identity as both a scientist and an artist.

39
Your art captures fleeting, emotionally charged moments through a nostalgic lens. What draws you
to the aesthetics of the 80s and 90s, and how do they shape your storytelling?
I grew up in the late ’80s and ’90s, a period I remember with deep warmth and a sense of nostalgia—especially
when I think about the family photo collections kept at home. Looking through those images evokes a bittersweet
awareness of how fleeting and delicate our memories can be. With my visual diaries, I hope to create something
that, in time, stirs the same quiet emotions—a tender reminder of what slips away, yet somehow stays.
You describe your creative process as a way of “overcoming the vastness of the world.” How does
this personal journey influence the way you frame your subjects—both in photography and video?
I believe the vastness of the world can’t be fully contained within the limits of traditional photography. Instead, I rely
on my own way of seeing—guided by a sensitivity to color, softness, and a desire to share the quiet wonder I find in
ordinary things. By leaving parts of the image undefined, I invite the viewer to finish the picture in their own
imagination, focusing not on what is shown, but on what is felt. Though the process may be simple—just color film,
light filters, and a touch of lip balm on the glass—it becomes a means of translating emotion into visual form.
Themes of self-reflection and the fear of embracing one’s own life appear throughout your work.
How do you visually represent these deeply internal experiences?
I often photograph self-portraits and everyday objects that surround me. Spending a lot of time alone, these
images become reflections of my vulnerability, fears, and moments of tenderness. Sometimes, through them, I try
to reassure myself that the outside world isn’t something to fear—it can be a soft, welcoming place worth
inhabiting. Photography, in this sense, becomes both a mirror and a quiet form of self-healing.

40 Visual Diary, 2024-2025

How do you navigate the boundary between the public and the private in your imagery—particularly
when working with human subjects or intimate scenes?
It’s a delicate process for me. Especially when photographing someone else, I try to capture their emotional
presence as truthfully as possible, while keeping a respectful distance—not to cross boundaries or disturb their
inner space. What helps most is a simple, human conversation and a genuine sense of curiosity.
Color plays a powerful role in your work, especially vibrant blues, purples, and yellows. Can you
speak to the emotional language of your color palette?
I’m deeply drawn to working with color, and while developing my visual language, I focused on choosing tones that
feel rare or unexpected. Eventually, I settled on lemon yellow—discovered by chance during a self-portrait session,
and it instantly felt right. Violet became a nod to my love for science fiction and cyberpunk aesthetics. While soft
blue represents a sense of calm and something deeply natural, like a quiet refuge.
With your background in life sciences and IT, how do scientific thinking and artistic intuition coexist
in your creative process? Do they ever conflict—or feed into each other?
I spent 15 years working as a microbiologist—first in academic research, then in pharmaceutical production—and
now I consult in the IT field, gradually finding my way in that world as well. For a long time, I struggled to reconcile
my scientific background with my deep passion for art, trying to keep them apart. Over time, I came to see this
combination not as a conflict, but as a rare strength that shapes my perspective. In my recent and future projects,
I’m embracing this duality, allowing both logic and intuition to guide my creative process.

Visual Diary, 2024-2025

41
Your use of grain and blur evokes a sense of memory or dreams. How intentional is this visual
texture in your work, and what atmosphere are you hoping to create?
I strive to capture the atmosphere of something elusive—fleeting, just out of reach, yet endlessly beautiful and
deeply cherished. Every color flare and texture you see is intentional, and carefully chosen to heighten that
emotional resonance. They’re not just visual effects, but tools to evoke a feeling that lingers.
Do you find that your scientific career informs the themes you explore in your art?
Absolutely. My academic background has had a profound impact on the way I see the world. Some may think that
scientists are cold or overly analytical, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Understanding how complex and
yet beautifully balanced biological processes are is both awe-inspiring and humbling. It’s a feeling that makes me
want to share that sense of wonder even more—through every creative channel I have.
How has your artistic practice evolved since 2010, especially now that you’re balancing it alongside
your role as a Life Science Consultant?
I believe I’ve significantly deepened both the techniques and the meaning behind my photography. A clear artistic
voice has emerged, along with a strong sense of personal style. I still balance everything the same way—40 hours a
week I’m in life sciences, and all the rest is dedicated to creating images.
Ultimately, what do you hope your audience takes away from your work?
Emotion is what matters most. I've spent most of my life navigating the world through reason, but only recently I
did realize how limiting that can be. Now, I want to reconnect with emotion—both in photography and in life—and
invite the viewer to do the same. It’s through that emotional lens that life becomes richer, deeper, and more
meaningful.

42 Visual Diary, 2024-2025

Jan Wurm

Three Sisters - Oil on canvas, 36'’x72'’, 2018

Summer – it softens my morning wakening with a relaxed light that fills the day with calm. Long hours of light
stretch before me with a promise: anything seems possible. The palette is brighter. The brush stroke is more
energetic, and the touch is quicker –the painting becomes a dance. The figures are imbued with movement, ready
to step out of the picture and swim and drink and laugh. The simplest activities: digging in the sand, spreading a
picnic, grilling a meal – all speak of leisure and pleasure, comfort and belonging-- all radiate the warmth of family
and friends and shared company.

Sunday at the Beach - Oil on canvas, 36'’x144'’, 2020

Having lived in California and Europe, Jan Wurm has honed an eye for social patterns and conventions.
Wurm has taught for University of California Berkeley Extension and lectured extensively. Past Director of
Exhibitions at the Richmond Art Center, Wurm has authored catalogs and curated major exhibitions focused
on a humanist tradition. Infused with warmth, humor, and an energetic line, her work is in collections
including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Fine Art Museums of San Francisco, New York Public
Library Print Collection, Archiv Verein der Berliner Künstlerinnen, Universität für Angewandte Kunst in
Vienna, and Tiroler Landesmuseen.

43
Your work captures everyday moments with such warmth
and immediacy. What compels you to focus on the ordinary
as a subject of artistic inquiry?
The “ordinary” is such an extraordinary vessel for so much human
emotion and socialization. Collected objects can hold memories of
childhood, travel, or loss. Simple daily activities of family life or
recreation mirror relationships of commonality or conflict, isolation,
or connection. These encounters at the dinner table or on the
tennis court can reveal values ingrained in private lives, amplified in
educational institutions, and echoed in political structures.
Having lived between California and Europe, how have
different cultural contexts shaped your view of social
interaction and visual storytelling?
Traditionally there had been stronger differences in public and
private behavior in Europe compared to more casual behavior in
California. In Europe, more formality in a public setting would be
maintained in dress and demeanor with less public enactment of
the personal and private. In contrast, the private and personal
routinely found their way to California beaches, shopping malls,
Surfers
and restaurants manifested in dress, posture, and language that
Oil on canvas, 72'’x48'’, 2004
was extremely informal. A significant contributor to recent shifts in Young or old, the call of the ocean, the challenge of the wave
public behavior in Europe, the mobile phone, now, as in California, -- the surfers are held in an endless summer
Cold Drinks
brings the conversation, whether business or intimately personal, to
Oil on canvas, 48'’x108'’, 2013
play out on a public stage. At the beach, even getting a Coke takes on the electric
charge of adventure.

44
How does seasonal change affect your palette, rhythm, or emotional tone?
Not being a landscape painter there is probably little expectation of weather keeping me from a scene; yet, the
seasons do shift my focus from the domestic and interior to an open, expansive sprawl across a beach or ocean.
The palette vibrates and the paint, primary and saturated, stretches in all directions. In images without walls, the
figures can bask in the sun, splash in the pool, chase waves, and dream at leisure. Following dark winter paintings
of books and drink, summer extends light and color fueled by a sun that embraces the skin, ripens the fruit, and
lingers in a slow setting; not parting until we have had one more swim, one more game, one more peach, one
more...just one more...
How do you develop a scene that feels both intimate and universally familiar?
A minimalist sensibility renders the figures in relatively unmarked spaces that are slightly identifiable chromatically
as interior or exterior, home or restaurant, beach or park, so that the narrative can live as if within the viewer’s own
environment/experience/memory. The abstraction of figures also allows for a universality of identification. With a
highly reductive presentation, a figure can become a cypher for childhood, motherhood, or stranger in a
constellation that can evoke myriad memories or provoke deep questioning. The open expanse also eliminates the
distractions of surrounding objects and allows for a singular focus on body language, gesture, and the interaction
of the subjects—it plunges the viewer into the dynamics of the captured moment.
As a curator and former Director of Exhibitions, how has your work behind the scenes of art
institutions informed your own creative practice?
It has been a privilege working closely with the art of others. Working as a curator sensitizes one to the impact art
has on viewers, on a community. It certainly brings questions into the studio and makes it more reasonable to see
work as appropriate to some venues and not to others. Whereas before I felt art should stand its ground –the
viewer should come to the work, I have come to see a different responsibility to the viewer in certain environments.
This not acquiescing to censorship, but acknowledging different contexts for a range of artwork. My actual making
of art is not affected by these considerations, but the studio practice as it encompasses exhibitions and collection
placement now consistently takes into consideration the divergent nature of the intimate, or the political, or the
humorous.

45 Venice - Oil on canvas, 48'’x72'’, 2018

You mention the humanist tradition. In today's digital and often fractured world, what does
humanism mean to you in the context of painting?
Painting allows, beyond direct representation, investigation, interrogation, and even invention. It allows
explorations in paint: a material that in its plasticity can present unexpected and surprising expressions of joy or
sorrow, peace or conflict, generosity or poverty. It allows for juxtapositions fracturing and distortions that
reverberate with meanings and emotions in a visual language of an unlimited vocabulary. As such, painting is a
vehicle for, as well as itself, a humanist expression.
Humor surfaces subtly in your work—how do you balance tenderness with irony, or lightness with
complexity, in your compositions?
An empathetic rendering calls for care in placement, space ,and light for a figure to breathe and be seen, and an
engaged brush to allow a full view of experience –and this, just as life itself, also holds the awkward moment, the
spilled milk, the dropped ball, the lost opportunity–and so should also retain humor to buoy the spirit, to bear the
bruises or disappointments or sorrows.
Your paintings seem to celebrate the richness of social bonds. How do you translate intangible
feelings like comfort, nostalgia, or camaraderie into physical gestures and color choices?
Color holds enormous power. It can activate a painting by skipping across the surface, landing on a shoe,
fingernail, necklace until it has brought the eye right to the lips for a smile or a smirk.
Color can shout opposition across team uniforms or it can whisper the enveloping devotion of father and son
wrapped in color-coded matching plaid shirts. With the same deliberation, gesture reveals the tenderness of the
hand reaching toward the friend or resting on a shoulder –or the opposition of a shoulder turned, a face gazing off
in the distance. Just as every muscle signals thought and response, the frown or laugh exudes its color and posture.
Can you speak about your relationship to the line—how it
serves as both structure and expression in your work?
*** Line! **** –it is a conduit for all those thoughts that take shape
not as words but as reaching hands and shifting feet, downcast eyes,
and shrugging shoulders. A line conjures forms, finds the shape of
things and thickens with weight, skips with silliness, jumps with joy,
smears with movement, and touches down faintly with the sadness
of loss as it disappears in a corner. Yet with all the possible variability
and changing nature, a muscular line can anchor and hold a
composition together, summon and connect figures, or, shove and
sunder.
What do you think is essential for sustaining an art practice
over time?
Remaining open to people, to thought and culture, to nature and the
environment –this will infuse art with the energy of life and keep the
practice engaging. Remaining connected to the constant movement
and changes of society and the world also keeps the work relevant –
just as it also stimulates vision and propels the hand.
Deep End
Oil on canvas, 60'’x36'’, 2013

46
Jonathan Lei
Jonathan Lei is a Chinese photography
artist currently based in the UK, is
renowned for his ability to seamlessly
integrate documentary techniques with
visual storytelling. His work excels in
capturing the nuanced emotions
embedded within everyday scenes and
portraying diverse natural landscapes
encountered during his travels. Through
his exploration of various cities and
regions, Jonathan employs his keen
observational skills and sensitive
emotional expression to highlight
moments and scenes that are often
overlooked in today's fast-paced lifestyle.
He asserts that photography transcends
mere information presentation; it serves
as a medium to evoke profound
emotions in the audience, transforming
them into cherished memories.

The blue of summer 2, 2025

The blue of summer 1, 2025

47
‘’As a photography artist, I am captivated by the subtle moments in people's lives that are often overlooked and the
profound emotions underlying them. These moments may appear small but carry immense significance. My work
primarily revolves around two domains: the intricate emotional nuances embedded in everyday life scenes and the
tranquil, remote landscapes that stand in stark contrast to the urban pace. Both themes reflect my central interest
in exploring how individuals' identities, cultures, and emotions interplay with their surrounding environments.
I was born in China and currently reside temporarily in the United Kingdom. Through photography, I delve into
local cultures and uncover the nuanced humanistic narratives of various regions. In my street photography, I
capture fleeting yet intense emotional moments: couples exchanging kisses under the spring sun, lovers embracing
and bidding farewell at deserted subway stations, and teenagers sprinting with flags during sports events. In my
landscape photography, I emphasize the harmonious integration of humanity and nature, as well as the
transcendent grandeur of natural vistas.
For my practice, I utilize medium-format digital cameras and mobile phones. Simplifying my equipment allows me
to concentrate more on storytelling. Ultimately, my aspiration is to transcend the passage of time through frozen
images, enabling viewers from any era to experience a profound resonance upon encountering my photographs.’’

Red Liuverbird
2025

48
Your work often focuses on the emotional textures of overlooked places. What draws you to these
quiet, often remote environments?
People usually think that the more stories there are in crowded places, but I believe that for both creators
and audiences, the neglected emotions will be hidden behind those neglected places and magnified. These
places enable me to capture moments through the lens to make the audience slow down and feel the
peaceful yet intense emotional layers in their hearts.
What do you look for when you're out shooting—gestures, expressions, moments?
Street photography for me is a process of encounter. It can be said to be a coincidental encounter with a certain
moment, rather than a deliberate search. Its charm lies in the fact that every moment observed and captured is
unique and cannot be replicated through rehearsal and planning. Sometimes, when I am emotionally touched by
"that moment", I even forget to press the shutter.
How do your cross-cultural experiences influence the way you see and photograph?
Nourished by two cultures in life, this cross-cultural approach has brought me a dual perspective in terms of
identity. In observation and photography, the pioneering nature of the perspective undoubtedly expands my
perception of the atmosphere and subtle emotions. In addition to better helping me understand and empathize
with the people and landscapes in the lens, this is also beneficial for me to use visual language to tell diverse
stories.
A short rest, 2025 ThePast and the Future, 2025

The heartbeat of unity, 2025

49
How do you approach telling stories that are deeply
local yet resonate more broadly?
This question is very interesting. Suppose you stand in front
of such an image, you might be curious about how love or
loneliness is interpreted in a specific time and space, just like
an unknown but surprising specially mixed cocktail.
However, after tasting it, behind the strong and stimulating
aroma, there is often a faint and familiar sweet aftertaste. So
for human emotions, I think it is that resonance that
transcends culture and national boundaries.
What emotions are you exploring through distant,
almost disconnected environments? Companionship under the glow of lights
Just as I insist on not using special effects to present grand 2025

landscapes, those emotions that I consider lonely, peaceful

or awe-filled are the most genuine in the original state of the
image, because what the audience sees is exactly what I saw
with my own eyes at that time. This might not be the most
ingenious one, but it strikes right at the heart. And every time
I wander in a distant place, I am also exploring the deep
connection between my soul and nature.
How do you craft mood in your photographs without
relying on overt narrative?
For me, the composition in the picture is used as a
storyboard for telling a story. Sometimes it wraps up the
emotions, and sometimes it divides and presents them. Even
without obvious explanations, color, light, shadow and
Reluctant to part
spatial tension are all my powerful assistants in crafting
2025
moods.
You focus on subtle human gestures in your street Blooming Happiness
2025
work. Can you share a specific moment or image
that, to you, captures something quietly profound?
Once in a village in the northwest of China during winter, I
happened to meet a Uyghur teenager who was riding a
horse home in the snow. When I pressed the shutter, he also
stopped and looked at me. His gestures and eyes revealed a
primitive simplicity different from that of the city, as well as
the firmness of youth, and at the same time, there was a hint
of doubt about the person coming from outside. This
dramatic scene has aroused my reflection on the urban
anxiety of contemporary people and the conflict between
industrialization and nature.

50
How do you navigate the balance between documentation and interpretation in your visual
storytelling?
I admit that my photographic works are true witnesses to things, but I also do not deny that there are cultural
intentions, empathy, or emotional cores behind each picture. Balance is naturally achieved in the process of
photography. Therefore, I think the key to achieving this balance lies in whether the creator is sincere.
What role does memory or nostalgia play in your work, especially when photographing spaces that
are slowly changing or disappearing?
Memory is usually the undercurrent in my images, just like the B side of a music album. We live in an era where the
past is chasing the present. When audiences appreciate an excellent work, they are often amazed and moved, but
also feel sorry for it. But nostalgia doesn't simply mean romanticizing the past, instead, it makes us aware of those
things that are slipping away, why they are important, and what else we can grasp and cherish at present.
What do you hope viewers take away from your photography—an understanding of a culture, a
feeling, a moment of pause?
From my works, the audience can get a glimpse of the poetic and diverse aspects of the world. The only thing I
hope the audience can gain is to resonate with the photographic stories, deepen their perception of the emotions
and feelings in their own real lives, and thereby obtain a sense of peace that belongs to them in the fight against
the chaotic world.

The historical pulse shining at night The place closest to heaven

2025 2025

Fragile Blooms Awakening - Watercolor, 40x30cm, 2024 51 Floral Harmony - Watercolor, 41x31cm, 2024
 Kai Sebek

‘’I grew up in fantasy worlds and adventure stories — they were my refuge, a place of freedom and play. That need
never left me. Even as an adult, I continue to shift between reality and imagination — and my artistic practice is a
way of exploring where that space in between has gone. A narrow threshold — one foot here, one in the other
world. I create visual narratives that feel both familiar and otherworldly. The core of my work is primarily a
combination of real landscape or documentary photography and illustration — layering fictional characters and
storylines onto documentary foundations. My long-term project Woven Worlds is built on the belief that we are
already living in a fairytale world — we just have to learn how to see it again. I intertwine imagination, narrative,
and visual fiction with environmental and scientific themes because I believe that play and storytelling can be
natural tools for learning about the changes our planet is going through. Wonder and adventure are, for me, a
gateway to a deeper relationship with nature — and perhaps even a desire to protect it. That’s how it started for
me, even as a child. I don’t plan my shots. I observe, listen, and let things unfold. I believe that the curiosity we had
as children is worth preserving — and that imagination isn’t something we outgrow, but something we’ve simply
forgotten how to use. Through playful visual storytelling, I aim to awaken a sense of discovery, empathy, and
respect for the natural world and its inhabitants. I don’t want to moralize. I want to invite the viewer to become an
explorer — the protagonist of their own story. And maybe, in doing so, rediscover a little more of the beautiful
world we live in.’’

Kai Sebek is a Czech visual artist, photographer, and illustrator based in Prague. Her
interdisciplinary work explores the boundaries between reality and fiction, often blurring the line
between the natural world and imagined realms. Deeply inspired by wilderness, organic patterns,
and the quiet language of remote places, her practice revolves around long-term environmental
storytelling. Her main focus is Woven Worlds, a hybrid narrative project that merges documentary
and fiction to raise awareness about fragile ecosystems through visual narratives, field research,
and character-based fairytales. She often works in the field, spending extended periods in solitude
among forests, mountains, or frozen landscapes, with a camera and sketchbook in hand. Her work
opens up new ways of exploring the world – beyond screens and outside the bounds of consumer
tourism. Through visual storytelling, she draws the viewer into the narrative of Woven Worlds,
inviting them to become the main characters within.

52
ARCTIC FACES, 2025

A documentary series capturing the many moods

and expressions of this remote and indescribably
beautiful landscape.
Photographs are not staged — they are fleeting
moments from an expedition, captured exactly as
they appeared. I tried to portray the Arctic in its
natural elusiveness, alongside the people who
seamlessly blended into its organic, ever - shifting
rhythm. They adapted without disturbing the fragile
balance of their surroundings .
Visitors, yet perfectly at home.

Although the series is titled Arctic Faces, you will

never truly see a face. The people captured here are
not portrayed as protagonists —instead, they merge
with the landscape, becoming part of its rhythm and
scale. After spending time with them and sharing
conversations, I came to realize just how deeply
connected they were to the environment. In the
High Arctic, you have to be. You learn to read its
shifting moods — and in doing so, you become a
kind of chameleon, quietly adapting to its language
of wind, snow, and silence.
 In the final part of this series, a seventh character appears.
He is faceless, like the others — and yet it is immediately clear that he does not quite
belong. Unlike the previous images, this photograph is staged. In my artistic practice, I
enjoy blurring the line between reality and fiction — usually through illustration within
photography. In this series, however, I chose to do so exclusively through photography,
using a selfdesigned costume. The series is structured so that the final photograph — the
only one in which a figure faces the viewer — draws the viewer back to the earlier images.
It invites a second look, a quiet reconsideration:
was it reality, or fiction?

That’s how other worldly the Arctic is.

There were many moments when I genuinely wasn’t sure what planet I was on. The only
emotion that remained was awe - at how beautiful this world within a world can be. This
seven-part series stands on its own as a documentary, while also forming part of the
ongoing environmentally-driven project Woven Worlds.

Woven Worlds is a long-term visual narrative project that uses a blend of documentary
photography, illustration, and fiction to explore and communicate environmental issues. By
introducing imaginary species and metaphorical storylines inspired by real ecosystems, it
merges scientific knowledge with playful storytelling — aiming to make ecological topics
more accessible and emotionally resonant for a wider audience.

How do you balance documentary truth with fictional narrative in your “Woven Worlds” project?
I don’t treat it as a strict balance — sometimes reality leads, other times imagination takes over. The key for me lies
in intentional layering: I work with documentary photography as a foundation – something real. Only then do I
introduce illustration, often in the form of a creature that fits the ecological and visual logic of the environment.
This visual balance is then complemented by narrative – a space where fiction can lean on scientific facts,
environmental themes, or local mythology. Fiction in the project never aims to obscure reality, but to bring it closer
through imagination.
How does solitude influence your creative process and connection to the landscapes you document?
It gives me space to observe and allows those fantastical stories that have inspired me since childhood to resurface.
I have the calm to look around me and at the same time, to be deep inside my own head, reflecting on what the
landscape reminds me of. And that’s where my creative process begins: with play. Solitude gives me the ability to
notice all the strange details and quiet wonders of our beautiful world.
Childhood wonder and fantasy play a big role in your practice. How do you keep that sense of
curiosity and playfulness alive in your adult artistic work?
Honestly, it’s just always been there — I’ve never grown out of it. :) I love discovering new things and paths and I’ve
always been told I live with my head in the clouds. I can’t argue with that. The adult world can turn grey when we let
go of imagination, but to me, it’s a superpower. I truly believe everyone still carries it somewhere inside – they just
need to give themselves permission to use it again.
What do you hope audiences experience or feel as they step into these stories?
Nowadays, people often experience the world through someone else’s lens and sometimes forget to live their own
life. If my work inspires even one person to put on a backpack and set out to discover our strange, fantastical world
for themselves, then it has served its purpose. Seeing the world through a wanderer’s eyes can also shift how we
treat it — more gently, more attentively. Wonder and care are deeply connected.

54
By merging environmental and scientific themes with storytelling, how do you see art as a tool for
fostering ecological awareness and care?
Facts don’t always resonate on an emotional level — but stories do. When I merge ecological themes with
imagination, I’m not trying to simplify science, but rather to make it more approachable and human. If someone
connects with a fictional creature based on an endangered species, it might gently shift how they think about the
real environment it represents. I believe art can communicate science in a way that is more accessible to a wider
audience.
Can you describe a moment or encounter that profoundly shaped the direction of your work?
I can’t really point to a single moment — it was more a series of experiences that built on each other. I was deeply
influenced by the work of J.R.R. Tolkien, as well as adventure books about polar expeditions and explorers
discovering unknown places. I’ve always loved adventure stories and particularly felt a strong connection to winter
landscapes, and the polar regions. They became a deep personal fascination. A recent residency in the High Arctic
confirmed for me that this is the right path to follow for a while.
How do you approach the layering of illustration over documentary photography?
Intuitively. The photograph is the foundation — almost like an underpainting for me. Sometimes I return from a
trip with just a single image, but if it captures the essence of a place, that’s enough. Everything else then grows from
it naturally. By getting familiar with the ecological patterns of the landscape, I can sense what kind of personality its
fictional inhabitant might have. Since I work a lot with texture, that too is shaped by the specific character of the
environment in the photo. The key is balance — and sometimes it’s hard to stop myself from overworking the
illustration.
Your work challenges the passive consumption of nature often seen in tourism. What do you think
are the biggest obstacles to reconnecting people with the natural world today?
We’ve created a world where nature often feels more like a backdrop than a relationship. People tend to travel to
those “insta spots” not for the experience itself, but for a nice photo to share online. I really enjoy slow travel —
even if it’s just walking across the mountains with a backpack. You might not see half the world in a month, but
you’ll remember what you did see for the rest of your life, because you had the time to actually notice where you
were. To look around. The biggest obstacle today isn’t lack of access — it’s lack of presence.
Are there particular ecosystems or natural phenomena that you feel especially drawn to explore?
Definitely the polar landscapes I mentioned earlier — I feel most drawn to them. In that nothingness, you
can somehow find everything. And it’s incredibly beautiful. It’s also important for me to touch on the topic of
climate change in my work — and in those places, its effects are sadly visible right in front of you.
Photographing glacier giants is both fascinating and heartbreaking, because with each passing year, they are
clearly smaller.
What new directions or themes do you envision for “Woven Worlds” as it continues to evolve?
So far, Woven Worlds has focused mainly on fragile natural ecosystems, but in the future, I’d like to expand
the project to include a stronger human element — especially the role of Indigenous cultures, which are
increasingly affected by the fast-changing modern world. My dream is to create a documentary-fiction series
that captures the way of life of Inuit communities or Mongolian nomadic herders, and to translate it into a
single fantasy narrative — one that weaves in their own myths and stories I’ll collect along the way. I also
plan to explore ecosystems closer to home (like the nature parks and borderlands of Czechia) because I
grew up in those fairytale-like forests, and I want them to have a place within the larger story.

55
Krede
Photography From Seashore to Studio - Photo print, 10x8cm, 2025

‘’Photography is more than capturing an image;

it is an exploration of light, emotion, and
narrative. As a developing photographer
currently pursuing a BA in Photography degree
at Teesside University, I am dedicated to
uncovering the layers of meaning within each
frame. The camera serves as both an artistic
tool and a means of communication, allowing
stories to emerge through composition,
perspective, and subject matter.
Inspired by the world’s intricacies—its people,
and landscapes, I look to transform the
ordinary into something evocative. Each
photograph represents an ongoing journey of
experimentation, learning, and self-expression,
shaping a distinctive artistic voice. Through
careful attention to detail, creative techniques,
and a desire to push visual boundaries, I aim to
connect viewers with compelling and thought-
provoking imagery.
This passion for photography is not just about
aesthetics but about the impact an image can
hold—its ability to evoke emotion, challenge
perception, and tell a story beyond words. As
my journey continues, I remain committed to
refining an artistic vision that captures both the
seen and the unseen in an ever-evolving world.’’
Krede Photography is the creative vision of a passionate and emerging photographer who has
recently completed the first year of a BA Photography degree at Teesside University. With a strong
eye for detail and a dedication to visual storytelling, Krede Photography strives to capture the
world in its rawest, most authentic form. Whether focusing on portraiture, landscapes, or
experimental imagery, each photograph is crafted with meaning and emotion.
As a student of photography, Derek at Krede Photography continuously explores new techniques,
pushing artistic boundaries and refining a distinctive style. With a deep appreciation for light,
composition, and the narratives behind every shot, this journey is only just beginning—one frame.

56
You describe photography as an exploration of light, emotion, and narrative. Which of these
elements do you find yourself instinctively drawn to first when taking a shot—and why?
I feel that I am drawn to exploring the narrative. This set of images was created by items that I found on the beach
near to my home. Working with the narrative from “seashore to studio”. I knew that once in the studio I could
create a composition and work the lighting accordingly.

How has your first year at Teesside University shaped or challenged your perception?
12 months ago, I would never have imagined that I would be undertaking any type of degree. I applied for a BA in
photography as I felt it was something I would be interested in learning, whilst providing me with a hobby or job in
retirement. My first year at Teesside University has profoundly shaped my perception of photography as an art
form. The exposure to various artistic perspectives has challenged me to see photography not just as a means of
capturing moments, but as a powerful tool for storytelling and expressing complex emotions. It is hugely
challenging, but at the same time, I am now always thinking about my next project.
What do you look for when choosing a subject—what makes something worth photographing?
It's about capturing moments that are not just visually appealing, but also meaningful and thought-provoking. I
am striving to think ‘outside of the box’ With the right thought process, planning, composition, and lighting, I am
trying to produce work that viewers will know was taken by me. Anything can be worth photographing if I have the
right composition. I live by the sea and could take a photograph of a sunrise every day, but for me, it needs to have
something else.

57 From Seashore to Studio - Photo print, 8x10cm, 2025

You mention a desire to “transform the ordinary into
something evocative.” Can you share a moment when
you succeeded that?
As I mentioned above, I could take a sunrise photograph every
day. One morning in February, everything seemed right for me to
challenge myself. I wanted mainly a clear sky, a high tide, and a
nice piece of driftwood. Separately those things are ordinary. After
trial and error, mainly with lighting issues, I captured my
Driftwood at Dawn. It is perhaps not perfect, but I was pleased.
My 1st attempt at long exposure at sunrise.
In your creative process, how do you balance technical knowledge with instinctual decision-making?
My technical knowledge gives me the foundation and tools necessary to understand and manipulate the various
aspects of photography. By that, I mean camera settings (I am being taught to use manual mode as much as
possible), composition, and lighting. Trusting my instincts using the technical expertise, that I have learned so far, I
try to create photographs that are both technically sound and artistically compelling. Driftwood at Dawn, was very
much inspired by instinct. I had to research some of the technical skills required, as we have yet to cover them at
the University.
What’s one recent technique or approach you’ve tried that pushed
you outside your comfort zone?
I have learned many things about how light changes the outcome of your
photograph. My final semester at university concluded at the beginning of
May. In mid-May, I was told that the studio technician was onsite until the end
of Month. This gave me a couple of days that I could access the facilities to
experiment with a technique that I had heard about but knew little about, and
whilst pushing me outside my comfort zone, gave me immense satisfaction.
That technique is light painting. The result below filled me with immense pride.
How do you ensure that emotion carries through from the moment
of capture to the final image?

I focus on maintaining a consistent vision throughout the entire process. During the setup, I try and assess the light
and shadow, and the overall atmosphere. In post-processing, which I am very new to. I try to enhance these
elements to amplify the intended emotion, using techniques such as color grading, contrast adjustments, and
selective sharpening. My goal is to capture a photograph that resonates deeply with the viewer, a process that I
continue to learn and explore.
You talk about capturing ‘the seen and the unseen.’ How do you interpret or visualize the ‘unseen’
when composing your shots?
When composing my shots, I guess that I interpret the 'unseen' as either an emotion, a story, or subtle details that
are not immediately visible but can be felt or inferred. The old fishing net, for example, plastic waste on the beach
and added to an image showing items found on the seashore. To some it would be “unseen” and not included in
the photograph. For me focusing on a subject that goes beyond the obvious, invites viewers to explore and connect
with the hidden meaning of the image.

58 Yosemite, A dramatic view of Yosemite’s iconic granite mountains, their rugged peaks rising boldly against the sky.
As a young photographer in a rapidly changing visual culture, how
do you stay grounded in your artistic voice while still staying open
to influence and growth?
Firstly, I have just turned 58 and will be 60 when I graduate. As a mature
student, I find that I am far more engaged in learning than when I was at
school. I stay true to my core values, as a father, husband, and grandfather.
I enjoy the challenge of creating a new experience or idea and welcome
feedback and advice from other artists. I hope that this approach allows me
to grow as an artist while staying connected to the foundation of my creative
identity.
Looking ahead, what themes or stories are calling to you most
strongly as you continue developing your photographic identity?
I am currently brainstorming an idea where I match the lyrics of a song with
photographs. Music is of course an art, another of which has come to me
later in life. My creative instinct has some ideas about a particular track. The
planning is underway. I feel that my photography journey has just started,
right now I have reached a destination where I am experimenting with light
in both the landscape and the studio, in the main using inanimate objects.
My next year at Teesside will allow me to improve my current skills and may
also send me to a destination that I am yet to discover.

From Seashore to Studio - Photo print, 8x10cm, 2025 59

Laura Andrejka
Laura Andrejka is a figurative and abstract artist originally hailing from Hungary. Shaped by a life of
constant movement across countries and cultures, Laura channels her diverse experiences into
her art. Her paintings are often inspired by the human psyche and Greek mythology, which she
likes to reimagine and paint from a feminist or non-heteronormative point of view. Passionate
about transmitting strong emotions through striking facial expressions and poses, she hopes her
work creates space for questions and conversations on queerness, identity, and humanitarianism.

Your life across countries and cultures informs your art—how do displacement and cultural
hybridity manifest in your visual language?
Having had so many different influences growing up manifests as complete chaos sometimes - I mix up languages
when I’m tired, and I have playlists with very odd genre combinations that many a friend has had to endure - but I
believe it works well for me in my artistic practice. Drawing inspiration from everywhere I’ve been enabling an
increased breadth of my visual vocabulary. A good example of this is my painting “Pietas Super Omnia”, which
shows a woman with the Greek statue-like eyes I am prone to painting at the moment, against the backdrop of an
old English war poem.
Greek mythology plays a recurring role in your work. What draws you to these ancient narratives,
and how do you reframe them through a feminist or queer lens?
I’m not exactly sure how it all started but I do remember irrevocably falling in love with Greek mythology hook, line,
and sinker, once I was around 13. I had been reading Percy Jackson and had the opportunity to take ancient Greek
as a subject at school and it’s been a very present interest in my life ever since. However, if you look at the
mythology with a critical eye, it is not hard to find a lot of misogyny. As in many old stories, men and their deeds
are lauded, even if they are very questionable. So I find it important to show the other side of the story, by depicting
the women (who are often kidnapped, raped, or sacrificed) that are instrumental to so many myths and that still
only get mentioned in a sentence or two, because their only value to the men there is how many and which
children she bore. Additionally, myths, like most famously that of Achilles, often get translated in a way that erases
the queer context. Showing what is written by painting the true versions described in the original Ancient Greek is
reclaiming a part of queer history.
Facial expression and posture are central to how you communicate emotion—how do you decide
what feeling or inner state a figure should convey?
I often don’t decide consciously at all. I’ve started so many works with a preconceived plan, down to the title and
the story I wanted to tell, and it ended up turning out completely differently. I know that I’m making something
interesting when it feels like I’m being led by the painting. It tells me what it’s going to be.

60
How does your blend of figurative and abstract styles help you explore the complexities of the
human psyche?
I find that I turn to abstraction when I need to feel free or let go of something I can’t name. I’ve never been great at
keeping a journal but I’d compare it to that feeling of venting. About half of the time, I start my paintings with no
plan whatsoever and just an abstract emotion. Then I come back to it later and see if, and what, figurative
associations the abstract work sparks. In that second step, the abstract might take on a very subtle role and get
toned down, but it served its purpose as the starting point and in giving direction for the figurative elements. In that
way, the figuration is a more tangibly translated notion of the abstract. It allows for a more holistic and nuanced
exploration of the human psyche.
Queerness and identity are important themes in your practice. In what ways do you feel art can
expand or reshape public conversations around these ideas?
My queerness is an important part of me, from the way I dress to the way I move through the world. By showing
queer people in art, not just their struggles, but all aspects of their lives, artists like me resist the notion that this
part of our identity is bad or unnatural and proclaim that our queerness should not need to be hidden. It’s about
representation, the breaking of stereotypes, and normalization. Art ideally exposes us to all kinds of people and
stories. That, in turn, hopefully fosters empathy and open-mindedness.
Can you describe a specific work or series that felt particularly transformative for you personally,
either in process or in meaning?
“Sun’s Out”, a painting also shown in this magazine, was a turning point for me. I had been trying to hone in on my
artistic style and experimenting a lot without
producing anything that felt like me. Creating “Sun’s
Out” actually took months, and was interrupted by
moving cities and art block. But I kept going back to it
and every step in the process felt very natural and like I
was making something that felt very true to myself. I
learned a lot about what painting is supposed to feel
like, the elusive flow state, and found elements in the
process of creation, both visually and intrinsically, that
I now try to apply and look out for in everything I do.
You speak of wanting to create space for
dialogue—how do you measure the impact of
your work in terms of opening those emotional
or political conversations?
A good way to measure the impact of my work would
be to see if someone comes away from it with the need
to discuss or ask questions about what they have seen.
If someone wants to talk to me or someone else about
it, no matter if they loved or hated it, it’s great! In
discussing something, we learn, we think, we see
things from another perspective.

61 Sun’s Out - Acrylic on canvas, 40x30cm, 2024

What does humanitarianism mean to you as an artist, and how does it surface in your creative
choices?
My favorite lesson I ever learned from an art teacher was to paint what I see. While he meant it in terms of how to
approach life drawing, I apply it as a general rule to my practice now. I am lucky enough to have witnessed a
diverse array of people, who express themselves in all sorts of ways, and who come from all walks of life. The value
and appreciation of all human life is something I feel strongly about and I hope it comes across in how I portray
people in my art.
Do you feel that abstraction allows you to say things about identity that figuration cannot—or vice
versa?
I believe abstraction can help in capturing the more intangible parts of identity. It also serves well to capture an
ephemeral concept, like a fleeting emotion. Figuration feels more tangible, more like a language with a fixed
vocabulary and structure. If I want to sit with a concept or a facet of identity for longer, to explore and think about
it, I usually go into more figurative detail.
Both can be impactful and stand on their own, but combining the two often feels necessary to show the whole
picture.
Looking ahead, what stories or symbols are currently calling to you as you continue developing your
voice in contemporary art?
I tend to look outward in my art, and while that is certainly important, it also keeps a lot of what makes me feel
vulnerable hidden. I’m looking to examine my boundaries on what I am willing to show of myself and to make work
that feels a little daunting to share. Sprinkle in some symbolism that is more personal and tells my own story. Use a
more unconventional posture. Shed the rules and conventions that feel inhibiting to foster authenticity and
connection.
Acrylic on canvas, 40x30cm, 2025
Achaia

Acrylic on canvas, 40x30cm, 2025

Narke

62 Apoleia - Acrylic on canvas, 40x30cm, 2025

 LEWIS
ANDREWS

Lewis Andrews moved to Leeds in 2016 to study a BA(Hons) in Fine Art at Leeds Arts University.
After graduating in 2019, Lewis continues to work in Leeds. In 2022, Lewis completed his
Postgraduate Fine Arts Degree also at Leeds Arts University, graduating with a Masters Degree in
the Creative Arts. During his Master’s Degree, Lewis’s practice became deeply focused on the
methodology of translating information and data from sources within science into artworks. Lewis
has continued to work and build upon this method in his work constructing a theory of working
called ‘The Informative Encounter’.

Since 2019, Lewis has participated in 100+ exhibitions across the UK and internationally with many
notable achievements. Lewis held his first solo show '186,000mi/s' whilst studying at Leeds Arts
University in 2018 at Wharf Chambers, Leeds, UK. Lewis was one of the artists picked to participate
in the Aon Community Art Awards program 2019 running through 2021 with his oceanic sublime
photography work displayed in Aon Headquarters, London. In November 2020, Lewis was selected
to participate in the Mayes Creative Watching the Sun: Virtual Residency alongside other artists
with an interest in astronomy and ancient astrology. Lewis participated in two more virtual arts
science residences with Mayes Creative. work from the residency was included in a publication
that now resides within the Royal Astronomy Society Archive. Lewis joined Mayes Creative once
again for their January 2024 residency in the Cot Valley, Cornwall, UK. Lewis has formed strong
relations with the Brazilian art organisation Artlymix and the Georgian-based gallery Collect Art. As
of present, Lewis has featured in 16+ exhibitions with Artlymix in Sao Paulo, Brazil and 12+ of
Collect Art's publications & Digital exhibitions as of July 2024 to name a few of his achievements.

64 Hot Jupiter I - Indian ink on watercolour paper, 21x29.7cm, 2024

 Beacons of the Cosmos'

'Beacons of the Cosmos' touches on the death dance between a star and a companion white dwarf star undergoing a kind of
supernova known as a Type 1a Supernova or SN Ia. These occur when two stars are born close together. Spending their lives
in simultaneous orbits around each other. Eventually, the star with the smaller mass becomes a white dwarf star after
blowing away its outer layers. However, the White dwarf will begin to attract matter from the ageing companion star. This
matter, predominately in the form of Hydrogen, begins to accumulate on the White Dwarf's surface and slowly becomes
denser and hotter. When this reaches 10 million degrees and hits 1.4 times the mass of the sun (the limit for any White
Dwarf), then nuclear fusion begins again. Only this time, it's like detonating a hydrogen bomb that's trillions of times more
violent, blowing the White Dwarf apart.
These violent deaths, however, have proven incredibly useful in our exploration of the cosmos. SN Ia's are the most luminous
kind of supernova. Able to be viewed across billions of light-years. The second, due to the limit for a white dwarf being 1.5
times the mass of the Sun, they all attain very similar energy outputs and fade at the same rate once reaching their
maximum brightness. This is why they are used in a way which makes them the 'Standard Candles' of the cosmos. By using
this method, we can calculate the distance to a Type 1a supernova compared to another from Earth based on its brightness.
In turn, this allowed accurate measurement taking of distant Type 1a's and then allowed even more contributions to science.
By using Type 1a's and various formulas, equipment and the Hubble Space Telescope, it was found that the most distant Type
1a was fainter than expected. This implied the supernova was further than where it was meant to be. Contributing to the
evidence that something was expanding the universe a bit more rapidly than expected. 'Dark Energy' was the only culprit
that fit the facts. However, it was due to the use of 'Standard Candles' of the cosmos which allowed more evidence to
contribute towards this theory. Type 1a's truly are the Beacons of the Cosmos.

65 ‘Type 1a I’. Digital Drawing. 594mm x 841mm. 2025.

 How did your interest in exploring complex
thoughts, ideas, and facts within nature and
science develop? What initially drew you to
this subject matter?
I had always had an interest in the natural world.
Initially, my very early works were simple
depictions of nature when I began to think
towards the end of the first year of my bachelors
‘Well why is that (whatever I was interested in at
the time) the way it is?’ This change in my way of
thinking opened up countless possibilities for my
work and as a result, I began to employ more
scientific information and then deliver that
through the work.
Can you elaborate on the specific aspects of
nature and science that inspire your
artwork?
Most of my work mainly focuses on the life cycles
of the cosmos, however, it has also focused on
subject matter like the Immune System and
Cellular Respiration. About four years ago now, I
began to, as well as communicate scientific
information, weave into my work stimulants and
prompts which could in turn generate emotions
relating to the sublime within my work. Mostly
focusing on the mathematical sublime, theorised
by Immanuel Kant, where a number within nature
becomes so large that it seems almost infinite.
What artistic techniques or mediums do you
find most effective in capturing these
concepts?
Currently, my work acts as a conduit between art
and science. My practice revolves around this need
to generate an ‘Informative Encounter’ between
the work and viewer where scientific information is
translated into visual form to open up
conversations amongst viewers or prompt further
research. The theory and implementation of an
‘Type 1a II’. Digital Drawing. 594mm x 841mm. 2025.
‘Informative Encounter’ is a method of practice
‘Type 1a III’. Digital Drawing. 594mm x 841mm. 2025. that I first noticed within my work from my recent
‘Type 1a IV’. Digital Drawing. 594mm x 841mm. 2025.
Masters degree at Leeds Arts University.

66
 ‘Type 1a V’. Digital Drawing. 594mm x 841mm. 2025.

‘Type 1a V’I. Digital Drawing. 594mm x 841mm. 2025. ‘Type 1a VII’. Digital Drawing. 594mm x 841mm. 2025.

67
 How does your artwork prompt viewers to
question their relationships, place, and role
within the universe, environment, and natural
spaces? What reactions or responses do you hope
to evoke through your art?
Generally, the work wants you to look at your
surroundings and yourselves through a fresh approach.
One example of this would be my ‘Cosmos’ drawings
which utilized Carbon in the form of Indian Ink. Carbon
as an element is essential for all life on our planet and
can also be traced back to the cores of supergiant stars
before they died. Therefore, these drawings become a
bridge between yourselves, the life around you, and the
supernovas of ancient stars when Carbon was released
into the cosmos billions of years ago.
Could you share more about your educational
background and how it has influenced your artistic
development?
This can be answered in two parts. My BA degree
established the direction I should take my natural
interests in nature, which is when the scientific
information started to be incorporated with my work and
delving deeper into the complexities rather than
appearance alone. The Master’s degree established how
it should be communicated through the work via an
‘Informative Encounter’ mentioned previously and a
conceptual-driven practice. The latter is being built upon
consistently at present within my work with a wealth of
science still to explore.
Can you tell us about your experience participating
in exhibitions both nationally and internationally?
Generally, I have gained some sort of learning experience
ranging from not using that type of frame to maybe the
whole work needing to change. Some are more personal
milestones like my first international group show ‘Sonora’
in Sao Paulo, Brazil in 2021. The most recent standout
would be Ones To Watch 2023 at Sunny Bank Mills
Gallery Farsley, Leeds as this is the second time I was
selected for this very well-known yearly rolling exhibition
of West Yorkshire after also being included in the 2021
edition of the exhibition.

‘Type 1a VIII A/B/C/D’. Digital Drawing. 594mm x 841mm. 2025. 68

 Lexiong Ying
Lexiong Ying, born in Shanghai and based in London, is an interdisciplinary artist working across
various visual media. She holds a Master of Arts in Design for Data Visualisation from the
University of the Arts London and a bachelor's degree in Fashion Design with Marketing. Her work
has been exhibited in London and Düsseldorf and featured in multiple media outlets.
Drawing from personal experiences and a keen awareness of societal shifts, Lexiong explores
themes such as the fragility of human relationships, the illusions of consumerism, ecological
consciousness, and animal welfare. She also addresses the challenges of female entrepreneurs
and examines technology's impact on modern life. Her distinctive visual language encourages
reflection on the complex dynamics between individuals and their environments.
Beyond her artistic endeavors, Lexiong practices fortune-telling, blending ancient wisdom with
contemporary insights. This integration enriches her multidisciplinary approach and adds a deeper
philosophical dimension to her work.

Your work spans so many urgent themes—from consumerism to ecological consciousness. How do
you decide which societal issues to translate into your art?
My artistic creation is usually based on my experiences, observations, and reflections. My interest in and spirit of
exploration towards a particular thing or social issue is the driving force behind my transformation of them into
art. For example, your mention of consumerism stems from my observation that, for quite some time, many
people, both on social media and among my friends, have been chasing after popular brands. This caught my
attention, and based on the theories in Baudrillard's book The Consumer Society: Myths and Structures, I planned
a conceptual exhibition to reflect on this phenomenon.
How has your background in fashion design and data visualization influenced you?
My experience in fashion design has cultivated and established my visual aesthetic sensibility. However, I realized
early on that I was more interested in visual communication and visual arts fields. Therefore, when the opportunity
arose, I decided to change direction. Data visualization can be presented in a rigorous manner as data charts in
news media, or it can be transformed into visually appealing works of art. Regarding style, I have been influenced
by Leslie Roberts and Laurie Frick. I am passionate about creating visual experiences that are aesthetically pleasing,
subtle, and emotionally resonant for the audience.
You often explore the fragility of human relationships. In a time dominated by technology and
digital connection, how do you visually represent emotional vulnerability?
I will use metaphorical techniques. I am fascinated by expressing human beings' subtle emotions and their
relationships. In this regard, I have been influenced by the late Dutch photographer Erwin Olaf. In my previous
experimental photography series, Plastic Human Relation, and experimental video, The Hypocritical Us, I used
materials such as plastic tape, foam, and paper bags to transform and adapt them to the models' bodies. I then
manipulated them according to my spontaneous inspiration to create different outcomes and interpretations.
Every frame captures subtle emotional fluctuations.

69
Plastic Human Relations

Experimental Photography
24x18cm each, 2020

While technology has undoubtedly streamlined many aspects of daily life, it has also profoundly transformed human behavior. As one of the most significant
innovations of the technological era, social media prompts a critical question: has it genuinely brought people closer together, or does it present a facade of
connection, concealing underlying gaps or even fostering conflict? Like certain plastic products, social media may appear alluring and seamless, yet it is fragile and
superficial.

70
Your practice also draws from fortune-telling. How does your engagement with ancient wisdom
shape or inspire the conceptual side of your artworks?
As a fortune-teller, I am particularly interested in expressing or directly addressing people's emotions, identifying
the root causes of these emotions, or resolving emotional issues. For example, in the conceptual Eastern hot spring
brand SUIHUI Hot Spring that I developed, I introduced the core concept of 'leaving a blank space in a busy life,'
combining meditation with hot springs to create a unique brand concept. I believe that human behavior stems
from various emotional expressions, which in turn originate from consciousness. Therefore, I have great
expectations for how spiritual elements can be integrated with artistic practice to offer audiences unique and
transformative experiences. In the future, I plan to develop the project of a meditation healing space further and
consider integrating it with virtual and augmented reality.
How do different environments find their way into your artistic language?
The period I worked in Shanghai overlapped with the COVID-19 pandemic, making it difficult to compare the
differences between the two places objectively. Shanghai is my hometown, so everything is very familiar; the work is
more process-oriented and standardized. It's undoubtedly more diverse in London—it feels like a playground to
me. I've received a great art education here, freely exhibited my work, made new friends, and heard different ideas
and creative practices. The art resources are abundant. What's certain is that London has prospered my passion
for visual art and my enthusiasm for self-expression.
In tackling the challenges faced by female entrepreneurs, how do you balance personal narrative with
broader societal critique in your work?
I will focus on a broader social perspective. Through visual language, I will present as objectively as possible the fact
that women entrepreneurs face different levels of difficulties without bias, and all of this is based on rigorous data
research, so you can say that I am dancing within the rules. In a past project to build a picture of entrepreneurship
among women entrepreneurs in Central Asia, I used the technique of weaving, the earliest economic activity in
which women were involved, to weave textures on embroidery hoops using threads of different materials with data
implications. My perspective must be factual and objective, but my expression can be warm and compassionate.
Animal welfare appears as a strong theme in your art. How do you use visual media to convey empathy for
non-human life in a way that resonates with human audiences?
It reminds me of a project I once completed on global endangered species conservation. In this project, I contrasted
endangered animals viewed from a human-centric perspective with data on animals that are more endangered
according to scientific statistics, such as social media attention, popularity, and endangered status, to show the
audience what they were overlooking. In short, it was about dehumanizing the perspective.
How do you navigate the space between information and interpretation?
In my opinion, data visualization can be both a rigorous and detailed presentation of information and data and a
research tool that can be further elevated to the level of visual art. In my 3D-printed sculpture series, How to Verify
That You Are You, every texture on the sculpture is derived from the visual presentation of data charts. A database
supports these charts, and I also made them into cards to be displayed alongside the sculpture in various
exhibitions. These databases originate from a large-scale research project. To better understand the behavior and
psychology of the public, I initiated a questionnaire survey. The feedback was very positive. I received 341 valid
responses from 20 countries and regions, using 11 languages and dialects. Behind abstract and metaphorical
expressions lies rigorous research, which is presented to the audience in a way that complements and enhances
both aspects.

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Your work encourages reflection on the illusions of consumerism. In a world saturated with
marketing and branding, how do you subvert these visual languages in your pieces?
I have curated a conceptual exhibition on this theme. The exhibition explicitly targets various marketing tactics in
capitalist society, such as exaggerated advertising, young male celebrity endorsements, brainwashing female
consumers, brand collaborations, prize draws, and consumer vouchers. The exhibition is divided into several
sections: Curtain Rise, Trend Setters, Cutting Edge, Takashi Murakami, Overconsumption, and a hidden section. The
exhibition's English title is 'Incontinent Consumption,' corresponding to the Chinese title ' 消费之肆' derived from the
idiom ' 鲍鱼之肆,' which refers to an unpleasant, foul-smelling environment. This is akin to being in a fish market
and gradually growing accustomed to the stench; prolonged exposure to a harmful environment can lead one to
accept it as usual, defying moral principles. Additionally, 'si' ( 肆 ) also implies indulgence and recklessness.
Therefore, the exhibition aims to satirize the phenomenon of people being brainwashed by consumerism by
simulating a series of scenes enveloped by consumerism and employing the same tactics used by companies to
stimulate consumption. This conceptual exhibition is accompanied by a booklet containing reflective summaries.
The manual documents in detail each scenario of the experiments of the conceptual exhibition 'Incontinent
Consumption'. Each scenario was photographed on the front side of the pull-outs, while the reverse side illustrates
the truth of consumer marketing that each pull-out represents. The booklet ends with a comprehensive
dismantling and reflection on consumerism, based on Baudrillard's The Consumer Society: Myths and Structures
If you could create an immersive installation that combines your fortune-telling practice with your visual
art, what would that experience look and feel like for the audience?
Then, I will definitely continue with the spiritual meditation healing space I mentioned earlier. The project will be
based on ancient spiritual healing concepts originating from Indian Buddhism—chakras—combined with digital
tools such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and augmented reality to create an immersive spiritual healing
space for patients with chronic stress in a broad sense. The space follows the concept of moving from reality to
virtual reality and back to reality to construct a complete spiritual healing process. By offering an alternative form
of healing, this initiative enhances well-being. It expresses social care, providing potential solutions and a digital
sanctuary for individuals seeking moments of peace in a fast-paced world.

How do you verify that you are you?

3D-printed resin,
5x10cm each, 2023

The project explores the disorientation and frustration caused by our conflicting relationships with passwords, convenience, and security. In an era where
digital authentication has become essential to daily life, technology is designed to enhance efficiency and accessibility. However, rather than simplifying
experiences, it often imposes constraints, creating a paradox where individuals must navigate an increasingly complex web of authentication methods. The
need for strong security measures frequently clashes with the desire for seamless access, leaving users trapped in a cycle of password management that
feels endless and exhausting. To visualise this phenomenon, the project employs data visualisation techniques and uses the Möbius strip as a central
metaphor. The Möbius strip, with its infinite, non-orientable surface, symbolises the repetitive nature of password usage—creating, remembering,
forgetting, and resetting passwords—without a definitive resolution. This representation serves as a satirical critique of digital security constraints and
explores passwords' more profound cultural and psychological significance in shaping modern digital identity. By highlighting these hidden implications,
the project aims to encourage critical reflection while offering reassurance to those who experience stress, frustration, and anxiety due to excessive
password reliance. The project’s research methodology follows a structured approach divided into three key aspects:
General perspectives, which examine the broader societal attitudes toward password security.
Public inquiries, where collective experiences and frustrations are gathered to understand how people interact with digital authentication.
Self-observations delve into personal encounters with password management, analysing the emotions and behaviours that arise in everyday interactions
with authentication systems. By combining metaphorical design with analytical research, Life Wrapped in Passwords illuminates the unintended
consequences of password dependency. It invites audiences to reconsider the balance between security and convenience, questioning whether an
alternative approach to digital identity management is possible.

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Margie Nottingham
Margie is a professional Scottish artist, having studied at the prestigious Glasgow School of Art.
Now based in the serene Fenland of East England, her artwork draws inspiration from the beauty
of the countryside and the essence of simple living in a changing time. Through her creations, she
captures the range of emotions, struggles, and turmoil that life presents, offering viewers a
glimpse into her profound artistic journey. Margie's artwork draws inspiration from the real world,
transforming tangible elements into dynamic expressions. Her passion allows her to explore the
boundaries of semi-abstract and completely abstract, embracing the freedom that comes with
each decision. This unique approach not only captures the essence of her paintings but also invites
you to interpret the emotions and actions embedded within her pieces.
Margie Has exhibited at the Royal Glasgow Institute, the Society of Scottish Artists, Edinburgh, the
Paisley Art Institute, Aberdeen Art Gallery Art Exposure, Glasgow, Rodger Billcliffe Gallery, Glasgow,
Tron Open Show, Glasgow, Art Fair East, Roy’s Art Fair London, Norman Cross gallery
Peterborough, Cista Arts, Echoes of Us online exhibition, Art as a response to mental health 2025
and she will be featured in the Collect Art summer issue/ seasonal edition.
‘’My inspiration comes from the beauty of the countryside
and the real world and the essence of simple living in a
changing time. Through my creations, I try to capture the
range of emotions, struggles, and turmoil that life
presents, offering viewers a glimpse into my artistic
journey. I am trying to transform tangible elements into
dynamic expressions. My passion allows me to explore
the boundaries of semi-abstract and completely abstract,
embracing the freedom that comes with each decision.
This unique approach not only captures the essence of
my paintings but also invites you to interpret the
emotions and actions embedded within her pieces. Each
painting is a journey.‘’

We Danced here
Acrylic on primed paper,
84x60cm, 2025

The painting should show energy and movement, capturing the essence of
dance through its dynamic composition. The lower section of the artwork
feels like the rhythm of a lively celebration—splashes of red, purple, and blue
twist and swirl as if echoing the idea of motion. The interplay of colors and
textures suggests the traces of footsteps, the joy of twirls, and the
exhilaration of bodies lost in dance. It’s as if the canvas itself holds the
memory of movement.

74
You trained at the Glasgow School of Art—how did that experience shape your artistic identity, and
how has it evolved since moving to the East of England?
Receiving exceptional entry into the Glasgow School of Art was a milestone in my artistic journey, I was successful
and got into the drawing and painting department which allowed me to develop as an artist. I used oil paint as my
medium however now I favour acrylic painting. My artwork was figurative. My work has evolved so much. My best
paintings are now. I have not been prouder of my work than I am now. I found my niche, my style, and my
message.
The contrast between Scotland’s rugged landscape and the stillness of the Fenland must be striking
—how do these environments influence the emotional palette of your work?
The water was an environmental feature growing up in Scotland, I lived next to the river Clyde, and many of my
earlier works feature a reference to the river, a new abstract piece is inspired by the river called ‘at the beach’.
Living in the East of England is very flat and I use this abstractly when I use straight lines in my paintings. The pink/
beige band in the middle represents the beach at Snettisham where we used to holiday when the children were
little and we had a caravan.
You speak of capturing life’s “emotions, struggles, and turmoil.” How do you translate such deeply
human experiences into semi-abstract or abstract forms?
I capture this by adding depth, using vivid colors, and texture, and dividing my canvas for different emotions, and
abstract expression painting. Lines, dividing my canvas, set a color palette vital to my practice. I have made
paintings relating to mental health which is close to me as I have a child with mental health issues and being a
teacher for 24 years has shown me the anxiety, confusion, and depression that children experience now.

Beauty of chaos
Acrylic on canvas, 20x20cm, 2025
This painting bursts with energy! It features a dynamic mix of orange and purple splashes on a light background, created using a splattering and dripping
technique. The bold contrast between the fiery orange and deep purple makes the composition visually striking. The chaotic yet engaging arrangement
gives a sense of movement and spontaneity, making it feel almost alive. A simple white border frames the artwork, drawing attention to the vibrant colors
within.

75
Can you describe your process of transforming tangible, real-world elements into abstract
expression? What usually sparks that transformation?
Adrenaline, waking up 6:30.
Usually, I have an idea in my head of what I am planning to do, often it comes in my dream or just before waking
and I mull this around in my head and make notes, I am usually itching to get in my workspace to create. Then go
for it, it does not always go as I planned and alterations happen in the process, this is an exciting time when
working. I intuitively know when it looks right or is not quite there yet.
Your work explores the boundary between semi-abstract and full abstraction. What draws you to
dance on that line rather than commit to one style?
I would probably myself as an abstract artist as it is an abstract idea however part of the canvas is crisp and clean,
using measuring tape and rulers to make my composition. Other areas are abstract using an abstract
expressionism style.
In your eyes, what role does ‘freedom’ play in your practice—both creatively and emotionally?
Freedom is creativity. When on my own in my workspace for hours I am free to express my ideas, thoughts, and
feelings. Having my alone time is vital to my process both creatively and emotionally.
Lines of fire The whispering canvas
Acrylic on canvas, 104.4x81cm, 2025 Acrylic on canvas, 104.4x81cm, 2025
Lines of Fire This painting is a bit of abstract expressionism, a style known What else is there to say? Almost like I am painting to prompt reflection,
for its emphasis on spontaneous, dynamic brushwork and emotional pushing the viewer to seek deeper meaning beyond the obvious. "What else is
intensity. The chaotic splatters and bold contrast evoke the techniques there to say?" suggests a lingering thought, an unfinished conversation, or
pioneered by artists like Jackson Pollock, who famously used drip painting even a quiet resignation. The way the colors interact—the restless reds, the
to create energetic compositions. soft pinks, the stark white—suggests tension between expression and silence.

75
 Could you walk us through the emotional or intuitive
steps of creating your works?
Measuring the canvas for different areas of emotion, and
picking my set color palette. I have already made a note of
the color palette in my head from the night before. Blocking
in color areas, taking photos, and adding texture to areas, I
do like to have a band of white in my work so deciding where
that will go. The painting evolves from this.
How does living a “simple life” influence the complexity
—or simplicity—of the stories told through your
paintings?
Trying to live a simple life in an insane world, a changing
challenging world. Trying to navigate to sanity. Sometimes this
is how life feels. My painting is clear to me so simple in that way
but I think my paintings have quite a complex meaning and
structure.

Barefoot in the sun

Acrylic on primed paper, 84x60cm, 2025

When viewers interpret your abstract pieces, do

you hope they connect with your intention, or
are you more interested in what they discover
on their own?
Both are acceptable however my deeply personal
pieces about mental health I am hoping they might
allow people with anxiety/depression/self-doubt to
identify with these abstract works. I would like people
to take their interpretation of my work.
Looking back, is there a particular piece that
encapsulates your journey as an artist, and
what does it represent to you now?
At the beach, as the water is my years of living so close
to the river Clyde however the beach is symbolic of
Snettisham where we holidayed in England where I live
now.
At the beach
Acrylic on primed paper,
84x60cm, 2025
This abstract painting, At the Beach, is a statement about the water and
growing up next to the river Clyde. It has divided and textured layers. The
top section, a deep blue, evokes the sky or distant horizon. Below it, a
chaotic splash of yellow, blue, and black against white suggests
movement—inspired by the river Clyde and the band inspired by
Snettisham where we holidayed when my children were young.

76
SIMONE FIGUS
Simone Figus is an artist born in Sardinia,
Italy, in 1981. After several experiences as a
professional draftsman and illustrator, he
began to dedicate himself to painting,
exhibiting in numerous artistic events and
art galleries in Europe and beyond. In his
paintings, dreams, and reality often
intertwine and merge, giving life to surreal
visions, distorted nightmares, and
hallucinatory fragments. Other times,
however, we witness images of reassuring
dreams, characters happy but who
perhaps hide restlessness and
melancholy... His works have been
published in various magazines and art
books in America, Italy, the UK, and
Germany. Simone currently lives and works
in Berlin.

METAMORPHOSIS - Acrylic on Canvas, 60x50cm, 2023 “My works are born by themselves... I never
program a painting, I don't sit on my chair
THE BUTTERFLY’S SMILE - Acrylic on Canvas, 40x50cm, 2024 thinking about what I could or could not paint... I
simply have visions that I don't know from which
strange world or which dark side of my mind they
come. They are visions, it is already all in my head,
defined, clear. The rest is just manual work,
transporting what I see on canvas or any other
surface. There are very beautiful and bright things
in this world, and there are other dark and sad
things... I float in the middle... Maybe my works
represent the unconscious attempt to escape from
reality, perceived as unsafe, dangerous, fragile...
An escape to another world, another dimension...
Maybe that's where my fears find peace, often
turning into dark and disturbing visions or
sometimes into beautiful dreams”

78
You describe your paintings as visions that come fully formed—how do you experience these
moments of clarity, and what triggers them, if anything?
As I have explained several times to those who have asked me, I never plan my paintings but I visualize them in my
mind as practically already finished, complete. These visions, or “frames” if you prefer, come to me suddenly, very
often during the night when I am alone and if you ask me what triggers them (whether they are chemical reactions
in my brain, intuitions, or fragments coming from other dimensions) I don’t know. But every time I have these
visions, that is, I visualize what will become my works, I feel a sort of frenzy, excitement, desire, and a very strong
need to get them out because it is as if they “push” outwards and it can take days, weeks, months before I decide to
transfer them onto canvas and until then they remain inside my mind, imprinted somewhere, clear, powerful, still
and waiting to come out. It is only after my vision has come to life, has become material, that is when I have
transported it onto the canvas and finished the work that it suddenly vanishes and I feel a sort of inner calm and
liberation because somehow I have managed to "trap" it through my painting.
There’s a strong dreamlike duality in your work—between beauty and darkness, serenity and
unease. How do you navigate that emotional spectrum while painting?
It is difficult to explain but while I paint it is as if I were "suspended" between this world and another, I am absent
and sometimes I have the impression of acting as a "transmitter" and I am so immersed and concentrated in what
I am doing that I do not feel any emotion, I am inside the canvas, the colors, the brushes, the pieces of paper, the
water where I will dilute the acrylics and there is no place for feelings of restlessness, anger, sadness or serenity. It is
only when I take a break and observe what I am doing or when the work is finished and I realize that I have given
life to something disturbing, strange, beautiful, or twisted that I feel some sensation, a small shock that can
generate emotions in me. When I paint I often have music in the background and I may hear some sounds or a
song that at that moment comes to me very strongly and generates emotions in me and for a handful of seconds I
can be moved, get lost, feel melancholic but they are all sensations that are not directly connected to what I am
painting.

A DREAM - Acrylic on Canvas, 30x60cm, 2022 79

You mention not planning your paintings—how does that intuitive process evolve once you're in
front of the canvas? Is there space for change, or do you follow the vision exactly?
When I am in front of the empty canvas and I prepare to transport what I have in my head, a purely manual and
"technical" work process begins, I dare say sometimes even boring because in my mind the painting is already
finished and it is only a matter of understanding if it is more suitable for a 50x70 canvas rather than for a 30x40
canvas. If it is true that in my mind the vision is clear, complete, and crystalline, it is also true that then when I
transport it onto canvas something can change, but it is always a 10-20% difference (for example the details of a
face, or a figure, may not correspond exactly to what is the original vision), so in a certain sense there is space for
change. In conclusion, I can say that I feel really satisfied, and work for me is truly successful when I have
transported onto the canvas exactly what I had in my head, with the same colors, the same atmospheres, the same
figures, in short, the complete original vision.
Do you see your paintings as a personal escape from reality, or as an invitation for others to explore
hidden dimensions within themselves?
I would say both.
TRANSITION - Acrylic on Canvas, 50x60cm, 2023

80
How has living and working in Berlin influenced the tone or themes of your recent work?
If for some people Berlin can be a very lively and colorful city (and in some cases it is) for me instead it is gray, dark,
ramshackle and a bit sad but above all cold (in several months of the year here the sun is very little visible). In a
certain sense I believe that in some way Berlin does nothing but accentuate those feelings of restlessness and
sadness and those slightly dark and strange atmospheres that often belong to my works. Probably inside me, there
is a dark component that often prevails over the others and even if I were to live in a city perhaps warmer and
sunnier I think I would paint the same things, but not in the same way that happens here in Berlin. I think for
example of certain "artificial" and electric colors that are sometimes present in my works and that somehow stand
out in the darkness, well... I think that involuntarily and unconsciously I have assimilated and metabolized
something that belongs to the dark evenings of Berlin where often at night while I walk down the street all that
remains imprinted on me are these strong lights of an electric blue or red or fluorescent green that stand out in the
dark.
Your figures often seem both familiar and strange—how do you develop these characters, and what
do they represent to you psychologically or symbolically?
I don't develop any character and there is no study behind it, all the figures that are present in my works, whether
they are women, men, or animals are born by chance, they come out with precise features because I have simply
visualized them like that. Sometimes I walk down the street and I happen to come across a particular face that
strikes me at that moment, or while I am in my studio I randomly browse through magazines and I see a haircut
that I like, a type of fascinating eyes, an interesting figure. I believe that unconsciously my brain records, absorbs,
filters, and catalogs all this information that then returns in one way or another in my works. If then you ask me
what these characters represent for me psychologically or symbolically, I can answer by saying that each of them
hides a very small part of me, so a melancholic or sad expression, a cry of anger, a dreamy or serene face are all
elements that belong to my personality and that come in some way directly from my deepest inner self.
Do you ever revisit older works and discover new meanings in them, perhaps ones your conscious
mind wasn’t aware of during creation?
I am very self-critical and if I happen to look at some of my old works after many years, my first thought is definitely
of a "technical" kind, so how could I have made that same work today and improved it with my current knowledge?
Sometimes, however, I happen to look at an old work of mine, perhaps from ten years ago, and even though I
recognize a certain naivety and a still immature technique, observing it I feel the same powerful and deep emotions
and sensations that I felt then when I made it. It is as if in some way what I felt then in the moment before or after
the realization has remained imprinted on the canvas, so strong as to be indelible and indifferent to the passing of
the years. Sometimes my mind goes back to the exact day in which I finished what for me today can be considered
a very old work, and I still clearly remember that the wind was blowing in a certain way, that it was night, and that
the subject of the painting was screaming with anger or crying with pain, perhaps just like me at the time.
How do you think audiences from different cultures respond to your work?
I have never asked myself, I have never thought about it. Regardless of what nation or culture those who observe
my works belong to, I hope they feel something, even if it is a feeling of uneasiness or alienation because if my work
somehow reaches and communicates to people, for me it is already a good reason for satisfaction. The only thing I
have noticed when showing my works to people of different nationalities or cultures (for example during physical
exhibitions) is that often the works that I consider to be my least successful, the public likes much more than
perhaps those that I consider being more valid or interesting.

81
You come from a background in drafting and illustration—how has that technical foundation
shaped the way you approach your more spontaneous paintings?
Unlike many painters, I do not have an academic background and I do not come from any art school, but I have a
long and rigorous study of drawing behind me and, in addition to having attended training and improvement
courses, I have had the opportunity to put my knowledge into practice at a professional level, even before having
created illustrations on commission, I worked as a storyboarder and cartoonist for the web. All of these
experiences, apparently so distant from painting, have enriched me a lot, not only on a technical level but also on
an "open-minded" level. If today I did not have a solid foundation in drawing, I could never faithfully reproduce on
a canvas what my mind sees. To put it more practically, without a good knowledge of the human figure and
anatomy, I could not create credible figurative paintings. Everyone has always told me that I am good at drawing
but this means nothing to me, I am not interested in showing others "the beautiful drawing" or how capable I am,
rather I am interested in the technical knowledge to be able to then faithfully give life to what are my visions.
In a world that can feel increasingly unstable, what role do you think art can play?
For me, art is first and foremost an extension of human thought, a medium that can arouse very strong and
contrasting emotions and cannot always help man (especially in these times) to face fears and uncertainties or to
fight the evils of the world. On the contrary, I believe that a certain type of art is not reassuring at all, does not give
us solutions, and can generate fear and instability. Rather, it is up to those who enjoy it to understand how to use
art in the form of care for themselves or others.

ZIPPED TRIP (DOG) - Acrylic on Canvas, 50x70cm, 2024 82

REVELATIONS 2 - Acrylic on Canvas, 30x40cm, 2022 THE FLOWERS OF DREAM
Acrylic on Canvas,
ZIPPED TRIP (FLAME) - Acrylic on Canvas, 30x40cm, 2023 60x50cm, 2023
 ŞTEFANIA CRĂCIUN

Ștefania Crăciun is an interdisciplinary visual artist trained at the National University of Arts in
Bucharest, where she graduated from the Photography and Moving Image department. Her
artistic practice explores photography, collage, large-scale drawing, experimental film, and
installation. She works with a variety of unconventional materials and objects, constantly
challenging herself to step outside her comfort zone. Her projects emerge spontaneously, guided
by her emotions and experiences. She is deeply interested in the relationship between image and
space, seeking ways to integrate these elements into installations that reflect her experimental
approach. The human body and nature are recurring themes in her work, often closely
intertwined. A playful approach, accompanied by a distinct sensitivity, is particularly noticeable in
pieces where she uses her own body, shaping an intimate universe. Time plays a key role in her
creative process, as she often revisits previous projects, reconfiguring and reintegrating them into
new perspectives.

‘’My work is born impulsively, as a direct reaction to my own emotions and experiences. My art is a spontaneous
process, guided by inner states that drive me to explore, experiment, and search for visual forms through which I
can express what I feel. I allow myself to be led by impulse, without trying to control the direction of the work too
much, giving space for emotion to manifest freely. Time plays an essential role: I often revisit my older works,
reconstruct and reinterpret them, transforming them into new contexts that retain the imprint of the original
emotions. In every project, I try to create my own space of exploration, where fragility, vulnerability, and the power
to transform emotion into art coexist.’’

Amaranthine
Analog Photography, 2022

Amaranthine means eternal beauty, a concept that for humans is always intertwined with nature and the human body. To transcend the boundaries
between these two worlds, I chose to use the technique of double exposure on 35mm film, creating a deep and natural connection that evolved beyond
the initial planning and relied on the sensitivity of the moment. Each movement required a specific amount of time and intensity to fully capture the
essence of that moment. The overlay with nature couldn’t be meticulously planned. The unknown allowed the blend between the images to become so
well-defined that it fueled my desire to continue this visual play between nature and the body, time and the mystery inherent in the creative process.
Amaranthine represents a search for harmony and connection, both with one’s own body and with the surrounding environment, offering a vision where
beauty is not constrained by time but transcends the moment through this organic fusion.

84
Amaranthine - Analog Photography, 2022
Amaranthine - Analog Photography, 2022
Your work begins with impulse and emotion—how do you know when a spontaneous idea is worth
pursuing into a full project?
For me, an impulse or emotion becomes worth developing into a full project when it lingers over time and creates a
sense of creative restlessness. If an idea keeps haunting me, challenging me, or sparking my curiosity even after the
initial moment of excitement, then I feel it has real potential. I usually test the idea spontaneously through a sketch,
a collage, or a visual experiment, and if that initial gesture leads me to unexpected associations or new directions, I
know it's something worth exploring further. The process is intuitive, but also reflective—sometimes I feel like the
idea chooses me, not the other way around.
How do you decide which medium best serves the emotional core of a particular piece?
The choice of medium is often guided by intuition and by the emotional weight of the idea I'm working with. Each
project has its internal rhythm, and I try to listen to what it asks for—whether it needs the immediacy of a drawing,
the tactile quality of a collage, or the immersive presence of an installation. Sometimes the material itself triggers
the direction; I might come across an object or a texture that feels connected to a memory or sensation I want to
express. I don’t set strict boundaries between mediums—instead, I let them overlap and influence each other,
allowing the piece to evolve organically.
Your own body appears in some of your works, forming an “intimate universe.” What is it like to use
yourself as both subject and medium?
Using my own body in my work creates a direct and intimate connection with the piece. It allows me to explore
personal emotions and experiences in a raw, honest way. My body becomes both subject and medium—present,
fragile, and expressive. Through this process, I aim to transform personal vulnerability into something that others
can relate to on a deeper, human level.
Time plays a crucial role in your process. What draws you back to older works, and how do you
decide how to reshape them into something new?
Time gives me distance and a new perspective on older works. I’m often drawn back to them when something
unresolved resurfaces emotionally or visually. Revisiting these pieces allows me to respond to them with who I am
now, not who I was when I first created them. I reshape them intuitively—sometimes by altering materials, other
times by placing them in new contexts—letting the work evolve like a living organism.
You often experiment with unconventional materials. Can you share a moment where an
unexpected material changed the direction of a work entirely?
In This may not be a tea project, I printed images onto tea bags using liquid emulsion—my first time using such an
unconventional surface in the darkroom. The experience of working with such a delicate and unexpected material
opened up a new way of thinking about images and objects. It inspired me to experiment further, imagining how
photography could extend onto ceramics to create a complete tea set, including cups, a teapot, and a box of
printed tea bags. This moment shifted my focus toward combining image with function and narrative in more
tactile, integrated ways—it felt like unlocking a new language between photography and object.
How do you approach the relationship between image and space when creating installations?
For me, space is not just a physical container but an active element that interacts with the image and shapes the
viewer’s experience. When creating installations, I think of space as a living environment where images can breathe,
move, and transform. It’s a way to extend the emotional narrative beyond the flat surface, inviting the audience to
enter a sensory and immersive dialogue. Space becomes a collaborator in the work, influencing how the image is
perceived and how emotions unfold.

87
Nature and the body are recurring themes in your work. In what ways do you see them as
interconnected, and how does this relationship manifest in your art?
I see nature and the body as deeply intertwined, both as sources of life and vulnerability. In my work, this
relationship often emerges through the blending of organic forms and human presence, creating a dialogue
between the internal and external worlds. The body becomes a landscape, and nature reflects emotional states,
memories, and transformation. By exploring this connection, I aim to reveal the fluid boundaries between self and
environment, highlighting our shared fragility and resilience.
You describe your process as playful yet deeply sensitive. How do you maintain that balance,
especially when working with personal or vulnerable material?
Maintaining a balance between playfulness and sensitivity is essential to my creative process. Play allows me to
explore ideas freely without pressure, opening space for experimentation and surprise. At the same time, sensitivity
keeps me connected to the emotional core of the work, especially when dealing with personal or vulnerable
material. This tension between openness and care helps me create pieces that feel both genuine and dynamic.
How has your training in photography and moving images shaped your approach to stillness,
motion, and narrative across your different media?
My training in photography and moving image has deeply influenced how I think about stillness, motion, and
narrative in my work. Photography taught me to capture a decisive moment, focusing on composition, light, and
emotion within a single frame. Meanwhile, moving
images introduced me to time as a fluid dimension,
where the narrative unfolds through movement and
change. Combining these perspectives allows me to
explore the tension between the static and the dynamic
across different media, enriching the emotional and
conceptual layers of my projects.
Looking forward, what emotional or thematic
territories are you most curious to explore next
in your evolving practice?
Looking forward, I am most curious to explore
emotional territories related to memory, loss, and
transformation. A recent personal shift has made these
themes feel especially present and necessary in my
work. I’m particularly interested in how change leaves
emotional imprints on the body. Experimenting with
materials that evoke fragility and decay particularly
intrigues me, as they allow me to reflect on time’s
passage and impermanence. Ultimately, I hope to
continue expanding the boundaries of my practice
while maintaining the intimate and experimental spirit
that defines my work.
Amaranthine
Analog Photography, 2022

88
 Tanya Preminger

Tanya Preminger is an artist working in various media: environmental art, site-specific

art, ephemeral art, sculpture, installation and photography. She is mostly known for her land
art projects and large-scale stone sculptures. Her diverse body of work has been displayed
internationally in numerous exhibitions and symposiums. Her diverse body of work has been
displayed internationally in numerous exhibitions and symposiums.

And Time to Displace

Tree, plastic mannequin,
250x400x230cm, 2009
Green Gallery, Arsuf, Israel

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Stratum
Soil, grass,
6.5x28x18m, 2013
Setouchi Triennale, Shamijima, Japan Balance
Soil, grass,
350x900x450cm, 1989
Givat Brener, Israel
Your work has reached nearly every corner of the world—how do you respond to the unique spirit or
energy of each location when creating site-specific installations?
It is a problem, that a work made of earth or another installation made of local materials, planned in a sketch
created for a place you have not even seen in a photograph, requires changes and not always successful ones. You
need to keep this in mind and leave time to prepare solutions.
You speak of making the “immaterial essence” tangible. What kinds of essences or universal truths
are you most often drawn to reveal through your art?
For example, the relationship between the spiritual concepts of Heaven and Earth or the relationship between the
actions of Giving and Taking.
Across sculpture, landscape art, installation, and photography, how do you choose which medium
best serves the “essence” you’re trying to express?
The word choice is inappropriate here. The matter is primary in this case. The idea is born from the material.
What role does scale play in your monumental works?
The size depends on the concept. If you are talking about something global, then naturally the size is as large as
possible. But there are also intimate themes where a small size is more appropriate.
Founding the Green Gallery in 2007 suggests a strong curatorial and ecological commitment. How
has your role as a curator influenced your creative philosophy?
The Green Gallery has become a happy opportunity for creative freedom for me and my friends. After all, an artist
can create and exhibit a temporary installation only in Europe, at Nature Art Festivals where there is a budget,
curators, and other restrictions.

91
Environmental art inherently interacts with nature and time. How do you approach the tension
between permanence and impermanence in your outdoor works?
Only in my Green Gallery could I afford to make works, that would last for several weeks. The longevity of a work is
relative. Today, with the increase in information, a one-day work can be seen by more people, than one, that is
made to last for centuries.
Having worked across continents and cultures, how do you navigate the relationship between your
universal themes and local traditions or histories?
If I am invited to some non-European country, I try to see its art and read about it, but when you arrive there, it is
clear, that everything I have learned is superficial and merging is impossible.
Can you share a specific project that most successfully embodied your artistic purpose—and why it
stood out for you?
Each new idea seems to be the best. That is why you make this idea, but over time it is replaced by another, which
also seems to be the best at the beginning. From my projects, I highlight the work from the earth- "Balance", which
is not only me who highlights from my other works. Balance is my most famous work abroad, published in many
books and magazines.
How has your pedagogical practice enriched or transformed your creative output?
Teaching is also a creative activity. More responsible. You create an artist.
Looking back at your global journey, what has remained constant in your artistic inquiry—and what
has evolved most dramatically over time?
I do not think, that I have changed as an artist. I have only expanded the artistic environments in which I work. And
maybe I’m no longer in the trend that is dominant now.

92
 Xiaoyi Lin

Xiaoyi Lin is a Mixed-Media artist. Her practice moves across textiles, drawings, and
photographs, all of which gesture towards the rhythm of time or nature as it is intuitively
lived and felt. These revolve around the visual and material dimensions of the intangible,
discovering the temporal slippages that occur between encounters with different times,
places, and surfaces.
About Landscape - Wool, Silk, 60x70 cm, 2022

93
Your work explores the “rhythm of time” and how it’s intuitively lived. How do you translate
something as intangible as time into physical materials like textiles or photographs?
I’m drawn to materials that can carry this sense of slow unfolding: a textile that fades in sunlight, a photograph
exposed over hours rather than seconds. I often let the process stretch across days or even months, so that time
leaves its own marks—stains, creases, tonal shifts. What emerges is not a depiction of time but a surface that’s lived
through it. These processes make time tactile and visible, each surface carrying its own cadence of change.

Untitled - natural dye, stitch, silk, 22x55cm, 2021

Mixed media allows for layering and tactile variation. How do you decide which medium—textiles,
drawing, or photography—best serves the feeling or moment you’re trying to express?
I don’t often begin with a fixed choice of medium—it’s more about sensing what the work needs as it unfolds.
Textiles, drawing, and photography each offer different entry points: one might hold a texture, another a fleeting
gesture, and another a trace of light. Through layering and recombination, I let the works happen organically. The
result is more like a constellation of fragments, held together by intuition.
You describe your practice as gesturing toward the intangible. What draws you to the ephemeral or
unseen as a source of inspiration?
It’s what we live with every day but rarely notice—whether it’s the hue of dusk or the way a shadow slides across a
room. I’m trying to catch a feeling rather than a likeness.

Some moments - Cotton, Silk, Threads, 22x32cm each, 2022

94
Can you talk about a recent piece where “temporal slippage” played a significant role? How did
different times or places overlap in that work?
In one series, I collected water samples over different days and under varying conditions, then used them in
painting on hand-dyed textiles and in cyanotype processes. As the water interacted with the fabric, new landscapes
began to form. Each piece holds not just an image, but the physical presence of the water itself. What emerged
wasn’t a linear timeline, but an atmospheric palimpsest—layers of time accumulating.
There’s a deep sense of nature in your process. How do natural rhythms—like weather, seasons, or
organic decay—inform your visual language?
Nature’s rhythms are always working quietly in the background of my process. The weather influenced how I see
and respond to surfaces. I often walk along riverbanks, watching how water alters its surroundings: softening
edges, staining walls, and carving into the earth. These small changes become part of my visual language. I’m
drawn to how time leaves subtle traces—like a rain mark that deepens over weeks, or how dampness blurs a
structure. I’m trying to register its presence through the way materials shift, fade, or hold residue.
What role does intuition play in your creation process? Are your works meticulously planned, or do
they emerge through feeling and experimentation?
Intuition runs through the process. I usually start with a loose structure—a color, a material I want to engage with
—rather than a detailed plan. I test things through layering, sanding, and moving materials around, responding to
what feels right. The process shifts along the way, becoming more focused through trial and adjustment.

95 About the river - Cotton, 32x21 cm, 2022

Your surfaces often seem to carry traces or memory. How do you use texture or layering to evoke
history or emotional residue?
I think of surfaces as sites of accumulation. Sometimes I sand back a layer to reveal what’s underneath, like
uncovering a hidden fragment of a wall fresco. A stitched line might echo a movement from days earlier. I’m
interested in what remains and what fades, how memory doesn’t always appear clearly, but in fragments.
Do you consider your artworks as fixed moments in time, or as evolving entities that continue to
shift meaning with each viewer’s encounter?
They’re never fixed. Even after they leave the studio, they remain porous—open to light, touch, and interpretation.
The work might fade, shift in tone, or gather dust; viewers bring their own experiences, creating an ongoing
dialogue.
How do cultural or personal experiences influence your perception of time and space within your
practice?
Moving between different geographies has tuned me to the layered nature of the place. In some ways, my practice
responds to this—trying to hold the coexistence of different temporalities and landscapes. Personal experiences
shape not only what I make, but how I make it: the materials I choose, the pacing of my process, and the textures I
return to.
If you could describe the emotional atmosphere of your work in a few words, what would they be—
and how do you hope viewers respond to that atmosphere?
I would say it leans toward stillness and quiet attention. I’m interested in creating a space where viewers can slow
down and take their time. Ideally, the work leaves room for personal reflection, where small shifts in color, texture,
or form can open up different readings over time.

96 Untitled - Wool, cotton, 25x60cm, 2022

Xin Zhang
Xin Zhang was born in Guangzhou, China. Currently works in London. Graduated from Print MA,
Royal College of Art in 2023. Seeing images as objects and surfaces of objects, Xin explores the
materiality of image-making in combination with contemporary printing techniques, highlighting
its material delicacy and bodily sensation. Her work often covers printmaking, photography, and
writing. Taking inspiration from psychological and philosophical studies, she is interested in the
fluidity of identities and the dynamic between social structures. Through the traces and patterns
underneath the images——the scares, the subtext, the vulnerabilities, the conflicts, they evoke
memories and welcome new encounters.
The Concept of Self

UV print on mixed medium, nylon lines

50x70cm, 2023

The Concept of Self is a self-examination of aching memories, taking the shape of a foldable map. The text in the left lower corner reads “Is self just an
illusion”, the other one is “Why you say that” on the right-hand side.

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 Of Eros of Dust

UV print on tissue paper,

nylon lines,
found material
133x67cm, 2023

Of Eros of Dust in its original installation is presented as a half-burnt down tent in its ruins. It is a personal narrative of love and
affection, particularly the artist’s relationship with her mother. It presents the fluid and circular dynamic of identity and
relationships, like flame and ashes in a cycle of destruction and reconstruction. Byung-Chul Han described it as “being able not to
be able”, a state of powerlessness when confronted by love.

Installation view in Seoul, 2025 Of Eros of Dust in its original installation is presented as a half-burnt down tent in its ruins. It is a
personal narrative of love and affection, particularly the artist’s relationship with her mother. It presents the fluid and circular
dynamic of identity and relationships, like flame and ashes in a cycle of destruction and reconstruction. Byung-Chul Han described
it as “being able not to be able”, a state of powerlessness when confronted by love.
You describe images as both objects and surfaces—how does this perception shape the way you
approach the act of printing or photographing?
Whatever medium I end up using, I always focus more on the materials and textures that carry the image, as they
can give very distinct characters to it. I want the image to have body and volume, and be more than just a sheet of
paper. In some way I consider things from a more sculptural perspective, though on a micro scale.
Can you speak to the role that physicality plays in your creative process?
How do I feel when I’m touching it? That’s the question that guides my process. When touching it creates intimacy
between you and the object and the material. Then I look for a way to translate tactile into visual.
Are there particular thinkers or texts that have significantly influenced your perspective?
Phenomenology, existentialism and post-structuralism theory all have their influences on my personally, to name a
few such as Heidegger, Lacan, Levinas. Influence from Deleuze and Guattari might be more visible in my work. In Of
Eros of Dust, I referenced The Agony of Eros by Byung-Chul Han directly.
How do you decide what to conceal and what to expose within an image?
My work is built around my personal life, personal topics, and it’s not always easy confronting myself. I try to be as
honest as possible, but I know I can’t be like Tracey Emin. For now, I need a step back. Some messages are more
hidden, you need to look closer to see.
As someone working across printmaking, photography, and writing, how do these mediums speak to
or challenge one another in your creative flow?
I usually write and make image at the same time. For me, image-making is very fluid and ambiguous; while writing
is more assertive, it puts things into places. They are equally important in my process and they feed into one
another. The challenge is figuring out how to bring them together in the end.
What kind of relationship do you hope viewers develop with your work?
If possible, I really want the audience to be able to touch my work, and to trace those patterns like I do when
making it. That would be like having a conversation with the work, and me, without using words. For the same
reason, sometimes I find it difficult to preserve that tangible quality when putting my work online.
How does your background—born in Guangzhou and now working in London—influence your
exploration of identity and social structures?
It gives a new perspective. The distance allows me to examine what I’ve experienced. You can’t see the forest for the
trees.
How do you engage with repetition or imperfection as part of the image’s meaning?
The grid that you see in most of my work is the structure or restriction I made for the image. I want a highly unified
element to amplify the free, random, chaotic parts. Also, if an image is perfect there is not much interesting in
there. Imperfection gives it some humanity.
Do you consider your prints and photographs as final forms, or are they more like a process?
I don’t see any of my work as complete. I believe that the artwork evolves with the artist. My perception of the same
work would change over time as I move through different stages in life. Installing and exhibiting old works in new
spaces or settings always adds something new to the work----it’s an open conversation.
What possibilities or questions are currently guiding your next body of work?
I want to expand my use of materials. In the new work I’m developing, I want to add materials that are collected
around where the image is taken, to explore the idea of the image and its location. It’s also about visibility: what
you see in an image, what’s outside of it.

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Insomnia I
UV print on mixed medium, nylon lines, light box, 47x32cm, 2025
Insomnia I explores the boundary of identity through the relationship between the individual and the city, set in the
context of the common dilemma of urban dwelling: rented room, cubic space, a feeling of uncertainty and nostalgia, and
a state of instability and in transit. Like looking out of the window of a room, the view of the reality outside is doubled
with a reflection of one’s figure standing right in it. The city is a constructed mix of reality and spectacles projecting
individual desires, through which in its reflection one constantly confirms and re-shapes one’s self.
Xufei Qiao
Xufei Qiao is a contemporary artist whose work synthesizes cultural heritage, natural elements,
and textile traditions into contemplative visual narratives. Born in Beijing and raised across Tokyo
and Montreal, with educational pursuits in Paris and London, her multicultural background
profoundly influences her artistic perspective, enabling her to bridge Eastern philosophical
traditions with contemporary artistic methodologies. Growing up in a family of agricultural
engineers, Qiao developed an intimate connection with nature despite her urban upbringing. Her
early experiences documenting botanical specimens alongside her father's research team fostered
a meticulous approach to observing and recording natural phenomena. This scientific rigor,
combined with her decade-long experience in textile design, including work with traditional
Chinese silk for cheongsams, informs her unique artistic language. A transformative year spent in
rural seclusion during the pandemic marked Qiao's transition from design to fine art. Her work
often incorporates traditional motifs like the ice plum pattern, reimagined through contemporary
interpretations. Drawing inspiration from Chinese garden design principles and silk craftsmanship,
she creates compositions that encourage viewers to explore the subtle interplay between cultural
memory and natural forms. Her current practice focuses on creating works that facilitate cross-
cultural dialogue while examining the relationship between traditional craftsmanship and
contemporary art practices.

101 Night Time Slide1 - Watercolour and Pastels, 85cmx149cm, 2024

How do diverse cultural environments
converge in your artistic vision?
I spent my elementary school years moving around
the world with my family and constantly making new
friends. Interestingly, despite different regions and
nationalities, there were always similar types of
people in each place. I believe it's precisely these
diverse cultural experiences that led me to focus
more on cross-cultural, collective aspects of
humanity: our love for nature. In my artworks,
cultural symbols appear only as thematic elements,
while nature, as viewed through different cultural
lenses, is what I truly aim to express.
Night Time Slide 2 - Watercolour and Pastels, 26cmx37cm, 2024
How has your early exposure shaped you?
At the time, my father was researching harvesting
scanning systems. To my eight-year-old self, it was a
collection of complex machinery that generated
mysterious images, processing vegetation into grid
patterns of interweaving green and red lines. These
experiences influenced how I view nature - rather
than vast, magnificent landscapes, I feel more
connected to plants in greenhouses and labs. For
me, the four edges of a canvas are like a two-
dimensional laboratory, and within this isolated
space, colors and brushstrokes grow freely. To align
more closely with natural themes, I plan to
experiment with plant-based dyes in my upcoming Night Time Slide 3 - Watercolour and Pastels, 26cmx37cm, 2024
work.
How do you navigate the boundary between
design and fine art in the textile context?
Art and design share similar foundational concepts -
both observe the world and express it in visual
forms. For me, textiles are also a visual language. It
seems that I would deliberately engage in activities
that blur the boundaries between the two: creating
paintings and installations within the textiles context
while incorporating fabric pattern themes in a fine
art context. Things that can be interpreted from
multiple perspectives are more interesting to work
with, and I would prefer not to be given a clear
definition in the future. Night Time Slide 4 - Watercolour and Pastels, 26cmx37cm, 2024

102
The ice plum motif recurs in your work,
reinterpreted through a contemporary lens.
What draws you to this particular symbol?
The ice plum pattern is an iconic decorative motif in
Chinese culture that appears across various art forms,
including architecture, painting, textiles, and ceramics,
depicting plum blossoms blooming in winter alongside
cracking ice patterns. I particularly love the ice plum
patterns carved into wooden doors and windows in
Chinese gardens, as well as the stone carvings on
courtyard walls, through which one can see the scenery
outside, like viewing a collage of photographs overlaid
with geometric patterns. In my paintings, the geometric Girl playing with a cat - Watercolour and Pastels, 26cmx37cm, 2024
forms of the ice plum pattern resonate with the Cat in the Night - Tempera on Wood, 15x15cm, 2025
experience of wandering through Chinese gardens - it's
a fusion of spiritual experience and cultural symbolism.
You’ve cited Chinese garden design as a major
influence. In what ways does this design
philosophy manifest in your visual compositions
or spatial thinking?
The ice plum pattern is an iconic ornament motif in
Chinese culture that appears across various art forms,
including architecture, painting, weaving, and
ceramics, depicting plum blossoms blooming in winter
alongside cracking ice patterns. I particularly love the
ice plum patterns carved into wooden doors and
windows in Chinese gardens, as well as the perforated
stone carvings on courtyard walls, through which one
can see the scenery outside, like viewing a collage of
photographs overlaid with geometric patterns. In my
paintings, the geometric forms of the ice plum pattern determination to pursue art. There were many
resonate with the experience of wandering through mountains near where I lived, and during my hiking
Chinese gardens - it's a fusion of spiritual experience explorations, I encountered a huge dead tree whose
and cultural symbolism. black trunk stood out prominently among the
Your year in rural seclusion during the pandemic surrounding grove. There was also a small sign at its
marked a significant shift from design to fine art. base saying the tree had grown in this place for over
Can you describe a turning point or specific 400 years, and the local people called it the "Red Pear
moment from that period that catalyzed this King," worshipping it and receiving the blessing of its
transformation? fruits until its death was confirmed in the early 2000s. I
Changing careers also means changing lifestyles, and realized that these kinds of life stories were something I
my time living in the countryside brought me the could never encounter while living in the city.

103
How do you see the relationship between Cultural memory seems to be a quiet
textile as a tactile, utilitarian medium and its undercurrent in your work. How do you
potential as a vehicle for contemplative, approach translating it into visual form?
conceptual expression in your art? Textile patterns made this possibility available to me.
Often, textiles is a highly practical discipline. During my Each culture and era has its distinctive fabric
studies, I chose to focus on print design, which involved characteristics. They accompany us in our lives, filling
colour theory, decorative patterns, aesthetic history, every corner. Recently, while traveling, I saw a fabric
printing and dyeing techniques. However, my interests cover with moon and star prints on a drink shop's
lay more in the preliminary visual concepts, so I spent freezer, which was identical to one my mother used
a significant portion of time developing my personal over a decade ago. The feeling of suddenly
visual style. After entering the fashion and textile encountering an old friend in an unfamiliar
industry, especially after working with silk design, I environment - that's the collective experience that
discovered the allure of traditional weaving. Beyond textile motifs can bring. Perhaps we don't usually pay
the visual and tactile aspects, I was completely moved special attention to the color of sofa fabric or the
by the act of hand weaving itself. Textiles have given patterns on tablecloths, but these visual memories are
me inspiration for motifs and also provided me with stored in our subconscious, triggered again through
creative momentum. visual art.

Night time trees Lifesketch under trees

Colour pencil and pastels, 30x21cm, 2024 Watercolour and Pastels, 20x15cm, 2024

104
 Peony Flower No.6
Tempera on Wood,
60x50cm, 2024

Your practice encourages cross-cultural

dialogue. What challenges or opportunities
have you encountered when bridging Eastern
philosophies with contemporary Western
methodologies?
I want to offer a new perspective on viewing art.
Chinese artistic philosophy believes that in describing
things and emotions, words are the least reliable,
followed by painting, and then music and dance,
meaning that good artwork emerges from the perfect
alignment of current experience with the medium
used. The Western creative mindset I encountered
during my studies starts with words and themes,
developing a concept before seeking visual or other
sensory information. These can be understood as two
different modes of expression - more directly put,
emotional thinking and rational thinking. The artistic
creative system I hope to establish flows back and
forth between these two approaches, discussing works
under the premise of continuously evolving thought
processes.
Looking forward, how do you envision your
work continuing to evolve as global
conversations around tradition, identity, and
sustainability deepen?
To be honest, I don't yet know how people will describe
my work. I believe one aspect is exploring more
possibilities within my focus on cultural heritage,
natural elements, and textile traditions while
incorporating life philosophy into my work as much as
possible. These works, though seemingly different in
style, will ultimately form a complete story - one that
transcends time and cultures, while also serving as
personal documentation.

Trees and Rocks

Watercolour and Pastels,
76x53cm, 2024

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Summer Issue| Seasonal Edition | volume 70 | Collect Art | Tbilisi, Georgia