Time, Memory, and Light: Jingyao Huang’s Artistic Exploration
Initiated and organized by The Bridge Arts Foundation, the 'Seeking Light' Global Young Artist Open-Call Exhibition is currently being held at Scholart Selection Gallery in San Gabriel, California, and will run until May 18th, 2024.
Bridge Arts Foundation's Art Director, Tia Xu, engaged in a conversation about the exhibition and art with several artists participating in this exhibition. In this interview, we have the pleasure of speaking with artist Jingyao Huang.
—— Q&A ——
Tia Xu: Could you please share your background and what inspired you to pursue a career in art?
Jingyao Huang: My name is Jingyao Huang from Guangzhou, China. I am a visual artist base in New York. My practice revolves around photography but extends into collage, installations, and site-specific projects. I graduated in BFA photography and MFA Fine Art from the School of Visual Arts.
My work always draws inspiration from the new perspectives that photography offers. The installation and sculpture alongside photography acts as a narrative and container for exploring themes of time. It also acts as a bridge, connecting with others to tell stories about time, memory, and impressions.
Jingyao Huang’s Artwork. Photo courtesy of artist.
Tia Xu: What does "Seeking Light" mean to you, and how does your artwork explore this theme? Can you tell us the story behind your artwork from the exhibition?
Jingyao Huang: My work is influenced by photographic techniques and the history of photography. People often say photography is the painting of light and shadow. When creating sculptures, I follow this notion to create sculptures that interact with light and shadow in their surrounding environment. Different lighting conditions, such as overcast sky, sunny day, morning, noon, and night, affect the relationship between the sculpture and its surroundings. The changing shadow and the artwork are merge into one piece. I like translucent materials, akin to capturing the surrounding environment through layers of lenses in a camera. Just as society and people are constantly changing, so too are the natural lighting conditions, making each moment unique.
The piece in this exhibition is titled "Echo from 2023.11.23-11.26 Open the mirror box," part of the "Echo from..." series, which is a time-based diary. The date in the title signifies the creation time of this piece. It reflects upon my reflections on family and personal emotions during in Guangzhou. It revolves around my grandfather, whom I never met. Born ten months after his passing, my family often remarks on the similarities between us, as if there is a connection beyond time. They hoped I would have memories and feelings for this unseen family. In my childhood, my family frequently showed me my grandfather's photo albums, recounting every story in the pictures, as if through these tales, I could somewhat understand the person who was once an important part of their lives. Through the symbolism of the mirror, I want to express the invisible affection's impact and manifestation on me.
Jingyao Huang’s Artwork "Echo from 2023.11.23-11.26 Open the mirror box”. Photo courtesy of artist.
Tia Xu: How does your cultural background influence your art?
Jingyao Huang: The inspiration for using geometric shapes comes from my research on patterns described in the book "The Complete Works of Chinese Patterns" (2009). This book explores how concrete patterns from ancient China were transformed into abstract geometric forms. It shows how Eastern symbolism tends to be holistic and intuitive, using metaphor to convey meaning.
My exploration of Eastern symbolism made me reflect on fragmented memories. Memories are like symbols representing fragments of the past that can't be physically brought back. However, these memory fragments can shape our understanding of the world, like how Eastern symbolism uses metaphor to convey meaning. In my mind, I perceive these memory fragments as rectangular shapes. These fragments form layers that construct my memory timeline, helping me understand and interpret my surroundings. Through the practice, I use the process of dismantling and reassembling photo images to better understand the evolution of traditional figurative photography.
Jingyao Huang’s Artwork. Photo courtesy of artist.
Tia Xu: What materials and techniques do you prefer to use in your art, and could you explain your choices?
Jingyao Huang: One material I'm particularly interested in is acrylic plastic. I like its transparency, which resembles the layers of glass in a camera lens. Acrylic is also more stable and easier to assemble than glass. And also, acrylic has been a controversial material in our generation's upbringing. Over the years, its status has changed from being hailed as a convenient invention to being criticized for polluting the environment. This controversy has made me consider things from different perspectives and empathize with acrylic as an artist, experiencing constant challenges and questioning in expressing my creativity.
Jingyao Huang’s Artwork. Photo courtesy of artist.
Tia Xu: What emotions or ideas do you hope viewers will take away from experiencing your artwork?
Jingyao Huang: The new ways that I engage with traditional photography give my practice a new visual language. I want viewers to join me in exploring these innovative ways of understanding images, moving from 2D to 3D. Through installations, I turn memory fragments into physical forms, documenting my daily life with materials. I hope my art breaks the spatial limits of photography, becoming a vessel for shared memories. I always try to transcend the one-way relationship between images and viewers, inviting them to interact with traditional flat images as dynamic sculptures in their personal space.
ABOUT OPEN CALL EXHIBITION PROGRAM
Bridge Arts Foundation's "Seeking Light" Open Call Exhibition Installation View, Photo: © The Scholart Selection / Luna Hao
Bridge Arts Foundation's Open Call Exhibition Program is designed to provide support for early-career artists. The "Seeking Light" Open Call Exhibition has thoughtfully selected 18 talented artists from a pool of over 500 submissions, employing a selection process that involves art professionals. "Seeking Light" opens from April 20th to May 18th, 2024.
ABOUT ARTIST
Jingyao Huang
Education
2023 Master of Fine Arts, Fine Arts, School of Visual Arts, New York
2019 Bachelor of Fine Arts, Photography and Video, School of Visual Arts, New York
One Person Exhibitions
2023 Features artist at Continuing Education Project Space, New York, USA 2018 I, Me, My, Mine, 2522 Housestudio, Guangzhou, China
2016 21st street 3rd, New York, USA, UN Gallery, Guangzhou, China
Group Exhibitions
2023 A happy beginning, LATITUDE Gallery, New York, USA
The Hand of the Artist, the SVA Chelsea Gallery, New York, USA
Genesis: A New Generation of Chinese Artists, Chambers Fine Art, New York, USA 404: error, iidrr gallery, New York, USA
Below Constructions, Ki Smith Gallery, New York, USA
Point and Line to Space, Curatorial Practice project space, New York, USA
Winter Salon Pin Up, iidrr Gallery, New York, USA
2022 2522 Housestudio Project: New Failed Works Auction, 2522 Housestudio, Guangzhou, China
Material Mixtape, New Collectors Gallery, New York, USA Play to Escape, HERE Center, New York, USA
Liminality, Time Arts Gallery, New York, USA
Reparo, Pfizer building, New York, USA
2020 Guangzhou Urban Art Week, Victory Plaza, Guangzhou, China
2019 2522 Housestudio Project: Failed Works Auction, 2522 Housestudio, Guangzhou,
China
Floating Realities, Time Arts gallery, New York, USA
2018 2522 Housestudio Project: Failed Works Auction, 2522 Housestudio, Guangzhou,
China
Curatorial Practice
2022 Material Mixtape, New Collectors Gallery, New York, USA 2018 Ego of Matters, 2522 Housestudio, Guangzhou, China
Award and Scholarship
2023 The School of Visual Arts Alumni Scholarship Award
2020 The School of Visual Arts MFA Fine Arts Departmental Scholarship Award