Today we’d like to introduce you to Chénhuì Máo.
Chénhuì, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
My journey through dance and movement began during the one-child policy of China. Born illegally, the third child, my body was forced into hiding. The world became a multitude of spaces, one where I was allowed to exist, one where I could not. This rift in space and time kept me in constant flux. I was never able to remain in one place as my family navigated its dealings with the government and figured out a way to keep me. Even when my legality was resolved, this early experience of navigating my body became the makings for my art form.
Can you give our readers some background on your artwork?
Currently, I am a freelancing performer and dance filmmaker after graduated from Calarts. Body as my tool, it has its own unique way of documenting everything I experienced, especially something that is functional。What I am interested in discovering is the relationship of an individual body and the whole externality. From contemporary dance and Butoh training background, I like to use my body, my initiation and destination, in a way of writing poems, and to create either stage work or film work, also my performance into something that’s less rational and perfect. I’m basically like a container, I indulge myself into every day’s mundaneness and question “what is existence” or “what is a container”.
Artists rarely, if ever pursue art for the money. Nonetheless, we all have bills and responsibilities and many aspiring artists are discouraged from pursuing art due to financial reasons. Any advice or thoughts you’d like to share with prospective artists?
As a newly graduate, I don’t really face any financial challenges yet, maybe most of my works are low budget. But I do believe if we really hold onto whatever we are strongly connected even it’s personal and intimate, small could be big too.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
Some of my works are on my Vimeo page, for the past stage works, I will upload it on my website soon.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maoaoaoaoaoaomao/
- Other: https://vimeo.com/user71847293
Image Credit:
Shiqi Zhang
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