Today we’d like to introduce you to wei.
Hi wei, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’m an artist currently based in Brooklyn, NY and Providence, RI. 2023 will be my 10th year in the US. I first arrived in Washington D.C. in 2013 for a degree in International Relations, and shortly after I learned that my passion is in the creative field. So I transferred to the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, where I earned my BFA in New Media. After graduating college, I started collaborating with Futurefarmers, an international artist collective founded by Amy Franceschini based in San Francisco. The collective taught me a vast perspective of what could be considered art-making and exposed me to all different types of artists working in a variety of mediums. I began to explore and slowly formed my own practice.
At the same time, I worked on a curatorial project space under Art Historian and Curator James Voohries in collaboration with two institutions in the Bay Area, California College of the Arts and Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. Over two years, we managed to host over 50 public events and lectures before its close in 2020. We have brought in artists, writers, curators, designers, and many others in the creative field, both domestically and internationally.
Once the project ended, I began my graduate studies at the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, RI to focus on my own practice. And here I am now one-year postgraduate, I am still making art, attending residencies, and trying to get a grasp of what it takes to be a working artist in the world we live in.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been a smooth ride overall, but I consider myself very lucky that I have these great mentors and friends along the way. I went through many different paths before reaching this point, from non-creative fields to design, from design to fine art, and now trying to combine a bit of every experience I had and turn it into my own practice.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am an interdisciplinary artist working at the intersection of Performance, Sound, Movement, Print Media, and Design. In my practice, I research and express the mapping of Queerness and Foreignness. My research investigates the betwixt & between under the homogenous timeline that is experienced by the marginalized, as well as examines the ephemeral togetherness to trace the imprints of existence by contextualizing one’s and one’s collective’s present. My current project emphasizes reconfiguring object/subject relationships within the confines of systems that exclude queer and immigrant bodies and re-evaluates the definition and experience of authenticity within the generations of the Asian diaspora and Asian immigrants.
In my recent work, I compose ensemble performances to deconstruct normative logic, transnational experience, and hierarchical thinking while constructing an ephemeral space where transgressive spirits may inhabit. These nonconforming, mutable bodies occupy multiple places simultaneously and collectively. This series references my transnational background while forging connections with my peers, friends, mentors, mentees, and communities through my performances that are simultaneously permanent and transient.
Any big plans?
As for now, I am trying to enjoy the summer as much as possible by reconnecting with myself, the city and friends near and far. I am working on several projects with Futurefarmers that will take place in Portland, ME and Philadelphia, PA in September and October. And in the beginning of October, I will be participating in NARS Foundation International Artist in Residence as a fellow in New York City. I am really excited to have a studio space again and keep creating.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.itswei.me
- Instagram: @_.wei
Image Credits
Untitled (Copy & Original) 08/2021
Performance Untitled (0) & Untitled (1, 2, and 3) 08/2022
Installation 5’11”
06/2021 Sculpture ensemble 081609042022 08/2022
Sound Installation
State of Flux (Self Autonomy) 12/2021
Sound Installation
