Today we’d like to introduce you to Peishan Huang.
Hi Peishan, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I am an artist working and living in Brooklyn, NY. Before 2019, I never thought I would be an artist. At that time, I was studying advertising at university, and since I had loved photography for many years and received a lot of recognition, I got the idea to try to apply to graduate schools of photography in foreign art schools. During my portfolio preparation process, I started to get involved in art history and contemporary art and gradually found what I was really passionate about. I received different offers and chose Multidisciplinary MFA at Maryland Institute College of Art in order to explore more possibilities. In 2021 I graduated and moved to New York to continue my work.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
The process didn’t go very smoothly. When I first enrolled in graduate school, I was very out of place, one reason was the change in language environment and the other was the change in major. We had a lot of reading assignments every week, and at that time my English reading speed was very slow resulting in me taking a lot of time to complete the assignments. At the same time, I was trying to change the way I expressed ideas, and I spent a lot of time training myself not to translate what I wanted to say in my head and then express it. The language barrier made me look awkward for a long time. And the problem with switching majors was not only the gap in art fundamentals between me and those who had been practicing for years but also the gap in experience. So I needed to work harder and put in more effort. As an international student, after overcoming the problems of environment and language, I still need to face more problems and challenges after graduation. However, there is an old Chinese saying that “work does not pay off”, and I always believe in that.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My artistic practice spans multiple mediums including photography, moving images, sculpture, and installation. I delve into the interplay between physical and emotional landscapes, exploring the emotional resonance of objects and spaces. I’m interested in the language of materials, patterns, natural rhythm, artificial objects, structure, pain, fountain and surrealism. My aesthetic vision is expressed through a masterful use of colors, textures, and poetic emotions and the narratives I create through them. I want to use my works to tackle complex contemporary issues and highlight the experiences of ethnic minority groups living in the urban landscape.
Over the past two years, I have delved deeper into exploring the relationship between urban systems and nature, inviting the audience to reflect on the impact of human activity on the environment. Through my works, I want to challenge the audience to engage with her unique perspective and contemplate their own relationship with the world around them.
My works have been exhibited internationally, including M+B Gallery in Los Angeles, CA, USA, Inna Art Space in New York, USA, Riggs & Leidy Gallery, Baltimore, MD, USA, Three Shadows Photography Art Centre in Beijing, China, Times Art Museum in Chengdu, China, Ultramontane Museum in Hangzhou, China, Advertising Museum of China in Beijing, China, Museum 54 in Shanghai, China, MP Birla Millennium Art Gallery in London, UK. I have received Mount Royal Commencement Award (2022) and Gold-Stern Emerging Artist Award (2022).
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
My plan for the future is to keep creating, to keep creating. I don’t have specific plans or goals for myself because I know that what I am doing is what I will continue to do for the rest of my life, and I just want to make myself go further and further.
Contact Info:
- Website: huang-peishan.com
- Instagram: peishan_h_h / _peishan_huang_
Image Credits
Personal photo: by Liping Zhang
