Meet Chenxi Gao | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Chenxi Gao and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Chenxi, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I am from China. Born in a small town in the north, I moved with my family to the south when I was about seven years old. That experience influenced me deeply. Because of the cultural differences, I did not find a sense of belonging and suppressed part of my personality to fit in. It led to a long-term habit of hiding my true self. Art-making gives me the opportunity to talk about my past and at the same time, I am trying to find a reconciliation. I think about the sweet memories of my childhood, the items that I owned and lost, the mountains that I played among, and the confusion when I realized that I would be the strange one if I kept talking about my hometown. My past gives provides me with comfort and safety. However, in reality, I cannot replicate my past environment and find all of the lost connections. I believe that my background is both a safe haven and an invisible restraint.
 

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My current body of work explores my identity. I look back on the early memories and attachments to the objects in my past and current living spaces. Through the production of mixed-media artworks, I show how I process, organize, preserve, hide, or reveal my memories and my identity. Translated into a visual language, this thought process becomes layers of imagery, patterns, and materials drawn from my everyday life. Ultimately, my vision is to recreate a living space that plays with duality: concealing versus revealing, safety versus restriction, and staying versus fleeing. The imagery, patterns, and materials come from my memories or my everyday life, but they are modified and contrasted. My work acts as a record of my exploration of my identity and the struggle that comes with it. They ask questions and do not necessarily provide the answers.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
The Dallas Museum of Art is a good spot! It is free to the public and houses a diverse selection of art. I always like to walk around in the museum and find new inspirations. Across the street is the Nasher Sculpture Center. I love the modern and contemporary sculptures on view and their outdoor garden is fantastic. Additionally, there are many commercial galleries in Dallas, too, such as Craighead Green Gallery, Erin Cluley Gallery, 12.26 Gallery, Pencil on Paper Gallery, and Talley Dunn Gallery. I can spend a whole day visiting the galleries in Dallas!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I am very thankful for the support from my parents. Being an artist is not a conventional and easy career path. It is commonly believed that artists have an unstable income and can struggle to find a job, However, after I showed my strong interest in making art and seeing that I was doing well in the foundational art courses, they supported my decision. They encourage me when I am self-doubting and are always interested in the stories behind my work.

Additionally, I have to mention the professors that I had since the community college. They are dedicated instructors and they care about the student’s growth. I learned not only skills but also the truth about teaching from them. Inspired by them, I am aiming at becoming an art instructor after I graduate with my Master in Fine Arts degree.

Website: https://chenxigao.wordpress.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chenxigaoart/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chenxi-gao-b78396202/