Kiki Jia-Qi Zhen

BIO

Kiki Jia-Qi Zhen is an interdisciplinary artist from Guangdong, China who reflects the indirect and direct experiences of immigration, trauma, memory, and storytelling in the forms and gestures of her works. In her work, she highlights inter-generational complexities that arise from being a first-generation immigrant. Her art practice comprises of performance, sculpture, and site-specific installations.

ARTIST STATEMENT

Through performance, sculpture, and site-specific installation I reflect on my experiences of immigration, trauma, memory, and story-telling. In working with materials relevant in Chinese culture, and through repetitive gestures, I highlight inter-generational complexities that arise from being a first-generation immigrant. In my work, I explore and create a platform from which to speak as someone who is part of the Chinese diaspora in the United States. While grappling with these complexities, I also realize that displacement is a necessary force for identities to evolve and transform in a place where many cultures coexist. As I search for a sense of self-assertion, as a first-generation Chinese artist, I constantly experience cultural and inter-generational clashes. In search and desire for belonging, I create work that alludes to the simultaneous experiences of belonging and displacement.

Interview with Kiki Jia-Qi Zhen

Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you became interested in becoming an artist? Who or what were some of your most important early influences?

I was born in Guangdong, China and immigrated to Chicago, IL when I was five with my parents. I grew up living closely within the Chinese community in Chicago Chinatown which I navigated between languages and cultures all my life. As a firstborn in an immigrant household, my parents were surprisingly less strict on my career path. By the end of high school, I had taken many art-related programs and knew art was what I wanted to do. Before taking on this art path, I have always been grateful for my parents’ sacrifice and silent support to allow me to pursue this journey.

Any stories you can share about early memories of how an aspect of the arts impacted you?

In my early years of my art making, I painted a series of family portraits – mostly of my siblings and I. This was my concentration portfolio, where the paintings of my siblings and me were used to convey a form of kinship family structure. It wasn’t until a portfolio review, that a professor advised me that painting isn’t my way to go and that my paintings were subpar (which subconsciously, I already knew at the time). Thanks to their blunt honesty, I accepted that pursuing this specific set of concentration skills was detrimental to me growing as an artist. However, this honesty allowed me to explore various mediums that made my creative progress journey fun and fulfilling.

Where are you currently based and what initially brought you there? Are there any aspects of this specific location or community that have inspired your work?

I currently live and work in Long Beach, California. I came to California for a wider and more diverse art scene and most importantly to be financially stable (a bit ironic, I know but yes, so far so good). As the firstborn, I am still working through my generational trauma which is also why I moved out of Chicago for the time being.

Can you describe your studio space? What are some of the most crucial aspects of a studio that make it functional? Do any of these specific aspects directly affect your work?

My bedroom is my studio space. I feel more comfortable working on the floor than at a desk space. The more restricting the space, the better. It allows me to work around the limitations. The messy ‘organized’ clutter on the floor while I create is my guilty pleasure. I weirdly enjoy searching for things I need in my messy workspace, as well as the mini freak outs when something goes missing. In terms of limited space, storage and creating “big” sculptural works are slightly difficult to work around. It has been a challenge to get the “perfect” documentation of the works in such a limited amount of space. A challenge indeed but satisfying once I find solutions around it.

What is a typical day like? If you don't have a typical day, what is an ideal day?

On a good typical day after coming home from my 8-5, I would spend some time jotting down ideas or working on a WIP. Thanks to my current hybrid work schedule, I’m able to have my set-up ready to go once I get home. My sewing machine is the main tool to have on my desk regardless if I am sewing or not. My desk space must be fully occupied with stuff while I am in the zone. On weekends, I start my studio time in the afternoons after my walks or time outside. I enjoy doing window shopping on weekends, especially the need to see and physically touch objects.

What gets you in a creative groove or flow? Are snacks involved? ☺

A cup of Dunkin’ iced coffee and a LOT of snacks is essential before I start working – a need to keep all my senses busy. Oh, can’t forget the blasting of Hong Kong tv series as background noise.

Is there anything that interrupts and stagnates your creative energy?

I thought a full-time job would not stop me from creating works, but let’s be realistic – I am not superwoman. Ever since taking on an 8-5 and moving to a new state, it has interrupted my creative flow and process. It takes longer to get the creative juices flowing, to research, and to process the works in progress.

How do you select materials? How long have you worked with this particular media or method?

I select the materials based on my level of familiarity. These materials are usually relevant or common in Chinese culture which I interact, see, and know of. Aside from that, I consider myself a collector and a bit of a hoarder. My collection consists of familiarity and unfamiliarity objects which I utilize in my practice – how these materials could activate the space(s), tap into audiences’ memories, examines its purposes, and repurpose usage.

Can you walk us through your overall process? How long has this approach been a part of your practice?

I usually start by going through my archive of works, images, and notes that I jotted down during my encounters with objects I am fascinated with. Usually these are from my daily encounters and from familiar and unfamiliar objects that I see or feel. I believe the senses are very important in my practice, especially the sense of touch. I must touch the textures of these objects and materials before I begin my creative progress. How the choices of the materials could and/or couldn’t correlate with each other, what imagery and narratives these materials and object reveals to the audience is crucial to my process.

Can you talk about some of the ongoing interests, imagery, and concepts that have informed your process and body of work over time? How do you anticipate your work progressing in the future?

I have always been fascinated with objects that are common in Asian culture and how this imagery unites the presence of belonging and its history. Aside from seeking familiar and unfamiliar objects, I re-examine my own family kinship structure especially being the firstborn in an immigrant household. Within that, I explore the family dynamics and understand the relationships while healing from my own generational trauma through my works. I believe language and communication within my practice is significant especially being a Bilingual speaker, that has no knowledge of reading or writing of my mother language.

Do you pursue any collaborations, projects, or careers in addition to your studio practice? If so, can you tell us more about those projects, and are there connections between your studio practice and these endeavors?

Even though my mother was a seamstress, I would consider myself as self-taught when it comes to sewing. Sewing has become a huge part of my practice. For now, I am planning on focusing on improving my sewing abilities and continue making my own garments – perhaps a clothing line. By creating these garments, I experiment with the material limitations and find ways to upcycle.

Have you had any epiphanies recently that have changed the course of your work or caused you to shift directions?

A recent light-bulb moment happened one day when I was sitting at my 8-5 job. Through the continuous slouching I put my body through, I realized all the other bad habitual postures I picked up working a desk job. Since I am currently drawn towards furniture design, I thought to myself why not look at certain types of ergonomic equipment. How these tools can improve body posture while also critiquing habitual posture with its relation to pain. As a result of this interest, I have implied ways of creating interactive, yet stagnant sculptural pieces.

As a result of the pandemic, many artists have experienced limited access to their studios or loss of exhibitions, income, or other opportunities. Has your way of working (or not working) shifted significantly during this time? Are there unexpected insights or particular challenges you’ve experienced?

I was roughly a year out of undergraduate when the pandemic hit. Having to lose opportunities, being jobless, and having no income, I was still holding onto hope in the beginning. During that time, it felt like the most productive art period I had so far, but it was unhealthy. I would wake up, create, repeat, and lock myself in my room which became my studio space for almost a good year. Sure, I was producing and experiencing my highs at that moment, but I was at the point of full burnout. By squeezing whatever income I had left in order to create, was NOT a smart decision. I applied to many art grants and financial reliefs during that time only to get rejections, but one. That one grant opened many doors and exposure on social media. Yes, that gave me a glimpse of hope again, but then I finally realized that I need to re-strategize my practice. To continue this path, I needed to be financially, physically, and mentally stable.

Can you share some of your recent influences? Are there specific works—from visual art, literature, film, or music—that are important to you?

I am currently interested in furniture design. I have been drawn into looking at home décor catalogs and making trips to stores to view furniture. I am interested in how functional and nonfunctional designs could be. What makes certain materials more desirable and marketable than others.

Who are some contemporary artists you’re excited about? What are the best exhibitions you’ve seen in recent memory and why do they stand out?

Some recent exhibitions that stood out to me –

Pipilotti Rist: Big Heartedness, Be My Neighbor (at Geffen MOCA) – her videos and installations activated the spaces with its color. Her sculptural pieces were such a pleasure to experience and interact with.

Mika Rottenberg (at the Hauser & Wirth) – this was my second time seeing Rottenberg’s work in person, but my first time being able to interact with her kinetic sculptures.

Here are some contemporary artists that I go back to and excited for –

Haegue Yang, Monica Bonvicini, Mona Hatoum, Eva Hesse, Simone Forti, Louise Bourgeois, Cindy Sherman, Rebecca Horn, Felix Gonzales Torres, Gabriel Orozco, and Nam June Paik.

Do you have any tips or advice that someone has shared with you that you have found particularly helpful?

Success doesn’t happen overnight; we just work through at our own momentum. Jot down what you’ve in mind.

What are you working on in the studio right now? What’s coming up next for you?

I am currently working on a continuous project on seat cushions. This project is a transition from my “Potty-trained” piece. This series features drawings that convey shapes that reflect the stagnant motion of bodily postures.

To find out more about Kiki Jia-Qi Zhen check out her Instagram and website.