Xingze Li & Caiwei Chen

Xingze Li: I make ethereal portraits of walls and the interiors that surround me. Poised at the intersection of photography and sculpture, my work lends weight to mostly banal blank walls in domestic and semi-public spaces. Each wall carries its own sense of time, passage of light, and history of marks. Since 2016, I have lived in the US as a non-citizen and gradually awakening queer of color. When I feel disoriented by my immediate surroundings and sense a disconnection from my hometown in Yan’an, China, the observation of these neutral constructs offers momentary reverie and relief. With the desire to preserve those moments, I use my cell phone camera to take images of the transitory spaces I found myself in, often of my home, studio, doorway, or hotel room. I then transform those photos into flat sculptural installations that exude intimacy and antiquity, without altering the color or details of the images. Marked by a distinct, serene sensuality, each of the works freezes the perspective of the scene when I was in front of those walls and surfaces, emphasizing the unique convergence of color, shade, and light that make that moment special. The original photograph serves as a template for the process; however, I reshape the printed image based on the object I shoot and group the work organically to blur the boundary between reality and illusion, provoking the viewers to connect with what is often taken for granted. I hope to make work that builds the viewer a passageway into those moments of reflection, and enrich their day-to-day experience of the phenomenal world. Caiwei Chen Caiwei Chen is a writer, journalist and interdisciplinary artist based in Brooklyn. In her day job, she writes about technology, society and online culture. Outside of that, she enjoys recreating garments and accessories from 80s vintage patterns, making zines, among other fabric crafts she can share with the community. She has been creative her entire life, but is very new to calling herself an artist. You can learn more about her writing at www.chencaiwei.com. She is on Twitter/X @CaiweiC.