Shoutout LA Artist Interview

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

Hi Xiao, 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.
I paint on canvas and paper my feelings and emotions. My inspiration is derived from fashion, music, films, Broadway musicals, road trips, and my environment. Oftentimes, I am delighted to discover something new in my seemingly mundane daily life. I then render them as paintings. In lieu of representational depiction, I frequently use unreal color to accentuate personal feelings, employing a vibrant palette inspired by the French Fauvist Henri Matisse. Recently, I’ve been working on a series titled The Bather. I enjoy bathing. How wonderful it is to submerge one’s entire body in warm water. When I’m surrounded by steam, I feel as if I’m in a dream. I believe there is no color more appropriate for this feeling of warmth than red. Consequently, extremely brilliant cadmium red predominates in my bather paintings.

What led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I never considered becoming an artist until I met Mr. Gesang Zhaxi, a Tibetan Thangka artist, in the summer of 2015. I left my hometown in southwest China and came to the United States to attend college earlier that year. That summer, I stayed on campus and received an email informing me that the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market was seeking a Chinese-speaking volunteer. Mr. Gesang’s interpreter was assigned to me after I responded. Even today, I’m surprised by how minor events can alter the course of one’s life permanently. I become acquainted with Mr. Gesang and his decades-long commitment to traditional Thangka painting. I was profoundly moved by the artist’s belief and the strength of art. At that moment, I was certain of my desire to become an artist.

I returned to New Mexico last month for this year’s Art Santa Fe, where several of my paintings were on display. As I drove down Canyon Road, all of my vivid recollections flooded back to me. I left Santa Fe seven years ago to pursue my artistic ambitions at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Returning to Santa Fe, where my relationship with art began, feels like completing a full circle.

How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges?

After graduation, I worked for a tech company as a software engineer for a few years before I can do art full-time. During those years, I remember I would get up super early in the morning and paint before work and used all my weekends and PTOs to paint or travel to different exhibitions. The job can be stressful sometimes, but I know that it can help me to get to where I want to go. Gradually, I get more exhibition opportunities. First at group shows at local galleries, then more opportunities in Europe. I would say my turning point is the Biennale di Genova in Italy last year, where I was very lucky to be one of the exhibiting artists. After that, I start to get inquiries from collectors and galleries, which leads to more exhibitions in the future. Then I knew it was a good time to leave the job and put all my energy into my art. It took me another few months to prepare for the exit. Being an artist is not easy, being an international artist in the US is even more difficult. I was on an employer-sponsored working visa previously, so I have to apply for the O1 artist visa before I can make the transition. Luckily the visa application went through. I had some fear before leaving the corporate job, but looking back, I think this is the right decision.

What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way?

Overcome my inner critics and self-doubt. Just perform the necessary tasks. Knowing that there will always be people who dislike my work, but that there will also be people who connect with my work.

What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?

In September of this year, I will exhibit my most recent body of work at Art San Diego at the San Diego Convention Center. It consists of my most recent night and dream-themed paintings and works on paper. Please visit the exhibit if you are in the area!

Brief intro:
Xiao He is a multidisciplinary artist with a focus on painting and visual communication design. She was born in China and currently resides in San Francisco. Xiao He received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and her Master degree from Carnegie Mellon University. As a member of the Oil Painters of America, Xiao’s work has been exhibited internationally, including at the 2022 Art Capital (Paris, France), 2021 Biennale di Genova (Genoa, Italy), Upstream Gallery (New York, United States), and Shanghai Postwave Art Festival, with upcoming exhibitions in Portugal and Korea. A Collection of Random Thoughts, her mixed-media artist’s book, is now part of the permanent collection of the Joan Flasch Artists’ Book collection in Chicago. Xiao has served as a juror for exhibitions at Art Space Milano and is currently a member of the Apex Art New York jury panel.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I will take my friend to San Francisco’s Mission District. We would go to the Stable Cafe in the morning and have a light breakfast in the succulents garden. We will then proceed to the newsstand at Heath Ceramics. Alternatively, we could go to the ODC dance commons and participate in the Rhythm & Motion dance class. Then we will stroll to Mission Dolores park, stopping at Souvla for sour cherry Greek yogurt en route. We will find a shady spot under a tree in the park and observe happy people walking their dogs against the backdrop of a vibrant city.

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?
Mr. Gesang Zhaxi, whose art and devotion to Thangka have always been my guiding star.

I would also like to thank my beloved art professor, Nancy Murphy Spicer. I am appreciative of her support for female artists and her generous assistance with my studio practice.

I would also like to shout out to the book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo. In the past, I experienced a very dark period in my personal life. I picked up this book by accident in a local bookstore, and I ended up devoting my entire Thanksgiving break to a “tidying festival” involving the organization of every item in my apartment, including clothing, books, and sentimental items. Despite having discarded bags of objects, I found myself keeping nearly all art-related items. That’s when I realize that art is my true joy-inducing calling.