Zihan Xie
About
Zihan Xie is a Chinese artist based in London, who graduated with a BA in Public Art from the Xi’an Academy of Fine Arts in 2023, and studied for an MA in Photography at the Royal College of Art from 2023 to 2024.
Zihan’s artwork is centred on the themes of trauma, memory and aftermath, and explores the complex interactions between these themes through the use of a variety of mediums, including claymation, collage, moving image and photography. She is committed to presenting the complexity of the human experience through a unique visual language, inviting the viewer to think deeply about the nuances of trauma, the fragility of memory and its profound impact on personal narratives.
Zihan’s work is inspired by her own personal experience: in 2021, she suffered a fractured ankle and underwent two months of surgery and rehabilitation, and although she recovered well after her release from the hospital, her physical functioning could not be restored to what it once was. The nerve adhesions caused by the surgery caused her ankle to lose its original range of motion and skin sensibility, which led to her interest in the aftermath and its impact on the psychological state of the injured. During her rehabilitation, Zihan came across clay stop-motion animation and was fascinated by its unique texture, ease of shaping, and texture when water is added. The creative process of filming the changes in clay, frame by frame, had a healing effect on her.
During her studies at the Royal College of Art, Zihan chose to work in an ecology-themed group, where her tutor often led classes in parks and wetland parks, an experience that had a profound impact on her art creation. During her research, she learnt that Axolotls have a strong ability to repair limbs, which inspired her to create the stop-motion animation piece ‘You Don’t Have To Look For It‘. The work tells the story of the Axolotl’s entanglement with its wounded self, and aims to express that the healing ability has already existed, and there is no need to look for it intentionally, and that those seemingly disturbing experiences and clouds that cannot be removed have in fact become the nourishment for healing the self.
Instagram: @ziiihaaaaan
YouTube: @ziiihaaaaan
Email: zihanxie001@gmail.com
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