Xiaojing Yan facts for kids

Xiaojing Yan (pronounced "Shiao-jing Yan") is a talented artist from China who now lives in Canada. She creates amazing sculptures, art installations (which are like art experiences you can walk through), and public art that you can see in cities.

Early Life and Art Journey

Xiaojing Yan was born in 1978 in Jiangsu, China. She studied art at the Nanjing Arts Institute, finishing in 2000. Later, she moved to North America. She earned another degree from George Brown College in 2004. In 2007, she received her master's degree in sculpture from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in the United States.

Moving from China to North America shaped her art. Her work often explores how different countries, languages, and cultures mix together. She has shown her art in many famous places. These include the Royal Ontario Museum in Canada and the Suzhou Museum in China.

Big companies like Hermès have asked her to create special art. For example, she designed a summer window display for their store in Shanghai in 2019. In 2021, Hermès asked her to make a permanent art piece called "Emergence" for a new store in Shanghai.

What Her Art Is About

Xiaojing Yan's art often explores deep ideas like spirituality and how people change. She uses her own experiences from growing up in China and then moving to Canada. This helps her create new versions of traditional Chinese art styles.

In her 2018 show called In Suspended Silence, she mixed old Chinese ink wash painting with modern sculptures. She uses traditional Chinese materials and ideas from art history. This helps her art show the journey between different cultures and finding your own identity.

The "Lingzhi Girl" Series

One of her most famous works is “Lingzhi Girl” #10. This piece was even featured on the cover of Art in America magazine in 2022. This series includes figures of humans and animals. They are inspired by old Chinese myths and folk tales.

To create these unique sculptures, Yan grows real lingzhi mushrooms. She mixes mushroom spores with woodchips. Then she puts this mixture into a special mold she made. She carefully controls the humidity, temperature, and light. This helps the mushroom grow into the shape she wants.

Once the mushroom has grown enough, she removes the mold. The sculpture is delicate and continues to change naturally. It's like a team effort between the artist and nature. This kind of art mixes art, science, and natural processes. It makes you think about how art, nature, science, and culture are all connected.

Art Shows

Xiaojing Yan has had many solo art shows where only her work is displayed. These shows have been in different cities around the world.

• 2021 Pines, Needles, Mushrooms, Ink, Paint, New York City, USA
• 2019 Dreamland, Hermès Maison, Shanghai, China
• 2018 In Suspended Silence, Richmond Art Gallery, Richmond, Canada
• 2018 Auspicious Omens, Suzhou Museum, Suzhou, China
• 2017 Out From Among the Tranquil Woods, Varley Art Gallery, Markham, Canada

She has also been part of many group exhibitions, where her art is shown alongside other artists' work.

• 2022 The Art of Living on Community, Immigration, and the Migration of Symbols, Canadian Culture Centre, Paris, France
• 2021 Qi of Water, Art Gallery of Mississauga, ON, Canada
• 2020 If a Turtle Could Talk, Art Museum at the University of Toronto, ON, Canada
• 2019 Shaping Time, Latcham Art Centre, Stouffville, ON, Canada

Art in Public Places

Xiaojing Yan has created many public art pieces. These are artworks placed in public spaces for everyone to enjoy.

• 2018 Dwelling, City of Burlington, ON, Canada
• 2018 Cloudscape, Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, ON, Canada
• 2017 Sound of the Rain, Elora Centre for the Arts, Elora, ON, Canada
• 2016 Moon Gate, Jinji Lake Art Museum, Suzhou, China
• 2013 Couldscape, Seneca College, Toronto, ON, Canada

Awards and Achievements

Xiaojing Yan has received several important awards for her art.

• 2021 InStyle Women Increation Prize in Visual Arts
• 2018 OAAG Exhibition Installation and Design Award
• 2014 Outstanding Young Alumni Award from Indiana University of Pennsylvania
• 2013 Mandarin Profile Awards from Fairchild TV
• 2011 Best of Show Award, The Latcham Gallery, Stouffville, Ontario, Canada