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An Interview with Kexin (Iris) Guan

Feburary 2025

Kexin (Iris) Guan

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Kexin(Iris) Guan is an artist born in Beijing, China, and currently based in New York, where she studies at the School of Visual Arts. Her work primarily incorporates mixed media, blending painting, sculpture, and installation art to explore the fusion of diverse materials. Without adhering to a fixed style or theme, Iris follows her intuition, allowing inspiration to guide the direction of her creations. She embraces experimentation with new materials and forms, bringing a sense of diversity and openness to her work.

In her creative journey, Iris is also navigating challenges with bipolar disorder, OCD, and ADHD. These experiences have deepened her understanding of the complexities of emotion, focus, and self-expression, making her work more nuanced and authentic. Her art has become a way to communicate her inner world, expressing struggles and self-exploration in a silent yet profound way.
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My art is an extension of my inner thoughts. As someone who holds many emotions inside, direct communication isn’t easy for me, so my work becomes a way to express complex feelings. Through art, I can convey thoughts that words can’t capture.

I enjoy blending painting, sculpture, and installation art, using mixed media to bring my ideas to life. In the early stages, I jot down fragments of inspiration as text or sketches and experiment with various materials. My process is open-ended, allowing ideas to evolve and even shift from their original form. Art, for me, is a channel to connect with viewers emotionally, inviting them to experience my perspective.

Looking ahead, I aim to explore more materials to expand my creative expression.
Can you share more about your journey from Beijing to New York? How has living and studying in NYC influenced your artistic practice?

KG: I chose to attend a university in New York City because I see it as a global hub for art—a diverse and inclusive city with abundant artistic resources. Having attended high school on Long Island, I frequently visited the city, so while adapting to a new environment was challenging, New York felt relatively familiar to me.

 

Living and studying at an art school here has been an exciting experience. The city's fast-paced rhythm and vibrant artistic atmosphere have allowed me to engage with world-class exhibitions and explore diverse forms of art up close. This environment has encouraged me to experiment with different media and styles, while also focusing more on using art to express my personal experiences and emotions.

 

In some ways, Beijing and New York are quite similar. They share a comparable climate and a fast-paced urban lifestyle, which made adjusting to life in New York somewhat easier for me. At the same time, living in a city so far from home has broadened my perspective. Even after four years in New York, I feel there’s still so much to discover—it continues to surprise me in unexpected ways.

Your work spans painting, sculpture, and installation. How do you decide which medium to use for a specific project?

KG: I don’t consciously decide on the medium based on how I want to present the work to the audience. Instead, the idea often comes fully formed in my mind, including the medium I want to use. From the moment I have a creative concept, I already have a vision of the material or approach I’ll take—it’s an intuitive process.

 

That said, I do experiments and test different ways to achieve the image or feeling I have in mind. I enjoy working with mixed media and exploring the sense of interaction it creates with the audience. The creative process often involves trial and error, adjusting and refining until I find the most fitting way to bring my ideas to life.

wind and sea.png

“Wind and Sea”

shrink plastic, chalk

12*14inches

2024/3

hoard.jpg

“Hoarding”

Cardboard, Masking Tape, Tinfoil, Clay, Fluid Acrylic, Receipts, Glass Bottles, Wire, Googly Eyes

16*12*15 inches(3 pieces in total)

2022/5-12

bewatched.tif

“BE WATCHED”

4*4 8*6 12*12 36*12

Acrylic on canvas, Clay

2024/5

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C8n6S-uy72h/?igsh=OHk5emZzeWJzMnB1

You’ve shared that art is an extension of your inner thoughts. How do your emotions and personal experiences shape your creative process?

KG: Sometimes my creative process begins with my own emotions, while other times it starts with the theme of the work. I’m not entirely sure if I see art as purely an emotional release—it feels more complex than that.

 

For example, when I created my piece Goldfish, I received a lot of feedback from the audience. One viewer shared that she felt deeply moved after experiencing the work. She had been feeling depressed due to some personal struggles, but watching the piece gave her a sense of awakening. That reaction surprised me—it wasn’t something I intentionally aimed for, but it was exactly what I hoped my work could achieve.

 

I believe everyone brings their own stories to a piece of art, so their reactions and interpretations will always be unique. My hope is that what I create can offer viewers a moment of reflection or even their own realizations.

goldfish.HEIC

“Goldfish”

Medicine bottles, plastic bags, wool, water

The full video is at: https://youtu.be/4onSryBbL2s?feature=shared

Experimentation with materials is central to your practice. Can you describe a recent project where trying something new led to an unexpected result?

KG: I enjoy experimenting with different materials because it brings me new experiences and a sense of curiosity about the unknown. Working with something I’ve never tried before often carries uncertainty, which I find intriguing. Sometimes, I’m not sure if the final result will align with my initial vision, but that uncertainty can lead to surprising outcomes.

 

In my work Inside, I used cyanotype as one of the materials, and there were some unexpected results. When exposing it under a UV lamp, the close proximity of the lamp caused the imprint of the bulb’s shape to appear on the surface. While this wasn’t what I had originally planned, it was an interesting discovery. After some adjustments and further trials, I was able to achieve the result I envisioned, but the “test pieces” also held their own charm. I didn’t see them as failures—they were surprising and inspiring in their own way.

inside.HEIC

“Inside”

77*35inches

Wool, cotton threads, wax, blue print on canvas

2024/2

What role does intuition play in your creative process, and how do you maintain this openness while developing cohesive works?

KG: Intuition is at the core of my creative process. Sometimes, my work starts as a spontaneous idea that I quickly jot down as a sketch or a note. I revisit these ideas later, developing them gradually as I work on them. The process often involves refining and adjusting step by step, based on how things unfold in real time.

 

Most of the time, I follow a rough vision—a preliminary concept—and let the work evolve organically. I believe openness and coherence are not contradictory but complementary. The spontaneous ideas sparked by intuition are often the most exciting, while coherence helps to shape those ideas into a complete framework. Together, they create a balance that drives my creative process.

Your work is deeply personal yet aims to connect with others emotionally. How do you approach balancing these perspectives in your art?

KG: I don’t typically consider the audience’s perspective during the creative process; my focus is more on expressing my own emotions and experiences. However, I use open-ended visual language, such as abstract forms, to allow viewers the freedom to interpret the work in their own way, rather than confining them to my personal story.

 

For me, the emotions in my work are deeply personal, but I understand that viewers will bring their own feelings and experiences to it. What I express might feel like anxiety or loss to me, but someone else might interpret it differently—and that openness is something I value in my art.

What’s your go-to spot in New York City to find inspiration or reflect on your art?

KG: I often find myself most inspired when I’m alone—whether I’m walking, sitting on a bus, or taking a train. I love daydreaming, getting lost in my own world and imagining things that don’t exist. 

 

I draw inspiration from observing the world around me: the clouds outside the window, the expressions of strangers, and imagining their lives. My creativity isn’t tied to a specific place but rather to unpredictable moments. A familiar scent in the air, a fleeting visual detail, or a certain sound can trigger memories or spark new ideas. Even the way the wind feels can transport me back to past experiences. These small, everyday elements are what truly fuel my imagination.

daily.HEIC
daily (1).HEIC
daily.jpg

“Daily”

16*8inches x3

2022/8

Do you have any favorite films, books, or other cultural references that influence your practice?

KG: Recently, I’ve come to realise the immense power of music. A single piece of music can completely transform how a work is perceived. In one of my latest, yet-to-be-released video projects, I & J, I paired it with the score Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence. After editing the footage to this music, I was stunned by the result. The rhythm and flow of the video felt entirely dictated by the music—it was as if it brought the piece to life.

 

This experience was eye-opening for me. It’s the first time I truly understood the importance of music in shaping the emotional and narrative impact of a work. It’s made me much more conscious of how sound can elevate visual art and create a deeper connection with the audience.

What reactions or connections from viewers have stood out to you the most? How do they shape your future work?

KG: When I created my piece Goldfish, I received a lot of feedback from the audience. One viewer shared that she felt deeply moved after experiencing the work. She had been feeling depressed due to some personal struggles, but watching the piece gave her a sense of awakening. That reaction surprised me—it wasn’t something I intentionally aimed for, but it was exactly what I hoped my work could achieve.

 

I believe everyone brings their own stories to a piece of art, so their reactions and interpretations will always be unique. My hope is that what I create can offer viewers a moment of reflection or even their own realizations.

 

In class, I also enjoy listening to critiques from my peers. They often bring perspectives I hadn’t considered, which I find fascinating. For example, during a performance, the audience was seated on the ground, and one of my classmates described how the light passing through dripping water-filled plastic bags created a sense of both holiness and restraint. The shadows cast on the wall appeared ethereal yet confined, evoking a sense of limitation and introspection.

 

Unfortunately, we later regretted that the fixed camera angle didn’t fully capture this unique atmosphere. It was a valuable lesson in considering how to document the nuances of a live performance. These kinds of insights help me see my work in new ways and inspire me to think more deeply about the relationship between audience, space, and the medium.

Looking ahead, are there specific materials or themes you’re excited to explore further?

KG: Looking ahead, I’m eager to continue exploring cross-media collaborations and interactive installations. In 2022, I developed a project called 1/4 Violin, where I used an Arduino Uno to control a violin through proximity sensors. While I collaborated with others on the technical aspects, such as coding, the concept, design, and execution were entirely my own. This project was both exciting and challenging, and it deepened my interest in combining technology and art. I’m motivated to build on this experience and take on the technical challenges to expand my creative potential.

 

In addition, I plan to continue exploring themes rooted in personal experiences. These subjects are deeply meaningful to me, and I believe there’s still much to discover and express within this realm.

1_4 violin.HEIC
1_4 violin copy.HEIC

“1/4 Violin”

Arduino, servo, ultrasonic sensor, violin

20*6inches

2022/8

https://www.instagram.com/p/C4o9mHWtV5q/?igsh=MXFucWpzb3BneHRlZA==

What does a typical day in your studio look like? Do you have any rituals or habits that help you focus?

KG: I don't have a very regimented life, I only go to work when I'm inspired, and I'll concentrate for many hours at a time before I go home. I usually listen to some pure music to concentrate while I'm working.

Who or what are some of your biggest inspirations, both inside and outside the art world?

KG: My biggest source of inspiration is my experiences and memories.

You’ve mentioned navigating challenges with bipolar disorder, OCD, and ADHD. How do these experiences inform your approach to creativity?

KG: Me and my illness are in a symbiotic state right now, bipolar disorder is now causing some damage to my brain and taking a lot of my creativity away, but I also express my emotions in my work. ADHD makes it impossible for me to focus on many things, but when it comes to something I'm inspired by or interested in is something I can forget about and work on for hours on end.

What do you hope readers take away from your feature on :iidrr Talks?

KG: I want readers to realize what I'm made of.

breath.HEIC

“Breath”

Oil pastels on paper

18*24inches

a trial.HEIC

“A Trial”

Toy assorted animal noses, Human skin, photo frame, acrylic paint on plastic sheeting

67*27inches

2023/12

Iris.HEIC

“Iris”

16*20inches

Instax film, acrylic on canvas 

2023/11-2024/2

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