Xinran Guan was born in Beijing, China, and currently resides and works in Brooklyn, New York. She earned her BA from Bard College and her BS from Columbia University in 2016, followed by her MFA from the LeRoy E. Hoffberger School of Art at Maryland Institute College of Art in 2019.
Xinran primarily works with oil paintings, constructing a collection of imaginary and mythical spaces that encompass a wide range of imagery and abstraction. Drawing inspiration from the depth of Chinese art and the philosophy of tragedy inherent in Chinese thought, Xinran’s work goes beyond simple representation, aiming to evoke emotions deeply embedded in the subtle intricacies of existence. Guided by the Taoist principles of harmony and the idea of oneness of everything, her art embodies the interplay between the tangible and formless, and the nuanced variations of emotions—echoes of melancholy, tranquility, longing, and joy—each brushstroke paying homage to the complexity of human experiences.
Statement
I’ve always been scared of darkness. Nevertheless, I love gazing through my window at night. The darkness is both daunting and thrilling, as it hides what I see everyday, and transforms it into an ineffable world of silhouette. This mystical shroud conceals the world's intricacies, blurring the line between dreams and wakefulness. It acts as a gateway to an alternate reality, where fantasy and mythology converge on Earth, unveiling the universe's hidden secrets and true history.
I’ve always been intrigued by questions like ‘Where did I come from?’ ‘Where am I headed?’ Is the world really how we see it, or are we confined like Plato's cave dwellers? These inquiries guide me as I embark on a spiritual quest, seeking a connection to the cosmos.The world, veiled by darkness, snow, and fog, shrouds the Earth, forming a celestial canvas that beckons my mind to transcend time and space. In this boundless reality, I feel linked to the cosmos on a profound level. It's as if nature whispers that a hint of obscurity is necessary to see better.
I see my paintings as an array of countless dreams that connect me to the subconscious, dreams forged from my memories, emotions, past traumas, and a ceaseless fascination of the cosmos. For each painting, I would intricately lay down sketches as seeds, followed by layers of paint and wash to either mask or unveil them. It's within the interplay of masking and unveiling that the intangible eventually surfaces between the tangible and the formless. As the intangible emerges through this process, my myriad experiences coalesce into a singular, amalgamated dream. It’s a dream that weaves its own myth and origin, and it’s also my best wishes to the world.