Xinyi Liu works with mulberry paper and wash cloth, which resonate with the thin and silky quality of human skin. She creates works that metaphorically mimic the processes of treating wounds to heal. Through her “medical” manipulation, they become her “second skin.” Like a doctor, she does surgeries for her work.
She received her BA and BFA from Cornell University, and her MFA from Columbia University.
What is your artistic background/education? How did you first get interested in art?
I grew up in China. I received the very strict traditional painting and drawing training from a very young age. When I came to the United States to study at the age of seventeen and came into contact with contemporary art, I was amazed by the variety and diversity. I then started creating various types of art, including printmaking, installation, photography, and time-based sculpture. I received my BA and BFA from Cornell University and my MFA from Columbia University.
When I was three in my first painting class, I was too nervous to draw my first picture. My tears jumped on my paper one by one, gradually fanning out with ink. Tears bloomed into flowers. Amazed by this sudden transformation, I forgot every fear. I pasted pigment on my fingers and pressed the tears onto the paper. It turned into my first painting.