Meet Hao Jiang

Today we’d like to introduce you to Hao Jiang.

Hao, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Throughout high school, a common scene in my family’s apartment was my father, who finished a day’s work at the office was sitting on the sofa and watching a TV show while my mother was still working on her accounting job at home. I was editing photos that I took at school. My parents refused to allow me to study art at college, therefore, I considered photography as merely my hobby to develop in my spare time. They wanted me to pursue a degree in math, as they felt studying math was a good way to make a living and gain respect. My family was traditional, and they wanted me to settle down and not roam around aimlessly following my graduation.

After I entered the University of Arizona, I took many math courses, but there was a particular experience with my Writing and Proving Math course that stands out as a turning point in my academic career and my way of thinking. After getting back an exam, I received a pretty low score, but my American friend did well. We had studied together, and I had thought that our skill levels were similar, however, I had a much more difficult time explaining and proving theorems. On the same day, I went to an exhibition of a Chinese studio art major as a way to distract myself from the results. I remembered the name of the show, Improvisation Fiction, and this was the first time I had encountered mixed media art.

I was entranced by the beauty of artworks and felt inspired. I talked to the artist for quite a while and, at that time, I decided to pursue a career in art. Here I am, as a photo graduate candidate in ASU, exploring the definition of contemporary art and practicing my own artwork with my random hallmark style.

Has it been a smooth road?
My parents being very traditional, I anxiously approached them with the idea of studying art in graduate school. Initially, they persisted with the idea that I should pursue a math degree and a respectable job, but I promised them that I would try to become a professor of art in the future. Eventually, they accepted my choice.

Entering an environment that I will enjoy because of the people I will meet and the works I can critique brings me great joy. The critical thinking involved in art is the most important thing that I want to develop in graduate school. Within the current Chinese art society, the main focus is on commercial artwork because of the money that can be made.

In spite of this trend, my goal to change people’s minds step by step with my fine art pieces in the future. Imagining myself at 45 years old, walking through a gallery that is filled with my own works that provoke emotions and thoughts in the minds of my guests, this thought provides motivation towards the pursuit of my dreams.

We’d love to hear more about what you do.
First of all, I am presenting five continuous projects combined. I am sending only pictures, but I want to explain everything I created to you. You could also find everything on my website.

The first work (stage) 5.2 Light years away from my tragicomedy, is a series of large format prints that tell a story about my feeling during my severe depression, neurosis, and psychosis — the conflict between the reality and virtuality when I encounter panic attacks. Also, the work introduces the relationship between me, my friends and my family that becomes a significant impact on my illness recovery.

The second work (stage) Bird and Wind, is an experimental video that digs more about myself during my illness, my longing for the beauty of the world and my dance in those scenes. Also, the spilt screen tells a story that two of me are fighting each other to talk about how I struggle with my illness from time to time.

The third work (stage) Everlasting Vigil, is an unconventional documentary video that using myself, my daily life and art working process as a small example of illustrating how hard to fight with the depression and how I use art to fight with social issues to inspire my audience to think about their life choices when they are watching my video.

The fourth work (stage) Saccharine Journey, is a series of prints that dig more profound about the relationship effect to my life and current society. I record people who interact with me a lot during my daily life and elements contains memory about when I get along with them by photographs. I treat this journey as a healing potion to my illness. My mental condition is getting better and better after this journey.

The fifth work (stage) Bird and Wind 2, In this work, I will question the balance between me and the mysterious power inside of me. I have serious bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Bipolar disorder is a mental disorder that causes periods of depression and periods of abnormally elevated mood. The elevated mood is significant and is known as mania or hypomania, depending on its severity, or whether symptoms of psychosis are present.

I want to fight with my inner mysterious power, and I cannot kill it because it’s part of me. Seeking the balance between me and the power is the most important thing for me to focus on if I want to cure myself. I use animation combined with music to describe how the power will function when I have feelings that caused me to hurt myself.

Also, there is a live action performance where I will perform to show the audience how I react to the other me. Eventually, I want to introduce works around these issues to the public and heal people who have the same problems using my artwork.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Being an MFA in ASU.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.haojiangart.com / www.haojiangimage.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hhhhmylife/

Getting in touch: VoyagePhoenix is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.