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 see my paintings as an array of countless dreams that connect me to the subconscious. These paintings compose an anthology of fleeting moments, emotions and inspirations, along with endless tales in the terra incognita with their own narrative. 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.
To me, each of these paintings is an energy, a love letter unto itself, unfurling a universe that oscillates between reality and imagination, intertwining dreams and memories in vibrant colors and subtle textures. They craft a sanctuary where whimsy and introspection dance harmoniously, constructing a world that is both poetic and deeply personal.
Xinran Guan
Artist Statement