Interview
Sophie Dezhao Jin
Sophie Dezhao Jin is a multidisciplinary visual artist from Beijing, China, whose work delicately navigates the complexities of human relationships - whether with others, with nature, or through the lingering echoes of past experiences. She holds a B.A. in Visual Media Arts Production from Emerson College and has cultivated a diverse practice that spans photography, filmmaking, and mixed media installation. Jin’s recent exhibitions include the 2024 Milan International Art Week with ISOLART Gallery in Florence, the Florence Contemporary Art Exchange Exhibition, Identity Cycle at ISOLART Gallery, and To Be Seen, To Be Heard, To Be Known at Huret & Spector Gallery in Boston, USA. Now based in Los Angeles, California, Jin continues to expand her multidisciplinary practice, engaging in a global conversation that bridges cultural and emotional landscapes through visual storytelling.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“I was born in China and moved to the United States at a young age to pursue my education. Growing up between two cultures shaped the way I see and process the world uniquely, especially through visual language. I studied Visual Media Arts Production at Emerson College, where I focused on photography and filmmaking. Where I find both mediums as a way to express myself when words are not strong enough. My artistic journey began as a way to document and understand my emotions during those in-between moments of identity, transition, and belonging.”
What inspires you?
“I’m deeply inspired by raw emotions, subtle gestures, and the beauty found our bodies. Sometimes by books I read, either literature or philosophy, sometimes by conversations I had with people, and sometimes simply as moments in everyday life. I’m also moved by the people around me, their stories, both personal and collective, and I strive to tell them in ways that feel tender, non-invasive, and intimate.”
What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?
“My work explores the selfhood, the tension of past memories, and the reversal of the male gaze. In my photography series, Absent Presence, I reflect on the emotional distance between myself and past experiences, creating images that hold both presence and absence in a single frame. In The Light in Her Essence, I examine how the female body can be captured through a lens of care rather than consumption. I aim to subvert the traditional male gaze, approaching the body not as a spectacle, but as a site of connection, memory, and softness. There're always whispers in my work to reimagine what tender intimacy, remembrance, and feminine strength can look and feel like.”
How would you describe your work?
“My photographs live in the space between reality and dream. Technically, I'm into the technique of in-camera double exposure and natural light, without relying on digital editing in postproduction. This approach allows me to create ghostlike, layered images that speak to memory and emotion. Visually, the work often feels soft, ethereal, and emotionally resonant, with an emphasis on texture and atmosphere.”
Which artists influence you most?
“I’ve been drawn to the works of Nan Goldin and Francesca Woodman since the beginning of my photography journey. There’s an underlying strength in both of their practices, a raw emotional honesty that continues to influence with me. I also find myself being inspired by traditional painting, particularly in the works of Degas and Cézanne, whose use of gesture and form has deeply influenced the way I think about the body and composition.”
“My work explores the selfhood, the tension of past memories, and the reversal of the male gaze.”
What is your creative process like?
“My process usually begins with writing or visualizing emotions or moments I want to preserve. Sometimes an idea sparks suddenly, and I’ll immediately write it down in my journal or talk it through with a friend. When the image is especially clear, I even sketch out compositions for my photographs. But more often than not, I go in blind behind the camera and let my sensations guide me. If I'm taking photos with models, I often take time to get to know my subjects before photographing them, creating space for trust and genuine emotional connections.”
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“I see the role of an artist is to create space for what words can’t quite express when emotions are too complex or too powerful to articulate. Artists have a unique ability to translate the unspeakable into something we can see, feel, and resonate with. Especially now with technology, our attention is increasingly fragmented, I see artists as someone can create a ‘pause',’ offering moments of stillness and reflection, helping us to re-engage with emotion and complexity. I believe the artist’s role is evolving into that of a cultural listener and interpreter, and also encourage audience to reflect on both the inner emotional world and the broader societal currents of the time.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“‘Absent Presence’ has received considerable recognition in both exhibition and award contexts. The series has been presented in several major international exhibitions, including the 2023 Florence Contemporary Art Exchange Exhibition. The 2023 Santa Maria del Fiore Art Week Exhibition, ‘MAPPE’ 2024 Milan International Art Week, and the ‘Medusa, La Gorgone’ exhibition held by ISOLART Gallery at Villa Trossi Livorno in Italy. Absent Presence was honored in the New York International Photography Competition, where it received distinction across both the Film Photography and Black & White Photography categories.”
Website: www.sophiedezhaojin.com
Instagram: @sophie_.jin
