Interview
Xiaorui Huang
Xiaorui Huang is a New York-based Chinese human rights artist born and raised in China. In 2012, Huang went to Ipswich, England, to attend St Joseph’s College, where she pursued her A-levels with a major in fine art. Huang later moved to New York, where she obtained her BFA at the City University of New York (CUNY) Queens College. She went on to receive her MFA from the City University of New York, Brooklyn College in 2023.
Huang has been working as a supplemental painting instructor at the Borough of Manhattan Community College of the City University of New York since the spring of 2019.
Huang’s work delves into various aspects, including social-political contemporary contrariness, the rights of children with disabilities, contemporary feminist concepts, gender discrimination, queer visibility, and gender equality movements in Asian society.
Huang’s work has appeared in a solo exhibition in The Walter & Joan Hobbs Art Gallery in New York, and group exhibitions at a virtual gallery—Camelback Gallery based in Arizona; Powerhouse Art, Theatre 1 Breezeway Gallery, Shirley Fiterman Art Center in New York; and Saatchi Gallery in London.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“I started my first still-life study when I was 10 years old, although I ultimately entered the art world through many different paths. The first is my professor, Thaddeus Radell who encouraged me to take my first step into this world.
The second is the heavy emphasis on women’s rights with which I grew up, directly influenced by my family environment. Women in my family are all career-oriented, and family takes a secondary role.
The third is understanding the significance of human rights and promoting fairness. While I acknowledge that the world is not entirely fair, I hope that people will avoid bullying and refrain from judging others based on stereotypes. It is crucial to treat disadvantaged groups equally, since we are all human.”
What does your work aim to say? Does it comment on any current social or political issues?
“My works have so far been divided into three parts which express my understanding of human rights in different fields. The first part focuses on feminism and gender equality. In the 2000s, most families in China were patriarchal, including my own. Both my parents were hardworking individuals, but their social treatment was unequal. This made me deeply aware that despite having the same abilities, Asian countries tend to prioritize men, even if women are more capable. As I grew up, I realized that there are no tasks exclusively for men that women can’t accomplish, and physical strength is not a limiting factor. I even worked as a freelance construction worker and being a former athlete, my physical strength was at par with that of the men. I’d lift the same weights, perform the same tasks, and work independently. My recent feminist work, ‘Construction Women Worker’, is a reflection of my experiences and perspective.
The second part focuses on equal treatment for children, especially disabled children. I have a fondness for children and believe that every child is born pure, like a blank canvas. Our every movement and expression is a different color on the canvas. Even a casual remark can have a lasting impact on them. While you can always re-gesso a painted canvas, it can never be as fresh as an unprimed one. Currently, I’m working on a series about children’s innocent happiness, using free-hand sketches and drawings created by the 4-12 year-olds that I’m teaching, as backgrounds. My nephew, who has autism, and my niece serve as the protagonists, dancing joyfully.
The third part delves into reflecting anger and disapproval towards contemporary human rights violations. In my piece, shown below, I incorporated newspaper clippings and painted canvas collages using acrylic paints and mediums on a stretched white canvas.”
Do you plan your work in advance, or is it improvisation?
“I begin each series by improvising, then I plan and refine the series based on the initial improvisation.”
Are there any art world trends you are following?
“I’m interested in social commentary and social justice issues in contemporary human rights, with a particular emphasis on topics such as children’s rights, feminism, and political resistance.”
What process, materials and techniques do you use to create your artwork?
“I apply paints vigorously using traditional tools such as brushes and pallet knives, and use my fingers to push back against what tradition represents. I usually use acrylic paints mixed with oil pastels, and acrylic medium for the collage.”
“My paintings are created with specific social justice content in mind, and they explicitly challenge traditional cultural stereotypes and forms.”
What does your art mean to you?
“My art is my social analysis and emotional interpretation. It’s what I want to say to people. My painting is an expression, an idea, a hope. It is my emotional and inspirational support. My art practice is an act of freedom and defiance for myself as an Asian woman. Here, I create space to express complicated thoughts and feelings.
I hope my work will bring attention to the structural injustices against women and disabled children in Asian communities. I hope it also empowers Asian communities by propelling women to step out of people’s inherent impressions and do things they are supposedly not allowed to do within their cultural construct.”
What’s your favorite artwork and why?
“My favorite artwork is Disability Child with Society Emotions (2021) Collaborate with Kilusan Tagle Bautista Audio Credit to Jieying Deng. This painting is a performance project for the special children communities. I was assisted by an Asian performance artist Kilusan Tagle Bautista, whose work also focuses on the community of children with disability. This project is an art performance that centers on the impact of the social environment, on the emotional and psychological world of children with disabilities, and vulnerable groups.
The white scene, with me dressed in white, symbolized newborn disabled children. Kilusan splashed paint on me, representing various social emotions. Eventually, my clothes and surroundings transformed into an aggressive scene, portraying that disabled children may develop in response to society. The concept of the performance is that every newborn child is pure white; different colors represent different emotions in society. Children can be easily harmed by the environment around them. My performance shows the world of a child with a disability. I had a solid emotional context with this project.”
