Art Direction Collaboration Projects

Curated from 2020 to the present, this collection of narrative art projects represents a sustained partnership between our art study‑abroad institution and a diverse group of young creators. The artists featured in these projects are predominantly university students—individuals who are deeply sensitive, emotionally vulnerable, and often bearing personal histories of trauma.

As their mentor and artistic director, I have walked alongside them through this multi‑year collaboration. My role has been to nurture their creative abilities, foster their artistic discipline, and jointly explore the themes they feel compelled to investigate. We venture inward, confronting their own wounds and self‑imposed limits, while simultaneously learning to channel their inner emotions into outward expressions of care and empathy for the wider world.

Over time, the majority of these students have achieved a profound sense of personal agency. They have found in our creative partnership a trusted confidant, and they have grown into “experiential researchers”—individuals who draw from their own pain to engage meaningfully with societal issues and the hardships faced by others. The outcome is consistently inspiring: each participant not only builds lasting self‑confidence but also discovers a creative workflow that feels natural, empowering, and uniquely theirs.

The Trance on An Island

An exploratory project about the summer lifestyle of residents in an ancient town, in which Hu Qianying conducted on‑site interviews with the townspeople, listened to their oral histories, and was introduced by them to the recreational activities of this relatively closed‑off community.

Memory in the Wet

This project is artist Hu Qianying's exploration of her own inner trauma. In this project, she created scattered, fragmentary paintings that resemble prose pieces. We collaboratively placed them in a bathroom and simultaneously filmed the entire installation as a video.

Invisible Wound

This is an art project that explores psychological disorders through creative expression. Artist Jilin focuses on hoarding disorder, eating disorders, and depression. Drawing on her background in ceramic techniques, she uses sculpture to convey the profound, abstract inner experiences of individuals living with these conditions.

The Pieces

This project is a game art project by illustrator Siyi, created through large hand-painted soft sculptures and blanket materials, for interaction with children. It mainly describes how cultural relics in museums establish appealing cognitive images in early childhood

The Trance on An Island

An exploratory project about the summer lifestyle of residents in an ancient town, in which Hu Qianying conducted on‑site interviews with the townspeople, listened to their oral histories, and was introduced by them to the recreational activities of this relatively closed‑off community.