Artist Series: Meet Xiao-Cheng Hu

Xiao-Cheng Hu is an artist in Knysna who specialises in paint on canvas. His work looks at various cultural spheres between his Chinese ancestry, South African upbringing, and the impact of Western cultural dominance in our artistic practices.

Xiao-Cheng will be one of the artists featured in the ORIENTation: The diaspora of East Asian identities in South Africa exhibition taking place in Johannesburg later this year.

Read more about why Xiao-Cheng, when and why he became an artist and what inspires him.

"Be honest with yourself in the works that you create. One must keep on working, trusting the result to the future" ~ Xiao-Cheng Hu

Where were you born? Where do you live now?

I was born in Bloemfontein, Free State, and spent most of my life living in Johannesburg. I now live with my family in Knysna, Western Cape.

When did you become an artist? What is your speciality?

I don’t necessary think there is a qualification or achievement that marks when one becomes an artist. If it is a conscious decision, then I would say since pre-school. I knew for my pre-primary graduation that I wanted be an artist.

I mostly work with paint on canvas, and also with collaging where I incorporate Chinese xuan paper into my paintings. There is an ongoing dialogue in my work, looking at various cultural spheres between my Chinese ancestry, South African upbringing, and the impact of Western cultural dominance in our artistic practices.

What art training/studying did you have or were you self-taught?

I attended art classes on weekends when I stayed for a period in China when I was 11-12. For my high school education, I went to study at The National School of the Arts, in Johannesburg, majoring in Visual Art. I then studied my Fine Art degree at Wits School of Arts, Wits University.

Why did you become an artist?

I have not imagined myself pursuing another path.

What inspires you as an artist? Are there any artists that you admire?

Making art, and more making. Inspiration does not come, without the process of making. In general any information that I find that can contribute to my art, history, culture, society, music, nature, etc. Looking at artists is a vital part of my education, it shows me what is possible. There are many to name, and continues to expand, some on my mind include Willem de Kooning, Robert Rauschenberg, Antoni Tapies, Huang YongPing, Zhao WuJi, David Smith, Joseph Beuys. South African artists’ Edoardo Villa, Cecil Skotnes, Karel Nel, Bill Ainslie, Lionel Murcott, Pat Mautloa, etc.

Please tell us about your art, for the upcoming exhibition? What do you hope to achieve through your artwork?

To provide people an insight about my identity as a South African Chinese, allow people to rethink our relationship with others, and between us and the world we live in. We live in a world where divisions between people are becoming ever more extreme, due to wealth, race, class, and politics. What are the reasons for these? Another clear example that relates to current affairs, is the huge division created and imposed on the world by certain individual forces, during this global crisis we are all experiencing. Distrust, hatred, and fear are heavily felt. All these leave a negative impact on the global community. How does the world recover, and move forward?

Why do you think that this exhibition is so important?

For me one’s cultural identity is a crucial aspect in formulating what one is. As a Chinese person I think we need to inherit and embrace our culture, and history. As a contemporary artist, part of our practice is to investigate and speak about societal issues that formulates part our artworks. However I don’t think that is enough , relating to Beuy’s concept of ‘Social Sculpture’, for me the artist also has a role in contributing towards the factors that change society. That is to say the artist’s role is not exclusive to raising questions but to try and solve the situation, through what we can do. The importance of this exhibition lies in how we represent our own narratives as South African Chinese people, how it allows other people to engage with who we are, and to make what we stand for be heard.

What advice would you give to young aspiring artists in South Africa?

Be honest with yourself in the works that you create.

One must keep on working, trusting the result to the future.