Constructions of Internality – Discussions on Xiang Jing's Works

like a very specific person. Indeed I hope that these works can refer to any individual woman. While gender is clearly involved here my more general interest lies in expressing a fundamental sense of humanity, one unrelated to gender or difference. In this respect, such markers are the things I hope to peel off layer by layer in my work, revealing an awareness related to the whole — the integral (existing) whole.

Daniel: Zhu Zhu, which aspects of Xiang Jing’s works, say in the series “Keep in Silence” we talked about earlier, are representative of her relationship to feminism? Do you think using such a label as  feminism to describe a series or her larger body of work is appropriate or not?

Zhu Zhu: When speaking of Xiang Jing’s work I think it is more appropriate to emphasize the deeply individual dimension of her creations. For an older generation of female artists the desire to express creative themes or influence through the language of gender consciousness and feminism exerted a strong influence on artistic form. In reflection such forms appear to be a relatively simple formulaic construction in which female artists showed feminist consciousness by amplifying female bodies, desires, and emotions. For Xiang Jing’s generation of female artists though, the collective emphasis on gendered forms of the previous generation has given way to a more personal mode of expression in which label driven or conceptual works have been replaced by individual experience.
Of course, in the process of forming her style Xiang Jing was undeniably influenced by her understanding of Western feminist art and theories. However, I think her ultimate achievement rests in her choice to produce work that proceeds from personal experience.
In many ways “Naked Beyond Skin” summarizes Xiang Jing’s whole sculptural project from her early to later stages. During this period she produced a number of outstanding works that display a richness of form. Consisting of collections of girls, elderly women, and group portraits, they covey a depth of shape and pallet. As this body of work represents, in my opinion, a milestone in Xiang Jing’s artistic production, I think it