10 Questions with Lexiong Ying

Born in Shanghai and based in London, Lexiong Ying is an interdisciplinary artist working across multiple visual media. Her practice is driven by a critical engagement with contemporary society, drawing upon personal experiences and an acute awareness of the evolving social landscape.

Her work explores themes such as the fragility of human relationships, the illusions of consumerism, ecological consciousness, and animal welfare. She also delves into the challenges female entrepreneurs face and the profound influence of technology on modern life. Through her distinctive visual language, she seeks to prompt reflection on the intricate dynamics between individuals and their environments.

Beyond her artistic practice, she is also a practising fortune teller, blending ancient wisdom with contemporary insights. This unique synthesis informs her multidisciplinary approach, enriching her creative exploration with a deeper philosophical perspective.

@lexi.visual

ARTIST STATEMENT

Lexiong Ying, born in Shanghai and based in London, is an interdisciplinary artist working across various visual media. She holds a Master of Arts in Data Visualisation from the University of the Arts London and a bachelor's degree in Fashion Design with Marketing. Her work has been exhibited in London, Düsseldorf, Paris, and Barcelona and featured in multiple media outlets.

Drawing from personal experiences and a keen awareness of societal shifts, Lexiong explores themes such as the fragility of human relationships, the illusions of consumerism, ecological consciousness, and animal welfare. She also addresses the challenges of female entrepreneurs and examines technology's impact on modern life. Her distinctive visual language encourages reflection on the complex dynamics between individuals and their environments.

Beyond her artistic endeavours, Lexiong practices fortune-telling, blending ancient wisdom with contemporary insights. This integration enriches her multidisciplinary approach and adds a deeper philosophical dimension to her work.

The Hypocritical Us, Short Film, 46s, 2020 © Lexiong Ying

INTERVIEW

Please, tell us a bit about yourself. How did you first get interested in art and when did you decide to turn it into your career?

Art surrounded my life early on. My father used to deal a lot with auction houses, and I looked through auction house albums in my childhood, which was probably my initial encounter with art. And after that, I started to learn sketching and colouring. After I built up a deeper understanding of the world, I became interested in contemporary art.
With a diverse academic background, I define myself as an interdisciplinary artist. My creations are often based on personal experiences, observations, and reflections. Art is one of the best ways to express oneself strongly. It allows me to face the world honestly within myself.

You were born in Shanghai and are now based in London. How have these two distinct cultural environments influenced your artistic outlook and the themes you explore?

For me, the cultures of the two cities aren't dramatically different. Growing up in Shanghai — a vibrant and international city — helped me adapt to life in London quite naturally. It's true, though, that there is a particular regional character to what I create in Shanghai, and I'm more likely to consider issues and expressions that are more Chinese in nature. Obviously, there are all kinds of people in London, and if you want to, you can meet various interesting people and stories every day. I think this diversity has helped me to express myself more consciously and intensely, and has been very good for inspiration.

Your background in fashion design, data visualisation, and visual art creates a unique interdisciplinary practice. How do these disciplines intersect in your current projects?

Interdisciplinary practice has been necessary from long ago to the present and into the future. Just as a modern human can scarcely go back to the life of an isolated troglodyte, there are visible and invisible connections in everything. We often collaborate to complete projects, and the same is true of disciplines. So, as an example of my artistic practice, in my experimental photography of plastic human relations, I used some of the basics of patternmaking in fashion design to make a suitable plastic outfit for a model. And in my data visualisation practice-based project, How Do You Verify That You Are You, I chose to present a brightly coloured 3d printed sculpture for the purpose of healing people burnt out by modern technology, and I wanted to convey a positive message: Hey, Technology is indeed developing a bit too fast, but it doesn't matter; let's slowly adapt to it together. You are not alone. No one can limit how projects have to be, and interdisciplinarity always comes naturally when you try it out.

Your work often examines the fragility of human relationships and the illusions of consumerism, as you mention in your statement. What personal or societal experiences have shaped your exploration of these themes?

These topics are all drawn from things I've seen or experienced in real life. The theme of fragile relationships comes from people I knew back then — they used to be really close, like sisters, but ended up falling out and blaming each other because of conflicts over personal interests.
The Illusion of Consumerism is more personal to me. It's about how many young people, myself included, get caught up in chasing brands and material things in order to seem more stylish or appealing. I want to look into the distorted views and values behind this trend.

How do you verify that you are you, 3D Printing Installations & Sculptures, approx. 10x15 cm, six pieces, 2023 © Lexiong Ying

Technology and its impact on modern life is also a recurring theme in your work. How do you see the digital age shaping our identities and relationships?

Based on my personal experience, I don't think technology is as useful and efficient as people think it is in facilitating human relations. Sure, it can be the beginning and front part of relationships, but people are always going to be face-to-face. The information exchanged face-to-face is all-encompassing and vivid. Technology is purely an instant linking tool in human interaction. The extent to which we can understand our interactions with others relies on being together.
Technology is always just a tool and a way; it is not the ultimate goal. How to use it wisely is what needs to be paid attention to. So, for self-identity, technology is a double-edged sword. For example, for a girl, you can simultaneously get social cues on the internet that you want to be thinner and more beautiful. You can also get the idea that you can give up on ignoring all that looks anxiety and that it's toxic to overdo it. All of these different notions depend on what we actuallythink about ourselves. Technology displays amplify or artificially interfere with, but the key is listening to our inner voice and whether you're actually happy and pleasurable.

You also investigate ecological concerns and animal welfare. How do you translate these complex ethical issues into visual language that resonates with your audiences?

This needs to be based on careful data and background research. I worked on a project highlighting the need for more attention to endangered and protected animals. In that project, I compared data on endangered animals from an anthropocentric perspective with those that are actually more endangered, based on scientific statistics, to show viewers the aspects they are overlooking. The logic of the project is to layer on top of each other, taking the viewer from the most superficial human-assumed perspective to one that is based on rigorous scientific statistics, and at the end, the viewer will suddenly realise that the information they have been receiving is very limited, and that the blind spots in their thinking are real.

Your fortune-telling practice adds a fascinating layer to your work. How does this spiritual or philosophical dimension influence how you conceptualise or develop your art?

As a practising fortune-teller, I have the unique opportunity to engage with a wide range of personal narratives and emotional landscapes through my clients' stories. This experience has deepened my sensitivity to the subtle dynamics of human emotion-the rises and falls, the cycles and contradictions-and has cultivated in me a habit of exploring the underlying psychological and existential causes behind them.
This attentiveness to emotional experience has already informed some of my creative practice. For instance, in my branding work for the oriental spa 'SUIHUI Hot Spring', I developed the core concept of "leaving blank space in a busy life," integrating elements of meditation and mindfulness into the spa's identity. The goal was to offer not only a service but also an emotional sanctuary — a space that invites inner stillness and reflection amidst the noise of modern life.
I hold the view that human behaviour is fundamentally shaped by emotional expression and that emotion itself arises from consciousness. Based on this understanding, I am deeply interested in the integration of spiritual awareness with artistic practice. I believe that this fusion can yield experiences that are not only aesthetically engaging, but also emotionally grounding and potentially transformative for the audience.

Can you tell us about a recent or ongoing project that best encapsulates your multidisciplinary approach and your reflections on contemporary society?

At the end of last year, I finally fulfilled a long-held aspiration by travelling to Iceland, where I was deeply inspired by its otherworldly landscapes and extraordinary geological formations. During the journey, I extensively documented my experience through photography and video, capturing the raw natural beauty and the subtle emotional responses it evoked. I am currently in the process of reviewing, selecting, and organising this material to develop it into a cohesive body of work for a future photographic exhibition.
This project also marks an essential step in my ongoing interest in exhibition-making as an artistic and communicative practice. Beyond image-making, I am increasingly drawn to the curatorial dimension — how spatial arrangement, sequencing, lighting, and atmosphere collectively shape the audience's experience and interpretation of the work. Through this process, I have realised that effective curation is not merely a logistical task, but a creative extension of the artwork itself. In this sense, the project is both an artistic and curatorial experiment, through which I hope to deepen my understanding of constructing immersive and emotionally resonant exhibition environments.

Are there any new directions you're excited to explore in your future practice?

I have previously explored augmented reality (AR) on a preliminary level within my artistic practice, and I believe it holds considerable potential as a tool for expanding narrative depth and viewer engagement. AR allows for the layering of meaning, enabling art to unfold dynamically across time and space.
Currently, I am developing two directions for further exploration. The first involves creating an AR-based guidance system — potentially through AR glasses — that leads users to designated urban meditation spots, merging technology with spiritual healing and reimagining the city as a site for inner stillness. The second focuses on incorporating AR into my photographic work, extending static imagery with elements such as motion, ambient sound, or interactive text. These experiments aim to shift the viewer's role from passive observer to active participant, and to use digital tools to serve emotional depth and embodied experience.

Lastly, what change do you hope to inspire with your work?

Each work carries its own resonance, touching each viewer in a way that is uniquely their own. I do not seek to control those responses — only to offer a quiet anchor, a starting point. If my work can stir even the faintest ripple within someone's inner world, like the gentle flutter of a butterfly's wing setting unseen currents in motion, then it has already fulfilled its purpose.

Artist’s Talk

Al-Tiba9 Interviews is a promotional platform for artists to articulate their vision and engage them with our diverse readership through a published art dialogue. The artists are interviewed by Mohamed Benhadj, the founder & curator of Al-Tiba9, to highlight their artistic careers and introduce them to the international contemporary art scene across our vast network of museums, galleries, art professionals, art dealers, collectors, and art lovers across the globe.

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