Hu Shasha is visual artist (painter) who lives and works in Beijing/ New York. In 2022 she receive her MA degree in illustration at MICA. Hu has already been included in various important exhibitions including “Wish you were here” at LeRoy Neiman Gallery, New York; Art Utopia, Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing; China-Korea Group Exhibition, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul;In between the tangible reality, Object MometÓ, Shanghai; Rock Color Painting Exhibition, Heilongjiang Art Museum, Harbin and solo exhibition in EGG gallery Beijing. In 2018 her works has been selected in John Mores Painting Prize China, Minsheng Museum of Modern Art.

Can you tell us about your background and how you started your artistic journey?

I was born in a northern oil city in China, where industrial landscapes coexist with traditional culture. From an early age, I was immersed in the world of traditional Chinese painting, which laid the foundation for my artistic sensibility. In middle school, I began formal training in gouache, watercolor, and sketching, and later attended an art college to further develop my technical skills.

My artistic journey also gave me the opportunity to work in contemporary art galleries and museums in Beijing’s 798 Art District, where I was exposed to a wide range of artistic voices and practices. Seeking broader perspectives, I pursued further studies at the University of the Arts London and Columbia University in New York, and earned a master’s degree from the Maryland Institute College of Art. These international experiences have profoundly shaped my artistic vision and expanded my understanding of art and its possibilities.

What is your typical process when starting a new piece?

Painting is a tool for expression, and I treat it as a form of visual diary. I construct the overall composition through analysis, deconstruction of imagery, and collage.

I don’t plan the composition or color relationships in a strictly analytical way. Instead, these elements emerge intuitively—shaped by years of training, aesthetic instinct, muscle memory, and emotional response. This process provides a genuine and spontaneous foundation for the work, allowing me to engage more deeply as the piece evolves.

How has your artistic style evolved over time?

In the beginning, I lived and worked in the Caochangdi Art District in Beijing, an area close to the international airport and the well-known 798 Art District. Many prominent contemporary artists lived there. However, it didn’t last long—government-led demolitions and evictions forced many of us to leave. During that period, I created many works featuring bones and darkness.

I later moved to the HuanTie Art District and several other places in Shunyi. Some of my paintings were damaged in the process of relocating. Over time, I realized that those dark expressions had little effect on the reality around me. I began to reflect on the meaning of human existence, and my work gradually became more positive and abstract—as a way to resist my own anxiety and fear.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being creative in your experience?

As long as we’re alive, we have a need to express ourselves. For me, the most rewarding aspect of being creative is the way it allows me to better understand others—and, just as importantly, to understand myself. Through the act of making, I find clarity, connection, and meaning.

What projects are you currently working on, and what can we expect from you in the future?

I am currently preparing for a solo exhibition in upstate New York, where I hope to offer the local community a new visual experience—one that encourages people to reconsider their everyday surroundings and reflect on our relationship with space. The exhibition will be held in a public library, a place my two-year-old daughter often visits, which gives the project special personal significance for me.

Since moving to New York, I’ve found that art resources are readily accessible—museums and galleries provide constant opportunities to see outstanding work. However, in China, aesthetic education is still not widely popularized. I hope that through my art, more people can integrate art into their daily lives and live with it.

How do you hope your art resonates with diverse audiences across different cultures?

Much of Chinese wisdom lies in simplifying what is difficult and complex, and I hope my work can embody that idea. I believe everyone is an artist—anyone can use painting as a form of expression.

In the age of artificial intelligence, as more and more forms of human labor are replaced by automation, many people may begin to feel a growing sense of meaninglessness. That’s why I believe it’s especially important now to reconnect with our inner lives and the world around us. Chinese philosophy—particularly its reflections on the relationship between humans and nature—has had a profound influence on my thinking.

My work often enters into a dialogue with nature and space, aiming to offer a more mindful and nourishing experience of life. Through art, I hope to convey a sense of calm, balance, and presence—an experience that can transcend cultural boundaries, encouraging viewers to slow down and reflect on what it means to live well.

Text & photo courtesy of Hu Shasha

Website: https://www.hushasha.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shashahushasha/