Xianglong Li Interviewed by Asian Creative Foundation

ACF featured an interview with VillageOneArt collaborative artist Xianglong Li by curator Hongzheng Han, and explored the unique perception of Western and Chinese cultures in Xianglong’s work.

H: Your practice implies appropriating pop culture references, internet memes, and social/political events. However, this artistic language is not new; what makes you stand out?

L: As a Chinese teacher in my virtual classroom, I hope my viewers can understand and remember some Chinese idioms, and they would use these idioms in conversation within or outside the art world. I also wish that after attending my language courses, the Western audience could become more aware of the racist stereotypes of China. Thus, it is not only about the knowledge output or language learning; it is more about the educational purpose of defeating racism and prejudice.

H: How are you dealing with this surge of Sinophobia due to the COVID-19 epidemic? Does this situation inspire you creatively?

L: From racist and cultural stereotypes of the Yellow Peril, which originated in the late 19th century, to Trump’s insane remarks such as “kong flu,”  we, the Asian community in America, are witnessing a continuous surge of hate crimes. And this surge is all because of the misinformation about the Coronavirus and the undefeatable white supremacy. During this time of chaos and uncertainty, I can only continue making Chinese idiom-learning videos for my Youtube Channel “Learning Chinese with Xianglong.” My goal is to attract more Western people to watch these videos and realize the detrimental effects of racist stereotypes and the cruel reality of the Asian experience in America.