Portrait of longing - Xiao Xiao Painting

I'm drawn to challenging assumed hierarchies, and find inspiration as much on the street and in cartoons as I do from looking back at the history of painting. This collaged way of working reflects more accurately my experience of the world. After studying sculpture, I worked briefly as a free-lance toy designer. I use art making as a form of research and as a vehicle to explore subjects I would not necessarily immerse myself in otherwise. It's a personal dialogue and a wider one with the public through the art work. At the same time, the process of painting is also a way of quietening my mind and occupying a space that is undivided and unitive. I also draw from the vitality and power of tribal art, often merging notions of the sacred with the banal objects of pop culture. I like to compress these apparently opposing elements into works of meaning and humour; and by colliding these disparate worlds, I question my perceived values and prejudices. I've recently exhibited in the UK, Tahiti, France, Germany and Switzerland.