Meet Mengjie Mo | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mengjie Mo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mengjie, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I come from Yunnan Kunming, known as one of the largest gathering places for ethnic minorities in China. Within this area, 25 distinct minority groups coexist, with some still adhering to matrilineal traditions. Living among this diverse tapestry of cultures, I had the opportunity to witness and appreciate their unique differences. This experience served as the initial spark that ignited my critical examination of patriarchal society. As I nurtured this seed of curiosity with introspection and artistic exploration, it flourished into a powerful force within me.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My artwork takes a critical view of myself as a woman living in the male gaze of society. Growing up, I examined myself harshly with internalized slut-shaming voices. By conforming to the misogynistic double standards, I devalued my sexuality and struggled with self-criticism. The social sentiment on the Madonna-Whore Dichotomy limited my self-expression within relationships. Through learning about the feminist movements, I reestablished my value system step by step. I practiced self-reflection in each art piece I worked on. I forced myself to jump out of my upbringing. I stayed distant from what I was taught as a girl and rebuilt what I should fight for as a woman. I aim to motivate more understanding of women’s shared struggle. Having realized the interconnectivity of womenkind, I cultivated more compassion and kindness toward other women. It also shaped my aesthetics in art and nudged them toward inclusion. I see more possibilities for myself and my career, going beyond a “good woman”. My self-value improved, decoupling the external male-prioritized value system from myself. This made me more confident in succeeding in what I set my mind to as a woman.

I portrayed my inner experience with performances, jewelry pieces, and sculptures. I examine the different values of red and, by using voice and tactile sensation, describe my inner experience. The weirdness of randomness and the beauty of math logic happening in the same piece represents that I am using my work as an exit to explore a random women’s adventure in this world. Textile/beading shackles women’s lives but also contains women’s magic. By using the tension of beads and thread to call back the memory of typical historical women’s labor, but now women’s traditional skills are my new weapon to fight with patriarchy.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Let’s forget about the free drink you can taste in World of Coca-Cola instead, let’s go to the Center for Puppetry Arts!!! We can meet with Kermit the frog, and my best friend Miss Piggy. I am so into puppetry, and if you decide to buy a puppet as a thoughtful gift for me after our visit, I’ll gladly treat you to some delicious garlic truffle ramen from Silverlake

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Iris Eichenberg, my mentor. She is like a guiding beacon amidst the ocean of my life. She consistently provides unwavering support to me, serving as both a remarkable artist and an exceptional art educator. Before encountering her influence, I believed students could only acquire knowledge from their instructors through formal classroom settings, syllabi, and PowerPoint. However, Iris shattered this notion entirely. She introduced us to the authentic art world experience, affording students the opportunity to engage with great contemporary artists and offering her unwavering support without conditions. Through her deeply emotional and resolute feminist perspective, Iris has profoundly influenced me.

Website: https://www.silentdog.net/

Instagram: @mlikeadoor