Meet Hao Shen | artist

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

Hi Hao, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
Undoubtedly, painting makes me happy because it is not only my work but also a habit and a part of my life. I think the search and establishment of goals is often related to personal experience and the influence of the surrounding environment. When I was little, unlike other kids who liked to play outside, drawing and reading storybooks were my pastimes. As I invested more time and energy, my interest in painting grew into a passion. If I didn’t paint for a day, I would feel empty. Painting gradually became an inseparable part of my life. I know this is not a perfect answer. Because I don’t have exciting stories or complicated lives like other people, I’m just an ordinary person enjoying ordinary happiness.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a professional artist attending MFA program at School of Visual Arts in New York. At this stage, I use oil paint as my main medium. The motifs of my works are imitation, replication and excerpting. Currently, “imitation” is the main theme of my paintings. Imitation is essentially the conscious or unconscious behaviors of people encountering and becoming others, thus a form of deception to people’s vision and cognition. Using one traditional painting tool to imitate the effect of another is the motive and theoretical foundation of my current practice. So, the palette knives have become my primary painting tools. Because it is not as easy to paint details with palette knives as with brushes, my practice can also be seen as a new exploration of the language of painting, though it might meet a tragic end. To be an artist is not an easy thing to me. Because I tried installations, sculptures, videos and other art forms, and finally decided to return to the starting point of my artistic career — painting, especially oil painting, even though I was not professionally trained before. It took me four years to learn and find my own unique way of expression. How did I overcome the challenges? The only answer is continuous learning. As an artist, I never stop training my techniques. Here, “techniques” refer to not only painting skills, but also experimentation with new tools, study of art theory knowledge, attention to fields other than art, and understanding of world affairs. These are professional qualities necessary for outstanding contemporary artists, because to this day contemporary art has grown so infinitely compatible and so diverse in forms. The most important lesson I learned is the value of cultivating my interest in art to passion, because if you can keep creating art, you will realize that artistic activities are closely connected with your self-expression and identity. You will then reach out to learn and gain deeper understanding, which in return further nourishes your enthusiasm. With passion, what else can stop you? What I want the world to know about is my ambition and persistence. Many people claim that painting is dead, especially figurative painting. However, I insist that my expressive language of painting is unique, and few people achieve the visual effects I present using the same tools. Just kidding. I’m still alive and painting, so why should painting die?

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My best friend is also an artist. We share common interests and always have countless topics to talk about. What could motivate him to travel thousands of miles from China to the distant United States? There is no doubt that the excellent contemporary art exhibitions in numerous galleries and star-studded cultural and art collections in Chelsea and Tribeca, the MET, and MOMA are the places where are worth for us to visit. The Jeffrey Deitch Gallery in Tribeca is currently exhibiting Frank Stella’s huge sculptures, the vibrant colors, unique ideas, and sophisticated craftsmanship of which fascinate me. I specifically remember one group of sculptures is inspired by the movement of salmon. As for music and food, I strongly recommend my friend to go to Brooklyn Music Kitchen. There I once watched a performance of my favorite band Hang Him to the Scales while enjoying the food. It is worth to mention that the burgers and whiskey are delicious. My friend has similar music tastes to me and loves whiskey too. At the same time, the most famous century-old restaurant in New York, Katz, cannot be missed. The beef sandwiches there attract people from all over the world to try it. It is also very close to my dormitory. How can a friend not visit my residence when he comes?

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
The people I am most grateful for are my wife and parents. At the beginning of my career, there were many setbacks. However, my wife and my parents did their best to help me. After I got my BFA in Printmaking from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in China. I did not have a clear goal and sufficient knowledge. I turned from an optimistic and confident person into a fragile, irritable, and manic. During the darkest period of my life, my wife not only took on the pressure of taking care of my daily life, but also helped me very patiently to find what kind of art was suitable for me. It was a very long process. It took me four years to learn and find my own unique way of expression. Having said so, it is obvious that my wife is also an artist. She sacrificed a lot of her working time to accompany and enlighten me, which changed my almost distorted personality. I became an optimistic and resilient person who can withstand setbacks again. Of course, this is a bit self-boasting, but I just want to emphasize how important my wife is to my career. With her support, six years after I graduated, I began to work with galleries, held several personal exhibitions, and participated in a series of group exhibitions. My career path has become more and more solid. My parents also spared no effort to support me. They never questioned my choice. Even though they knew that life was difficult and stressful in the early stage of an artist’s career, they still supported me, offering me financial help. They are the cornerstones of my career path and have made me what I am today.

Instagram: bladedragonball