Xin Yue
Peace by Pieces, Liquid Identity: the Influence and the potentialities of Buddhism in Contemporary Art
Summary
In a world shaped by constant movement and change, Xin Yue's research investigates the concept of liquid identity through the integrated lenses of Buddhist philosophy and contemporary art. Engaging with notions such as anattā (non-self), anicca (impermanence), and bardo (transitional states), her project reimagines identity as fluid, relational, and continuously evolving.
Through a methodology that combines autoethnography, collaborative storytelling, and embodied artistic practice, Xin develops a body of symbolic works, including sculpture, sound installations, wearable forms, and ephemeral materials. These pieces construct contemplative environments where impermanence becomes a site of transformation rather than loss.
Rather than articulating identity as a fixed essence, her practice proposes a poetic, sensorial space of becoming—inviting resonance, touch, and reflection. In these fluid environments, identity is not defined, but sensed, shared, and quietly unfolding.
Keywords: Liquid identity, Buddhist philosophy, Abstraction, Fragment, Psychoscape.
Additional info
Artist Statement
Xin Yue’s artistic practice is deeply informed by Eastern philosophies—particularly Buddhism and Daoism. Through a visual language of abstraction and fluidity, combined with fragmented narrative strategies, she constructs contemplative psychoscapes that exist between reality and inner imagery.
These ephemeral spatial compositions invite sensory resonance: the gathering and dispersal of fragments, the shifting of light and shadow, and the tension between material fragility and resilience. Within cycles of impermanence and transformation, her work gestures toward the sublime—seeking a quiet encounter with nature’s stillness and the transcendent truths embedded in the flow of change.
