“All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts…”

― William Shakespeare, “As You Like It”

It seems symbolic that the artwork titled “Imperfect Roles” won the International Art Competition, “Show Your World”.  As the genius Shakespeare noticed, “All the world’s a stage”. We play, create, pretend, judge, enter and exit, amaze and disappoint. Are all our roles perfect? Probably, not.

Besides, there is a bunch of objects co-existing with us. They become symbols, parts of our life, icons. Often, the objects are not even cherished – they are worshipped.

Xiaoxi Kang, the artist who won the competition* with her “Imperfect Roles”, views the objects as independent creatures inhabiting our world together with us, people.

RE:ARTISTE: What made you think like this about the objects?

XIAOXI KANG: I’m thrilled by the most controversial concept “things in themselves” in Kant’s philosophy. And through my work, I want to contemplate on the relationship between me and the object I am obsessed with.

R:A: So your ‘objects’ become ‘subjects’?

XK: Breton once claimed that “nothing of what surrounds us is object, everything is subject.” But for me, the both – the object and the subject – are insecure in their identity, and there is a constant exchange between them.

R:A: Do you feel that the world is balanced, being consisted of objects and subjects, which are sometimes twisted, intertwined and confused with each other?

XK: I tend to think that the true complement of life is unachievable. By breaking different characters and elements into pieces and reconstructing them I intend to convey it. Facing the crossroads in my life, I take myself as an example by visualising the struggles I have and the roles I play in the society.  It is the acceptance of myself being an imperfect person that matters. So it is also a record of this specific point of life from a very personal view. // Natalie Burlutskaya, curator

*The art exhibition “Show Your World” and an array of creative workshops will take place at Gallery MC, New York, January 15 – 17, 2016.

“Imperfect Roles”, Xiaoxi Kang. Colored pencils, watercolor, gouache, gesso, pen on watercolor paper, 96 x 30 cm