Meet Julie Hsieh

We recently connected with Julie Hsieh and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Julie, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
Throughout my life, I immersed myself in different forms of art and creativity, from the art of vocal performance, to the art of medicine, and finally to visual arts.

Since childhood, I have loved to sing. In high school I developed a voice that was emotive and powerful, with listeners positively affected by my rich mezzo-soprano voice. I liken visual art to vocal performance as they are both mediums through which I can express myself to others, providing a window to my inspirations, feelings, and the culmination of my diverse experiences.

Although my first career was in medicine as a family physician—receiving a Bachelor of Arts from Stanford University and a medical doctorate from Baylor College of Medicine—creative arts has always played a significant role in my identity. After residing in the United States for 30 years, I moved back to my hometown of Taipei, Taiwan in 2014 to pursue creative arts full-time.

My artwork is abstract, inspired by my diverse backgrounds in music and medicine, as well as my surroundings. I seek freedom while creating, engaging in a dialogue with the art medium, a mutual feed back loop until its final form is revealed. I use mediums such as acrylic, oil, pastels, charcoal, watercolor and ink. Art is an escape from the routine, sameness, and predictability.

I feel that art is an expression of our humanity with unlimited potential to connect people from different backgrounds and nationalities. Art transcends boundaries and has the powerful capacity to heal, empathize, connect and inspire. The sky is truly the limit and I feel fortunate to ride on the wings of art’s journey.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I established my first gallery Yuan Ru Gallery in 2016, based in Taipei, Taiwan. It is located in a high-rise building at the center of Taipei with bimonthly contemporary art exhibitions, overlooking the cityscape of the tallest building in Taiwan, Taipei 101.

Yuan Ru Gallery exhibits artworks of many established and emerging contemporary artists and exclusively represents Taiwan’s premier magical realism artist, Chien-Hsing Lien. Yuan Ru Gallery actively plans, organizes, and hosts art exhibitions and lectures, and participates in international art fairs and exhibitions. International Art Fairs participation includes Hong Kong Art Central in 2017 and 2018, “Personal Structure-Open Boundaries” hosted by European Cultural Center during the 58th Venice Art Biennale in 2019, 2019 INK ASIA in Hong Kong, 2020 Art Wynwood in Miami, 2020 Hybrid Art Fair in Madrid, 2022 Seattle Art Fair, and since 2018 has never been absent from the Taiwan’s annual art and cultural event Art Taipei, the most established art fair in Asia. Yuan Ru Gallery provides an outlet for the world to appreciate the beauty of Taiwan art, while also presenting works by international artists.

Yuan Ru Art Center, established in 2022 in Bellevue, Washington, proudly presents artists from Taiwan and other international artists to the Pacific Northwest, as well as provide a platform for local Pacific Northwest contemporary artists to showcase their artworks. The mission for the Art Center is to transcend boundaries, connecting people from diverse backgrounds through the power and beauty of contemporary art. Since returning to the Seattle area summer of 2021, I am grateful to establish this second international contemporary art gallery, with almost 5,000 sq feet of exhibition space, in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Being open to possibilities and new opportunities, and not being afraid to experiment to figure out what works best for you.

Be aware that luck is a big part of any successful journey and appreciate and be grateful to your lucky stars when your journey is on the right path.

Sometimes you have to learn on the go, and also accept help from others who sincerely want to support your endeavors. Don’t be afraid to ask about an opportunity that may come your way. You’ll never know unless you ask.

Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
Time is the limiting factor, especially when I try to do too many things at once. With all that I do as a working Mom, doing double duty as a very active volunteer in my kids’ school district, as well as running two galleries, one in the Seattle area and one in Taipei, I find that I don’t have much time to create my own art. Finding the time and inspiration to create my art is a challenge I am currently facing.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Laura Ohata Alan Hsiao Shuan-An

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