Meet XING RONG

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful XING RONG a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

XING, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

I’m happy to talk about how I found my sense of purpose.
I would say that I’m the type of person who needs a clear goal in order to stay motivated (though I’m not sure if that’s necessarily a good thing).
Since I was young, I’ve always had a strong sense of “playfulness.” For example, even though my parents enrolled me in extra classes when I was a child, I often skipped them or did my own thing, especially during my rebellious phase.
You could say that I’m not someone who likes to be told what to do. However, despite that, I truly enjoy setting goals for myself.
When I discovered during high school that I loved drawing and making short films, I set a very ambitious goal for myself—to get accepted into one of the top art universities in China. I made sure to tell my family and friends about this goal multiple times. Even though I would sometimes slack off in the process, I would push myself to work harder because of the promises I had made. In a way, it felt like I had programmed myself to keep moving forward, like a robot driven by its own commands.
Finding my goals has often been a passionate and emotional experience.
Sometimes, simply feeling a surge of excitement or inspiration is enough for me to tell myself, “I must achieve this!”
Even if mimicking a certain artistic expression might seem meaningless, I still set it as a goal in order to learn and grow from it. And as I continued to reach those small milestones, the bigger picture—the career I truly want to pursue and the artistic vision I truly want to achieve—gradually became clear to me.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I am currently a graduate student studying in Tokyo, Japan. In my undergraduate years, I majored in design and broadly explored various fields ranging from graphic design to curation. For my final graduation project, I decided to step away from conventional design and created a media installation instead.
After graduating, I wanted to further deepen my understanding of spatial media installations, which led me to Tokyo.
Now, I am conducting research in the “Media and Spatial Art Laboratory,” focusing on how to present the concepts of “the state of life” and “time within space” through spatial installations.
Right now, starting this year, as I wish to continue living in Japan, I am preparing for my graduation project and also preparing for employment.

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?

The three qualities I consider most important are: self-confidence, a thirst for knowledge, and sincerity.

First, as an artist and creator, having confidence in oneself is crucial. This is something I realized during the production of my graduation project, thanks to advice from one of my professors.
At that time, I hit a creative slump, but my professor encouraged us by saying, “I believe your work is wonderful! And you should believe that too! Your work is better than anyone else’s!”
That positive affirmation left a deep impression on me and my team members. Ever since then, whenever I face creative challenges, I remind myself of those words to give myself the courage to move forward. Of course, this confidence is not blind arrogance — it is an affirmation and encouragement of my own efforts.

Second is the thirst for knowledge.
I believe that seeking knowledge sparks creativity.
When I encounter something I don’t understand — even just while walking down the street — I make it a habit to immediately record it and research it the same day if possible.
This habit helps me continuously gather inspiration for my work.

Lastly, sincerity is a mindset I always maintain when interacting with others.
I believe that being genuine allows me to more clearly convey what I want to express and helps me build connections with new people.
Showing sincerity reduces the burden of pretense and allows me to approach others with kindness.
As the saying goes, “Sincerity and respect bring about virtue” — and having less falsehood in my heart makes life much lighter.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

Although I may work in Japan for a short period of time, I still hope to continue my research and creative work related to “spatial video installations.”
Currently, what I am thinking about is: when adding one more cube into a cubic space, it results in the addition of new planes.I consider projection to be the act of casting light onto a “plane.”Therefore, by using projection, it may be possible not only to limit the projection to two-dimensional planes, but also to express a sense of three-dimensionality.By applying this technique, I believe it is possible to express different states of life at different times within the same space.Similarly, it would also be possible to reduce planes within the space.

If anyone is interested in this topic, or has more innovative ideas, or is currently working on similar projects, I would be more than happy to discuss and exchange thoughts! 🙂

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tsurukyou?igsh=NzdzOWlreW85YWti&utm_source=qr
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@%E3%82%B1%E3%82%A4%E3%82%B1%E3%82%A4-e2l

Image Credits

《pic2》 & 《pic3》: Photo of Do Pixel Dinosaurs Dream of Shooting Stars? (2025)
《場照3》: Photo of Cretaceous Project (2022), Undergraduate Graduation Work
《pic4》: Photo of Phantom Existence (2024), Work Created During Graduate Studies