Meet Xuanyu Ye

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Xuanyu Ye. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Xuanyu below.

Xuanyu, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?

I used to be a very introverted person and often lacked the courage to express my opinions to others. I also felt a sense of shame when presenting and describing my works. I’m not sure where this feeling came from, but it did have some negative effects on my life and social interactions. But later, I realized that it might be because I cared too much about what others thought or was overly perfectionistic, fearing that I might say or do something wrong.
The way I built my confidence and self- esteem was quite straightforward. First, I reminded myself that life doesn’t have as many spectators as I imagined—no one really cares if I do something embarrassing in a particular situation. Second, I prioritized my own feelings and stopped worrying too much about criticism. Everyone’s opinions are subjective. For example, when I create art, some people will like my work, and others won’t. But as long as I put in my best effort on my works and stay true to myself.

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?

My name is Ye, I‘m an artist also a painter now study at School of Visual Arts in New York. My works are basically oil paintings, ceramics and clay. My style of works are expressionism because I am good at using colors and brushstrokes to express emotion. I believe that the environment and the information could expose affects one’s aesthetic and emotional expression. And I have a great interested in metaphysics and nature, so these elements often appear in my paintings.
I also use my artwork to reveal social issues, such as the situations that women are struggling with. Over the past few years, I have continuously followed these topics and related news, and I deeply hope to do something for women in those difficult situations.As an artist, I believe that art is a powerful medium, so I illustrated these in my paintings. In addition to that, I have also joined some women-friendly initiatives, such as charity events like donating women essentials. I hope that through our collective efforts, more people will become aware of and understand these social phenomena.

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?

I believe that the most valuable trait I possess is perseverance. For example, when it comes to drawing, I was exposed to it even before I learned how to write, and I have continued ever since. Although there have been times when I felt stuck due to external pressures or creative block, I have never once thought about giving up on this skill. There was a time when I doubted my profession and skills because of employment concerns, and I believe many of my peers have faced or are currently facing the same dilemma. What I want to say is that existence itself is reasonable—no skill is completely useless. Think back to the reason you chose to pursue it at begging and why you have persisted until now; perhaps that will help you find clarity.

The second trait is my openness to new things. I firmly believe that people must constantly embrace new ideas to keep progressing. The education we receive today, the knowledge in textbooks, and the experiences passed down by our elders are all based on the perspectives of previous generations and their understanding of society at the time. Therefore, we should actively absorb more information from now era—respecting tradition without being confined by it. Life itself provides endless inspiration.

Lastly, I have the ability to adjust my mindset and remain optimistic. In today’s world, where pressure is a common burden, I deeply empathize with those struggling with stress. That is why I consider a positive attitude toward life to be an invaluable trait. I constantly cultivate new hobbies to enrich my life, and I believe that others in similar situations can try the same—discovering personal interests to make life more fulfilling.

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

Yes! I am looking for like-minded collaborators. I have skills in oil painting, digital art, ceramics, and sculpture, which fuel my strong interest in commercial illustration, product design, as well as toy and collectables design.

Additionally, I am one of the leaders of a women-friendly community called SVA Women Supporting Women Club. We regularly invite guest speakers to hold presentations on women’s career development and workplace experiences. We also engage in charitable initiatives, such as donating women’s essentials, and organize art therapy sessions to help relieve stress.

I warmly welcome artists and those who are passionate about supporting women to collaborate with me. If you’re interested in any of the above areas, feel free to visit my website xuanyuye.com and reach out via the contact email listed there. Thank you!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://xuanyuye.com
• Instagram: yexuanyuarts_
• Linkedin: Xuanyu Ye

Image Credits

Image by Xuanyu Ye