COLLECT ART

Special Edition

VOL 68

3D ART

May, 2025
on the cover ‘Flying’ by Salome Kobulashvili
 Introduction
Welcome to Volume 68 —a special edition that invites you to step beyond the canvas
and into the dimensional frontier of contemporary creativity. This issue is a bold
celebration of 3D art in its vast and evolving forms: from hyperrealistic sculptures to
immersive installations, from intricately rendered digital worlds to tactile explorations in
textiles and mixed media. Here, form defies convention, space becomes narrative, and
the boundary between art and audience dissolves.

The 3D medium has long occupied a space at the intersection of tradition and
innovation. Sculpture, one of the earliest human art forms, has evolved into a
multidimensional language used to engage, provoke, and awaken. Today’s 3D artists
are heirs to that lineage—but their tools and visions are radically redefined. In this issue,
we feature a curated collection of international artists who are shaping the new visual
lexicon of dimensionality. Each artist brings a unique approach, yet all share a
commitment to pushing material, perception, and space beyond the expected.

Within these pages, you'll encounter sculptures that defy gravity, installations that
envelop the senses, digitally generated landscapes that blur the line between real and
unreal, and textile works that transform the intimate into the monumental. These works
challenge our understanding of volume, surface, and presence. They question
permanence, visibility, and even truth in a world that often privileges the flat and
fleeting.

This volume also offers deep insights into the minds behind the forms. Each artist is
presented not only through their work, but through biographies, artist statements, and
personalised interviews. These conversations explore their creative processes,
conceptual underpinnings, material challenges, and the philosophies that animate their
art. In revealing the often unseen narratives behind these physical works, we invite
readers to engage with 3D art not only as viewers, but as participants in an ongoing
dialogue between form and thought.

As technology continues to expand our creative vocabulary, 3D art becomes more than
sculpture—it becomes experience. From augmented reality overlays to AI-generated
structures, dimensional art increasingly reflects the hybridity of the world we inhabit. In
this issue, you will find works that speak to this digital-material convergence, expanding
what it means to build, shape, and embody in a contemporary context.

Volume 68 stands as a testament to the power of dimensional thinking. It asks us to

move, to circle, to pause, to peer closer. It asks us to consider how space is not merely
occupied, but activated—and how artists today are transforming that activation into
urgent, poetic, and profound statements.

Whether you are a collector, curator, creator, or curious explorer, we hope this special
edition transports and inspires you. Let this be an invitation: step inside the third
dimension, where surface gives way to depth, and where every angle reveals
something new.

03
Table
of
Contents Introduction 03

Teo San José 05

Salome Kobulashvili 11

Kirsi Vahtera 14

Andrew Stevens 20

Colin Gillespie 25

Lexiong Ying 31

Yang Liu 38

YY Wang 42

Selma Eduarda Pereira 47

Caroline Lindqvist 51
Teo San José
Sculptor of poems could be the best way of defining the identity of this international sculptor and citizen of
the world. After his beginnings in the world of ceramics, his steps through wood, stone, cardboard paper,
and the definitive metal led us to think of a being in constant movement and evolution. Dynamic equilibrium
is perhaps his objective and definition, both his personal one and that of a sculptor, poet, writer, art
therapist... an apprentice of the miracle of being human. From a language far removed from representation,
Teo San José seeks a synthesis of meanings. Where expression and containment go hand in hand.
On the other side, the information that the sculpture receives from its spatial context is inescapable and
always becomes part of the meaning of the art piece. In this way, the environment contributes certain
meanings to the sculpture, and the sculpture in turn intervenes in the environment. In this work, matter and
emptiness not only shape space, they also pass through it to compose new places. The material becomes
immaterial, and the opaque can become transparent, making new interpretations flourish, always in
movement.

05 PORTAL OF SERENITY - Steel, 12x7x6m, 2013/ Location: Zibata(Mexico), photo by Carlos Rangel
THE UNIVERSE OF LETTERS
When we seek to identify a culture, we are usually guided by its monuments, history,
music or traditions. However, there is another universe that can define the identity of a
culture:
Its Alphabet
This is the case of Arab culture. We may recall that it was through its calligraphy that for
centuries all the knowledge accumulated in the ancient texts of millenary wisdom, of
Greek culture, of Alexandria, of the Middle East, etc. was protected and became available
to the rest of the world through the Arabic language and its great work of translation.
Thereon, they could be transmitted to other languages, and other cultures could make
use of them. On this occasion the Arab world performed the miracle... by means of his
calligraphy; the-se same letters that today, centuries later, give life to the project.

The Universe of Letters

A series of monumental sculptures over 3m high or wide, one for each letter of the Arabic alphabet, made of steel.
Wandering, admiring, discovering each letter and perceiving its power of transmission transcends one’s own aesthetic perception. A
walk among the sculptures of the Universe of Letters can allow us to feel that subtle identity, which every human being has and
perceives with all his senses, even the most intimate or deepest, those that lead us to spirituality, to another dimension that allows us
to create in ourselves spaces of calm, serenity and peace that we may then transmit and share with our environment.

Sculptor-director: Teo San José/ Project Manager: Regine Mayer/ Structural Engineer: Rafael Molina/ Architect: David Saldaña
Consultancy Arab World: Miriam Toukan Video & Photo: J. Maria Hortelano Metallurgical workshops: RCI, Cordoba (Spain)

06
‘’My sculptural work arises from the desire to create spaces for dialogue. The public and private works I realize
count on the clear intention of intervening in people's daily lives. In many cases, they do not remain in standardized
exhibition spaces, rather they aim to find their place and their audience. Thus, the point of reference changes, and
with it the piece itself. This transformation without change is one of the fundamental ideas of my projects.
Tension as a dynamic balance between concepts appears in all its aspects. The use of steel asa material
contributes weight and solidity to the artwork. While the fact that its forms are curved and stylized creates a state
of lightness. It is precisely this relationship between the elements which attracts my interest.

Dynamic Balance 13

Equilibrio dinámico es una serie de esculturas que reflejan de una manera intimista la sensación atípica de unas formas que generan espacios y unos
espacios que generan vacíos llenos de movimiento… sutileza.
Año: 2021
Materiales / Dimensiones: acero (3mm de grosor) / alto:45cm x largo:35cm x ancho:35cm
Fotografía: José Mª Hortelano

A language far from representation that seeks a synthesis of meanings. On the other hand, the information that
the sculpture receives from its spatial context is inescapable and always becomes part of the message of the piece.
In this way, the environment brings certain meanings to the sculpture, and the sculpture in turn intervenes in its
environment. In my work, matter and emptiness not only shape space but also penetrate it to create new places.
The material becomes immaterial and the opaque can become transparent, giving rise to new interpretations that
are always in motion.’’

07
AIR OF FIRE

Air of Fire represents the movement of transformation, but also that

of firmness. When the wind makes the sculpture vibrate, the magic of
fire awakes. Monumental sculpture - symbol and reference of the
success of an international company. It creates a place of relaxation
for staff, customers and passers-by.

Year: 2020
Location: Bordeaux (France)
Material: Steel (spins with the wind)
Dimensions: H: 5,30m x L: 2,20m x W: 2,30m
Photo: Rafael Molina

08
You began your career focusing deeply on light, shadow, and texture with yellowish clay—how did
these early explorations shape your artistic philosophy today?
They allowed me to set my feet on the ground. They allowed me to gain confidence in myself and in my work. At
this moment the light and the strength are in the interior space of each sculpture. It has led me to create forms that
induce a constant... emotional movement.
Your transition from hyperrealism to abstraction was inspired by encounters with works by Arp,
Moore, Calder, and Kandinsky. Can you describe the emotional or conceptual shift that led you to
embrace abstraction?
I discovered that what gave strength to the space of the sculpture lay in its interior, not in the exterior shape, the
most conceptual one. And I realized that the moment my mind recognized a shape, I got limited; I was seeking the
emotional movement, not the physical one. All this I found in the abstract. It was and is creative freedom for me. An
infinite horizon to navigate and feel free.
"Textures," rooted in popular architecture, remains foundational in your work. How do you see the
relationship between traditional cultural elements and contemporary artistic expression?
I think that is the key, it's like a quest for identity; having your roots in some place gives strength and lightness when
it comes to creating an artistic expression... it provides authenticity. In my latest work: “In my own skin” I have
discovered that this place lies right within me. I think that this is lacking in much of contemporary artistic
expression, and consequently detracts authenticity.
The tragic loss of your Tensions series must have been a profound moment. How did that event
influence your perspective on impermanence and resilience in art-making?
That event made me understand the impermanence, the volatility of everything, including myself or my artwork.
Everything will disappear or transform sooner or later. I understood that the important thing lies in the ability to
create and invoke emotions with my artistic work: the immediate experience that is generated when one feels a
sculpture or any other artistic expression. That is why authenticity is so important and fundamental for me.
Color made its first appearance in your Movement and Solidity series. What does color represent to
you, especially in relation to materiality and emotion in your sculptures?
Color is the dress that covers the naked skin of my emotions. It lends presence to the sculpture, especially in my
monumental work. In the current work: “In my own skin” I have returned to the real color of the material, as I did
with “Texturas”. And with that I have closed a circle of growth. The material as it is is the greatest and best source of
emotions... it generates a reality that helps us to grow as human beings.
You have often worked with natural materials like tree branches and simple strings. What draws
you to these humble elements, and what do they symbolize in your practice?
That is the authentic sculpture. My sculptures are poems. An authentic poem only needs an emotion and a means
of expression... the voice, the paper. They are all very humble, simple. When my energetic level is very high, the
simplest material is basic for that explosion to come out as an artistic expression... poem or sculpture or painting.
Through the 'Seeds for Peace' foundation, you've connected art to healing and education. How do
you see the role of the artist in contributing to societal and emotional healing today?
Essential and necessary. I believe it is one of the best ways for social and emotional healing that exist; my work over
the years is proof of its effectiveness. Through art we connect directly with our subconscious, the place where all
our pains, blockages and fears are stored. Abstraction allows them to surface and this leads to a connection
between the conscious and the subconscious during a short time, enough to see, understand and begin to heal.

09
In your 'Picto' series, you explored color as a solid, almost sculptural material. How do you approach
the boundary between painting and sculpture in your work?
It is the difference between looking and seeing. For me, sculpture allows me to enter into the infinite readings of my
inner space. Painting sometimes allows me to visualize those spaces in others, to generate traces of movement that
help me to walk, and to navigate through the emotional universe. For me, sculpture is the skin, and painting is the
dress that covers it.
You've exhibited across the world—from Paris to London to Querétaro—how do different cultural
contexts influence the way your monumental public sculptures are received and interpreted?
I am very fortunate to have these experiences because they allow me to see again and again that more than from
cultures, the reactions always come from the inner state of the observer, from his level of calm, of confidence... of
Peace. My monumental sculptures even allow the person to enter inside their structure and that leads them to
enter into their emotions, into their intimacy, into their emotional world, and there ... we are all very alike, similar.
Perhaps it is one of the few things where we are all the same regardless of languages, cultures, religions, or
philosophies. Art unites them all. This is what I have just experienced and verified in my last exhibition at World Art
Dubai.
Having spent decades combining teaching with art-making, how has the dialogue with students and
younger generations influenced your own creative evolution?
A lot. It is always me who learns from them, the students are the greatest teachers... they are capable of bringing
out of you, and revealing to you, what you do not know. One understands the famous question: Who is the student
and who is the teacher? It is a continuous, enriching movement. And when you perceive their emotional worlds and
connect them with yours... miracles happen. That is why I continue to learn with them every day and I am infinitely
grateful.

PORTAL AL VENT

Portal del Vent responds to the proposal to create a

symbol for the promenade of a port.

A meeting place for children, young people and adults

with reference to the legend La Luna de Valencia (The
Moon of Valencia). It is located at the intersection of the
promenade and the city’s main boulevard. The red-
orange lighting is essential to generate its visual power
at night from hundreds of meters away.

Year: 2016
Location: Port of Denia (Spain)
Client: Government Generalitat Valenciana, Directorate
General of Coasts, Ports and Airports (Spain)
Material: Steel
Dimensions: 8.5x5x5m
Photo: José Mª Hortelano

10
 Salome Kobulashvili

Salome Kobulashvili is a sculptor and jeweler from Georgia, renowned for her innovative approach
to mixed-media art. Born into a family with a rich historical heritage, Salome is a granddaughter of
King Erekle, one of Georgia’s most significant monarchs. A fascinating connection to her ancestral
past, the last residential house of her forebears was eventually transferred to the Tbilisi State
Academy of Arts, marking a symbolic link between her family’s history and the institution that
nurtures creative expression.

Salome’s artistic journey began in 2016, and since then, she has actively worked in both sculpture
and jewelry design, forging a distinctive style that merges traditional and modern elements. Her
works are characterized by using mineral stones, which she collects worldwide. These stones, left
in their authentic shape and texture, form the foundation of her creations, combined with
materials such as smalt,

clay, bronze, and silver. Through this blend of natural elements and refined craftsmanship, she
brings to life a visual dialogue between nature’s raw beauty and artistic manipulation.

With a background in stomatology, Salome has developed a keen eye for intricate details. Her
medical training provided her with the technical precision and creativity necessary to see small
elements differently and translate them into artistic form. This unique perspective is evident in the
delicate and detailed nature of her work, both in her sculptures and in the finely crafted pieces of
jewelry she produces.

Salome's artistic contributions have garnered attention both in Georgia and internationally, with
her works now residing in private collections around the world. Her art is not only a reflection of
her skill and creativity but also an embodiment of Georgia’s cultural richness, history, and natural
beauty. Through her sculptures and jewelry, Salome Kobulashvili continues to make a lasting
impact on the contemporary art world.

11
Naiados
Bronze, Malachite,
13x11x13cm, 2024
 Wabi Sabi
Bronze, Pearl, seashell
15x6x5cm, 2024
KIRSI VAHTERA
Kirsi Vahtera is a Finnish artist, sculptor, and master blacksmith from Lahti, Finland. She graduated
as a designer from LAB University of Applied Sciences and as a master blacksmith from Axxell in
Karjaa in 2013. Her work draws inspiration from Finnish nature, history, and folklore, and is deeply
influenced by the Kalevala epic, its rich symbolism, and Finnish mythology—particularly the
connections between the two. From 2021 to 2024, she has been working on The Crownation series,
which features forged metal crowns, jewelry, and photography. This ongoing exhibition has been
presented in five galleries across Finland and one in the Netherlands, with plans for further gallery
showings. The series currently consists of 14 crowns, with two more in progress for the next
exhibition. Her work was featured at the international startup and tech event Slush in 2017, and
she has served as the main decorative and set designer for the Tuska Open Air Festival for four
years. In 2020, she was nominated as Art Blacksmith of the Year by the Artist Blacksmith's
Association of Finland. In 2023, she held 12 exhibitions in Finland, followed by 11 in 2024. The
highlight of 2023 was her summer exhibition at Juminkeko, one of Finland’s most prominent
cultural centers dedicated to the Kalevala. The exhibition, titled Precious Daughters of Kalevala,
explored themes of equality and mythical femininity through the stories of the Kalevala’s women.
She is currently engaged in her exhibitions, collaborative projects with art groups, and organizing
educational cultural events.

XV-807 - Iron & scrap metal, 130x140x100cm, 2017 14

 The great pike
Forged and welded iron,
110x34cm, 2017
The monstrous pike of Tuonela is one of the mythological creatures of Kalevala, a Finnish national epic poem.

‘’In my work, I use the malleability and strong nature of iron as a means of expression. I mainly work by forging the
traditional way, but I also use modern metalworking methods. Traditional techniques and tools are the closest to
my heart because of their long history and the storytelling intertwined with mythology.
Over the years, the Kalevala and Finnish mythology have become an increasingly important part of my work. In
addition to metal, I also work with white photography and multidisciplinary art, which offer the opportunity to
create different spaces, worlds, and moods.
In ancient times, knowledge was passed on through poets and stories. I hope to be able to offer something similar
with my works: to awaken, through the means of art, to see the warmth and strength in our roots. Brings stories to
life. Touches a dormant appreciation for our heritage.’’

15
How do Finnish nature, history, and folklore inspire your artistic creations?
Finnish folklore offers an inexhaustible treasure trove for imagination and creative work. Inspired by the spirits of
nature and the magical atmosphere of the forest. The collection is so vast and fascinating that I feel I have to do my
part to keep it alive and to continue the storytellers' work in my way.
What specific elements of the Kalevala epic and Finnish mythology influence your work?
The entire Kalevala collection fascinates me a lot, but I especially wanted to highlight the women, goddesses, and
spirits of Finnish mythology. I hope my works reflect a strong connection with nature, the strength of our roots, and
the holiness that lives in Finland's forests.
Can you describe the creative process behind your Coronation series and the significance of the
crowns?
There were countless goddesses and spirits in ancient Finland. Many of them are already forgotten, but some are
still amongst us. The Crownation wants to bring these feminine creatures into the spotlight and give them back
their crowns. I start the process from the crown noting the symbolism associated with each character. I
photograph crowns with their wearers in places that speak to me.
Stevie
Forged iron & scrap metal,
130x120x100cm, 2017
An organic planet gradually changing towards more machinery is an ordinary phenomenon that provides an endless source of inspiration to horror and scifi movies. The
development of the artificial intelligence and ability to replace body parts with inorganic parts spur up fear, doubt, and uncertainty, but also curiosity and hope. The piece Stevie has
been influenced by the Biomechanical 2014 tour. The connection between organic tissue and mechanical parts forms an unknown creature that is horrible in all its inhumanity, even
though its outer form has nothing that could be detected as threatening. The piece connects elements distinctive to the steampunk world, gearwheels distinctive to industrialism,
and parts of a machine connected to the traditional horror catalog.

16
How do you balance traditional forging techniques with modern metalworking methods in your art?
I love working with traditional forging methods but I also use welding and grinding techniques to be able to create
larger entities. Forging is the technique where my hand is most visible, but modern technologies allow for a more
versatile use of the material.
Snakestone
Forged and welded iron,
35x25x20cm, 2024

Snakes have a very special meaning in Finnish mythology. They can be protectors or guardians of the treasure.

17
How has your experience as the main decorative/set designer for the Tuska Open Air Festival influenced
your artistic practice?
The Tuska festival has been a very fun experience. I have wanted to take art from galleries to various events and
low-threshold spaces to make it possible to experience art even for those for whom it is not an everyday custom
and to increase awareness of the world of mythology and epic poems of Finland.
In what ways do you incorporate storytelling into your sculptures and blacksmith work?
Stories come out in my works through the language of the forms and the material. I try to include interesting and
recognizable details in my works that make the voices behind the stories heard.
How does the use of irons' malleability and strength enhance your expression of Finnish mythology?
The blacksmith in Finnish mythology is a mythical, even divine figure who has been involved in the creation of the
world and forged the sky. As a material, iron is primal and has its own gritty sound. Due to its nature, it is the most
inviting material for my art.
What role do white photography and multidisciplinary art play in your overall artistic vision?
I lead the Mythological Finland project, where we photoshoot the events and characters of the Kalevala and Finnish
mythology. Through this, photography and multidisciplinary art, for example in the production of filming
equipment, have become a big part of my work. Photography and a wider selection of materials offer more
opportunities for my storyteller's palette.
How do you aim to awaken an appreciation for Finnish heritage and roots through your art?
I hope to bring strength and wisdom from our ancestors to everyday life with visual and wearable elements like my
Maidenśs Axe-silver jewelry. I tell stories with my work and try to bring them to life for all to enjoy.
What challenges and rewards have you encountered while working on the Crownation series?
I think my most remarkable challenge is to find time for everything I want to create. I can't go with less than I expect
from myself so it takes a long time to create each crown, outfit, and details. The most rewarding part of this project
has been very personal and beautiful feedback. My audience has found this project empowering and wants to be
part of The Coronation series. It makes me very happy.

18 Mauri - Iron & stone, 30x25x23cm, 2017

Iki-Turso - Iron & glass, 120x100cm, 2017
Väinämöinen
Forged and welded iron,
130x25cm, 2017

The seer and shaman og the Finnish national epic Kalevala

ANDREW STEVENS

Minotaurs homage to durer

Mixed media with bronze patina,
50x30x20cm, 2025

20
A lifetime working as an advertising and fashion photographer, academic, and art director with
clients like VOGUE; Rio Tinto; American Express: Sony, etc in over 20 countries worldwide. A period
working as a Fine Art photographer with work shown at the Haywood Gallery, London, and in the
permanent collection at Manchester City Art Gallery and Universities in Chicago and California
(USA). Whilst Senior Lecturer/Associate Professor in Edinburgh gained a Master of Arts degree (MA)
and a Doctorate in Philosophy (PhD); Fellowships in Art (FRSA); Design (FCSD) and Photography
(FBIPP) plus the Jubilee Fellowship and Gold medal from the British Institute of Professional
Photography.
Some four years ago, after being given a box of broken toys ostensibly for still life photographs, the
'WINGED MINOTAUR' series of sculptures was conceived and constructed. In 2023 won the
ArtClubChianciano International Sculpture prize for one of the WINGED MINOTAUR sculptures at
the London Biennale; in 2024 won the Boomer Art Prize in London and in Feb.2025 a prize at the
RBSA exhibition in Birmingham. A Winged Minotaur was exhibited at the RBA show at the Mall
Gallery in London in 2024 and in Feb.2025 invited to become a Member of the Bath Society of
Artists (BSA). The work was featured as a double-page spread in the 2024 SHOW published in
January 2025 and as a double-page spread under the heading 'Champion of Contemporary Art' in
Modern Renaissance magazine published in Washington DC in April 2025.

‘’From a standing start 4 years ago, having only ever

worked in 2D I changed over to working in 3D,
working full time as a sculptor. Influenced by
Michael Ayrton's Minotaur sculptures of the 1960s
and humorous work by Roland Emmett and
W.Heath-Robinson the 'WINGED MINOTAUR' series,
now standing at over 50 sculptures has already won
prizes and is exhibited all over the UK aside from
being represented by galleries in Bristol, the
Sculpture Park in Surrey and the Rothschild gallery
in Exbury. The sculptures, made from scrap metal,
brass, old engine parts, wood, and plastic, with a
bronze patina are attracting attention because of
their originality and detail. I was asked to exhibit at
this year's Venice International Art Fair at the Venice
Festival in Italy, and by entering the enclosed hope
for further international exposure.’’

Three minotaurs on their way to a dance

Mixed media with bronze patina,
30x40x10cm, 2024

21
After decades of working in 2D as a photographer and art director, what was the most surprising
challenge—or joy—you encountered when shifting into 3D sculpture?
Working in advertising and fashion photography the pressures of deadlines and the sheer competitiveness was
always a challenge. The world of sculpture is so completely different with much longer lead-in times and so much
more encouragement - a real joy to be part of that world.
The Winged Minotaur series was sparked by a box of broken toys. Can you describe the moment you
realized this discarded material could lead to a whole new body of work?
I’ve been asked many times how I started the ‘Winged Minotaur’ series and still don’t know the answer. Amongst the
broken toys that I was given for one of my photographs was a headless figure and a toy farmyard bull - lying
dormant was a love of the much-misunderstood minotaur and perhaps that is all it needed to start on that path.

Winged Minotaur 10 Winged Minotaur 6

Mixed media with bronze patina, Mixed media with bronze patina,
80x80x30cm, 2025 80x80x30cm, 2024

You reference influences like Michael Ayrton, Roland Emmett, and W. Heath-Robinson. How have
their approaches to myth, humor, or invention helped shape the spirit of your Winged Minotaurs?
Without a doubt these influences, particularly that of Michael Ayrton and his Minotaurs have shaped the direction
of my work but to see people smiling at some of the ridiculous things the Minotaurs are now getting up to is worth
any amount of effort.
Many of your sculptures are created from scrap metal, engine parts, and discarded materials. What
draws you to working with these specific elements, and how do they inform the storytelling within
each piece?
With all the emphasis on recycled materials, it’s great to be able to find something that has had its use, and is
mundane and then create something that is, I think, totally unique. It is rewarding to give objects that are
considered to be junk a new lease of life and to allow them to tell their own stories.

22
Having had success in photography, fine art, academia, and now sculpture, how do you think your
previous experiences enrich the way you approach building a sculpture?
Being creative, whether in 2D or 3D possibly means that you see the world from a different viewpoint - I’m sure the
influences of my work as a photographer, art director, etc. helped a lot - that and the fact that my wife, who is a
painter and illustrator has always worked with me, and still does, helps enormously (she came up with the formula
for the bronze patina and has the final say on whether they work or not).
The Minotaur is a powerful mythological figure. How do you personally interpret the symbolism of
the Minotaur, and why did you choose to give your creatures wings?
The wings gave my Minotaurs the freedom they had hoped for. They had always been portrayed as somewhat
aggressive and the thought of them going to a dance, the Olympics, etc, and generally having a good time
appealed greatly.
Winning major prizes like the ArtClubChianciano How important is it to you that viewers feel a
Sculpture Prize and exhibiting internationally so sense of playfulness as well as awe when
quickly is remarkable. How has this recognition encountering your work?
influenced your creative process or ambitions I was fortunate enough to exhibit at the RBA show at
for the Winged Minotaurseries? the Mall Gallery in London last summer and while there
They have become a leitmotif - there are so many I saw an elderly gentleman looking studiously and
different adventures they can have and while they win smiling at one of the large ‘Winged Minotaur’
prizes as in London and recently at the RBSA show in sculptures. When I came back some 15 minutes later he
Birmingham, I shall continue with the theme. was still there and had identified old Dinky toys, car
engine parts, brass clock bits, etc., and had recognized
much-loved things from his childhood. He was
thoroughly engrossed in looking at the work - that
means more than any accolade.
How do you see your Winged Minotaurs fitting
into the broader dialogue of contemporary
sculpture today?
Unlike photography, sculpture is infinitely varied, and
new ideas and approaches add to the exciting and
constantly developing breadth of contemporary
sculpture. Sculptors don’t tread on each others' toes (or
hooves) but tend to influence and help one another.
Although the sculptures, for some reason, initially
appeal to men more than to women - they have
actually been BOUGHT by more women than men,
(perhaps for their men?) - they seem to cross
boundaries as far as the appreciation of them is
concerned. The only limitation I have is the physical
Minotaur and the temple of Hercules
Mixed media with bronze patina,
movement of the work too far-flung destinations and
80x80x30cm, 2023 I’m sure that particular logistic will be overcome in time.

23
With over 50 Winged Minotaur sculptures already created, do you envision continuing to expand this
mythos, or are you beginning to explore new sculptural narratives or series?
As long as I have ideas for the creation of the Winged Minotaurs, they will continue. I’ve got several on the go at the
moment and the only limitation appears to be surfaces to put them on in my studio until I find more galleries to
show the work.

The ‘Last’ Jurney of the Minotaurs

Mixed media with bronze patina,
30x35x15cm, 2024

24
 COLIN GILLESPIE

Man talking
Prin/Assemblage,
14'’x10'’, 2020

25
Colin went through Art school - graduating at the Royal College of Art, London - but had already
then begun linking art practice to community practice. He found that combining personal work
with shared group work offered a fertile partnership for ideas. This interest or approach led to an
involvement with community publishing, oral history, and Reminiscence and a varied working
contact within the mental Health and Disabilities sectors - involving group projects & programs.

‘’I use printmaking as a means of responding to social, political, or environmental issues. When developing a print
idea, I’m usually also thinking of text or objects (ephemera) that are* relevant to the particular subject I’m hoping
to develop. When considering how I might bring together such thinking and make the printed image work together
with other associative parts – I began to make ‘box’ assemblages.
Rather than placing the printed image within a traditional flat frame – I tried using ‘Box’ frames. This offered me a
space within which I could place text and or attach objects. It can also be stained or painted to provide a suitable
visual environment. The printed flat image then becomes part of a 3-dimensional environment – that has an
‘outside’ and an ‘inside’. I’ve found that the actual dimension of the box frame influences the text one can use –
what size of the stencil, how many letters, how many words, etc. dictate one’s choice and particular words can have
more or less influence on the ‘message’ of the end product.
Likewise, with the objects or ephemera – I often use ‘found’ material – jigsaw parts, artificial flowers, small metal
parts – or handmade small boats, houses, or trees. The scale and ‘look’ of such material can enhance or subdue
the printed image – so finding a balance between them is important. I’m often surprised when a viewer places an
interpretation of a piece that I was unaware of or had not intended – therein lies the creative potential of bringing
together disparate parts and seeking to make them speak as a ‘whole’.
The last tree - Print/Assemblage, 21'’x13'’, 2024

Tree Ghost - Print/Assemblage, 21'’x15'’, 2024

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What first drew you to printmaking as a means of engaging with different issues?
During my early days as an art student, I elected to study Fine Art (Painting) and had minimal contact with
printmaking - other than a very brief introduction to lithography. I wasn't 'drawn' to printmaking but
circumstances led me to it when I was offered a place at the Royal College of Art - in their printmaking department.
This opportunity also brought me to live/work in an urban setting - which nourished my growing interest in things
political/environmental. My early involvement was with Relief printing - using lino/wood - I found the experience
rewarding -it was very 'direct' - 'hands-on' - technically straightforward -and allowed one to easily produce multiple
images. At this time I had my first contact with community practice - working with an environmental project that
needed images for their posters and leaflets.
How did your practice evolve from traditional print formats to incorporating box assemblages?
I often find that when an idea for a print begins to emerge - it can also bring associated words or objects along with
it. The words can be 'key' markers of the idea - the objects might be naturally associated with it. Such material
might often appear in the actual print but I had begun thinking how best I might make the prints more 'physical' -
not just images on a flat surface but things that might be 'touched'. I had tried embossing the print paper but it
was still held behind glass and I wanted to bring it out into a physical space - that led to my trying 'box' framing as
a way of achieving that end.
Can you describe the moment you first realized the potential of the 'box' format?
I think coming across a small, carved wooden frame again - that I had owned for many years - was a 'trigger'. The
frame was about 6" square - held a watercolor drawing of violets - and was 2" thick, with carved clusters of leaves.
It suggested to me that a larger version of such a frame - more simply made in a 'box' shape - could provide a
space within which one could place a print - and include stenciled material or hold ephemera on the top, sides, or
base of the frame. The first two assemblages that I made in this way were fairly modest - using a printed image - 2
to 5 stenciled words- some stained artificial flowers - two wooden balls and a cut 'moon' shape. However, they both
seemed to work - giving the print a new dimension and bringing it OUT into a partnership with the surrounding
material.
How does your background in community arts practice influence you?
Having been involved within a broad range of community art practice I've found - in general - that participants
usually have a greater concern for the 'making' part of any art activity. There is usually a concern for the 'process' -
following correct or appropriate procedures - having a smooth transition from 'the idea' to the end art product.
'Doing things properly' and not making 'mistakes' is usually very important to the maker. In my own practice, I feel
that way also - I focus on the 'craft' of printing - preparing a block - cutting - inking - registration -avoiding handling
marks - producing an edition - ensuring that the process works smoothly, etc. are all of great importance.
Completing an edition is rewarding but the greater satisfaction is in its making.
How do you navigate the tension between control and spontaneity when assembling disparate parts
into a cohesive artwork?
As I tend to work on a fairly small scale it's not too great a problem when assembling parts - some are quickly self-
evident in that they are too large or small - sometimes they only need to be reduced in size or to be re-positioned.
It's of value not to 'fix' them in position too soon - much better to place them - leave them to glance at for a while
and - later - when confident that they are 'in the right place' - permanently attach them. I also find it useful to 'ask
for a second opinion' - does someone else 'read' things the way I do - or do they view the placement differently?

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What role does found material play in your work, and how do you choose which items to include?
I grew up during those years that were part of WWll and remember my mother (as did many others) 'keeping
things' -string, buttons, small pieces of cloth or leather, leftover wool, safety pins, empty jars, cans, or bottles - all
carefully put away in a safe place - as they 'might be useful in the future'.
That early experience may be why I too 'keep things' - 'found' things, dried gourds or seed pods, wooden pegs,
drawer knobs, small fragments of broken machinery, dried flowers, etc. - a lot of which is eventually included within
my art practice. Some of this material is absorbed within an idea fairly quickly - other things lie dormant until their
hidden 'identity' emerges when a new idea is formed. These things are not really 'chosen' - they take on a new life
when needed - when appropriate - when they become the answer to the missing part of an idea.
In what ways does scale – both of text and objects – impact the overall reading of your assemblages?
The use of text is always controlled by the dimension of the box frames I make - normally about 20"X14" - built with
3"Xl" wood. I use 1" stencils when applying text and these factors can impose a limit as to the number of
letters/words that can be used. Sometimes a single word is sufficient - 'ALONE' -in company with a particular print
& stenciled flowers, which can be very emotive and make a point. In another instance, a larger amount of text -
'THE BOATS CAME - SOME WERE EMPTY' was needed to support the print + a small hand-made 'boat'.
The balance between or partnership of text, print & assemblage varies with each piece.

The Boats came Alone

Print/ Assemblage, 15'’x11'’, 2023 Print/ Assemblage, 21'’x14'’, 2023

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 Your mention of nearly life-size 3D prints is
fascinating—what did those pieces explore that
smaller assemblages couldn't?
At one stage I began to make standing figures - fairly basic
wooden structures on a solid base - with printed marks on
their surfaces and attached ephemera. They were about 6'
tall and unlike the smaller assemblages, one could relate
to them differently. I didn't include printed images within
these - just used print surfaces & assemblage. Because of
their size, I was able to attach suspended 'moving'
objects/ephemera - that, when touched, would make
noises. The figures were meant to represent people in
conversation and the variety of ephemera with which they
were 'clad' - beads, fragments of cloth, string, etc - gave
each an identity - male or female. I found that these were a
move forward from the static 2D prints/assemblages-one
could get 'behind' them - they had a front & a back and
were 'in the round'.

Dog House - Print/ Assemblage, 15'’x10'’, 2020 29

How has your work in the mental health and disability sectors shaped your understanding of visual
storytelling?
During my time working in the mental health sector, I used simple techniques to help participants develop & shape
their ideas. Conversation was very important- but then I would encourage the jotting down of particular words
related to their idea - helping to give it a sharper identity - this can then lead to making small graphic
interpretations of the words. In this way, one can build up an image that represents the emerging idea. I approach
my work in this way – keeping sketchbooks/notebooks full of text, scribbles, media cuttings, and photographs - I
rearrange these fragments - partnerships of things take place and images begin to suggest themselves - with
continued 'molding' a possible print image can usually emerge.
If you had unlimited space, time, and resources, how would you further develop your box-based or
sculptural print practice?
Given the opportunity, I would have liked to introduce sound as an element within the assemblages or figures. The
figures had a small element of this built-in - touching the suspended material could create 'knocking' or 'clicking'
sounds -but if this were to be 'motorized' in some way - to operate at given intervals - it would open up new
possibilities. It was also once suggested to me that the smaller print assemblages might include taped sounds in
some way -certainly with several pieces I made in response to the boat migration in the Mediterranean & the
English Channel -I can see the possibilities of including 'water' sounds or 'voices' - that could add another
dimension. However, time waits for no man and such ideas may never be realized.

Virus - Print/ Assemblage - 15'’x11'’, 2023 30 My Dream - Print/Assemblage, 18'’x11'’, 2022

LEXIONG YING
Lexiong Ying, born in Shanghai and based in London, is an interdisciplinary artist working across
various visual media. She holds a Master of Arts in Design for Data Visualisation from the
University of the Arts London and a bachelor's degree in Fashion Design with Marketing. Her work
has been exhibited in London and Düsseldorf and featured in multiple media outlets.
Drawing from personal experiences and a keen awareness of societal shifts, Lexiong explores
themes such as the fragility of human relationships, the illusions of consumerism, ecological
consciousness, and animal welfare. She also addresses the challenges of female entrepreneurs
and examines technology's impact on modern life. Her distinctive visual language encourages
reflection on the complex dynamics between individuals and their environments.
Beyond her artistic endeavors, Lexiong practices fortune-telling, blending ancient wisdom with
contemporary insights. This integration enriches her multidisciplinary approach and adds a deeper
philosophical dimension to her work.

Step By Step: A Walk to Nowhere - Sound Visualisation 2023

Step By Step: A Walk to Nowhere is a sound visualization project with healing properties. The project captures the sounds made by
participants as they walk on floors made of different materials, encouraging people to live in the present and not miss the various
small and lovely moments in life, even the sound of footsteps. In the future, the project plans to develop into a sound visualization and
healing platform, recruiting more participants to record and upload their footsteps to share the healing experience.

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How do you verify that you are you?
3D-printed resin,
5x10cm each, 2023

The project explores the disorientation and frustration caused by our conflicting relationships with passwords, convenience, and security. In an era where
digital authentication has become essential to daily life, technology is designed to enhance efficiency and accessibility. However, rather than simplifying
experiences, it often imposes constraints, creating a paradox where individuals must navigate an increasingly complex web of authentication methods. The
need for strong security measures frequently clashes with the desire for seamless access, leaving users trapped in a cycle of password management that
feels endless and exhausting. To visualise this phenomenon, the project employs data visualisation techniques and uses the Möbius strip as a central
metaphor. The Möbius strip, with its infinite, non-orientable surface, symbolises the repetitive nature of password usage—creating, remembering,
forgetting, and resetting passwords—without a definitive resolution. This representation serves as a satirical critique of digital security constraints and
explores passwords' more profound cultural and psychological significance in shaping modern digital identity. By highlighting these hidden implications,
the project aims to encourage critical reflection while offering reassurance to those who experience stress, frustration, and anxiety due to excessive
password reliance. The project’s research methodology follows a structured approach divided into three key aspects:
General perspectives, which examine the broader societal attitudes toward password security.
Public inquiries, where collective experiences and frustrations are gathered to understand how people interact with digital authentication.
Self-observations delve into personal encounters with password management, analysing the emotions and behaviours that arise in everyday interactions
with authentication systems.
By combining metaphorical design with analytical research, Life Wrapped in Passwords illuminates the unintended consequences of password
dependency. It invites audiences to reconsider the balance between security and convenience, questioning whether an alternative approach to digital
identity management is possible.

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Your work spans so many urgent themes—from consumerism to ecological consciousness. How do
you decide which societal issues to translate into your art?
My artistic creation is usually based on my experiences, observations, and reflections. My interest in and spirit of
exploration towards a particular thing or social issue is the driving force behind my transformation of them into
art. For example, your mention of consumerism stems from my observation that, for quite some time, many
people, both on social media and among my friends, have been chasing after popular brands. This caught my
attention, and based on the theories in Baudrillard's book The Consumer Society: Myths and Structures, I planned
a conceptual exhibition to reflect on this phenomenon.
How has your background in fashion design and data visualization influenced you?
My experience in fashion design has cultivated and established my visual aesthetic sensibility. However, I realized
early on that I was more interested in visual communication and visual arts fields. Therefore, when the opportunity
arose, I decided to change direction. Data visualization can be presented in a rigorous manner as data charts in
news media, or it can be transformed into visually appealing works of art. Regarding style, I have been influenced
by Leslie Roberts and Laurie Frick. I am passionate about creating visual experiences that are aesthetically pleasing,
subtle, and emotionally resonant for the audience.
You often explore the fragility of human relationships. In a time dominated by technology and
digital connection, how do you visually represent emotional vulnerability?
I will use metaphorical techniques. I am fascinated by expressing human beings' subtle emotions and their
relationships. In this regard, I have been influenced by the late Dutch photographer Erwin Olaf. In my previous
experimental photography series, Plastic Human Relation, and experimental video, The Hypocritical Us, I used
materials such as plastic tape, foam, and paper bags to transform and adapt them to the models' bodies. I then
manipulated them according to my spontaneous inspiration to create different outcomes and interpretations.
Every frame captures subtle emotional fluctuations.
Your practice also draws from fortune-telling. How does your engagement with ancient wisdom
shape or inspire the conceptual side of your artworks?
As a fortune-teller, I am particularly interested in expressing or directly addressing people's emotions, identifying
the root causes of these emotions, or resolving emotional issues. For example, in the conceptual Eastern hot spring
brand SUIHUI Hot Spring that I developed, I introduced the core concept of 'leaving a blank space in a busy life,'
combining meditation with hot springs to create a unique brand concept. I believe that human behavior stems
from various emotional expressions, which in turn originate from consciousness. Therefore, I have great
expectations for how spiritual elements can be integrated with artistic practice to offer audiences unique and
transformative experiences. In the future, I plan to develop the project of a meditation healing space further and
consider integrating it with virtual and augmented reality.
You've worked between Shanghai and London—two cities with very different social and cultural
dynamics. How do these environments find their way into your artistic language?
The period I worked in Shanghai overlapped with the COVID-19 pandemic, making it difficult to compare the
differences between the two places objectively. Shanghai is my hometown, so everything is very familiar; the work is
more process-oriented and standardized. It's undoubtedly more diverse in London—it feels like a playground to
me. I've received a great art education here, freely exhibited my work, made new friends, and heard different ideas
and creative practices. The art resources are abundant. What's certain is that London has prospered my passion
for visual art and my enthusiasm for self-expression.

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In tackling the challenges faced by female entrepreneurs, how do you balance personal narrative
with broader societal critique in your work?
I will focus on a broader social perspective. Through visual language, I will present as objectively as possible the fact
that women entrepreneurs face different levels of difficulties without bias, and all of this is based on rigorous data
research, so you can say that I am dancing within the rules. In a past project to build a picture of entrepreneurship
among women entrepreneurs in Central Asia, I used the technique of weaving, the earliest economic activity in
which women were involved, to weave textures on embroidery hoops using threads of different materials with data
implications. My perspective must be factual and objective, but my expression can be warm and compassionate.
Animal welfare appears as a strong theme in your art. How do you use visual media to convey
empathy for non-human life in a way that resonates with human audiences?
It reminds me of a project I once completed on global endangered species conservation. In this project, I contrasted
endangered animals viewed from a human-centric perspective with data on animals that are actually more
endangered according to scientific statistics, such as social media attention, popularity, and endangered status, to
show the audience what they were overlooking. In short, it was about dehumanizing the perspective.
Your work encourages reflection on the illusions of consumerism. In a world saturated with
marketing and branding, how do you subvert these visual languages in your pieces?
I have curated a conceptual exhibition on this theme. The exhibition explicitly targets various marketing tactics in
capitalist society, such as exaggerated advertising, young male celebrity endorsements, brainwashing female
consumers, brand collaborations, prize draws, and consumer vouchers. The exhibition is divided into several
sections: Curtain Rise, Trend Setters, Cutting Edge, Takashi Murakami, Overconsumption, and a hidden section. The
exhibition's English title is 'Incontinent Consumption,' corresponding to the Chinese title '消费之肆' derived from the
idiom '鲍鱼之肆,' which refers to an unpleasant, foul-smelling environment. This is akin to being in a fish market
and gradually growing accustomed to the stench; prolonged exposure to a harmful environment can lead one to
accept it as usual, defying moral principles. Additionally, 'si' ( 肆 ) also implies indulgence and recklessness.
Therefore, the exhibition aims to satirize the phenomenon of people being brainwashed by consumerism by
simulating a series of scenes enveloped by consumerism and employing the same tactics used by companies to
stimulate consumption. This conceptual exhibition is accompanied by a booklet containing reflective summaries.
The manual documents in detail each scenario of the experiments of the conceptual exhibition 'Incontinent
Consumption'. Each scenario was photographed on the front side of the pull-outs, while the reverse side illustrates
the truth of consumer marketing that each pull-out represents. The booklet ends with a comprehensive
dismantling and reflection on consumerism, based on Baudrillard's The Consumer Society: Myths and Structures
How do you navigate the space between information and interpretation?
In my opinion, data visualization can be both a rigorous and detailed presentation of information and data and a
research tool that can be further elevated to the level of visual art. In my 3D-printed sculpture series, How to Verify
That You Are You, every texture on the sculpture is actually derived from the visual presentation of data charts. A
database supports these charts, and I also made them into cards to be displayed alongside the sculpture in various
exhibitions. These databases originate from a large-scale research project. To better understand the behavior and
psychology of the public, I initiated a questionnaire survey. The feedback was very positive. I received 341 valid
responses from 20 countries and regions, using 11 languages and dialects. Behind abstract and metaphorical
expressions lies rigorous research, which is presented to the audience in a way that complements and enhances
both aspects.

36
If you could create an immersive installation that combines your fortune-telling practice with your
visual art, what would that experience look and feel like for the audience?
Then, I will definitely continue with the spiritual meditation healing space I mentioned earlier. The project will be
based on ancient spiritual healing concepts originating from Indian Buddhism—chakras—combined with digital
tools such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and augmented reality to create an immersive spiritual healing
space for patients with chronic stress in a broad sense. The space follows the concept of moving from reality to
virtual reality and back to reality to construct a complete spiritual healing process. By offering an alternative form
of healing, this initiative enhances well-being. It expresses social care, providing potential solutions and a digital
sanctuary for individuals seeking moments of peace in a fast-paced world.

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YANG LIU
Yang Liu is a Chinese artist currently based in Glasgow. Yang is a conceptual artist whose work
explores the intersections of reality, perception, and authenticity. Through a minimalist approach,
Yang creates immersive installations that challenge traditional notions of time, space, and self.
Born and raised in China, Yang's practice is deeply informed by philosophical inquiries into the
nature of existence, often drawing on Eastern and Western thought to question how we
experience and interpret reality.
With a background in fine arts and a recent distinction from the Glasgow School of Art, Yang’s
projects—such as "clock" and "someone"—have been recognized for their conceptual depth and
ability to provoke critical reflection on the absurdity and subjectivity of human perception. Yang’s
work disrupts conventional perceptions, guiding viewers toward new understandings of the
internal and external worlds.

Where does true authenticity lie? Reality and perception are inherently subjective, and much of what we experience
as "reality" is often fiction shaped by our thoughts. Recognizing this allows us to transcend rigid ideologies and
perceptions, freeing ourselves from the confines of the "self" and dissolving the binary of subject and object. My
work explores the disruption of reality and perception, deconstructing fundamental concepts like time, space, and
self. As beings within reality, we may never fully grasp it, yet humans have a natural drive to transcend and explore
the unknown. This pursuit of the unattainable is central to our humanity. In my work, I seek to uncover truth
amidst chaos and ambiguity, searching for authenticity hidden beneath the surface. Once perception is disrupted
and reality exposed, we must reconstruct our understanding of both the inner and outer worlds. Through various
mediums, I aim for my work to inspire viewers to embark on their journeys of exploration and discovery, building
new perspectives on reality. My projects, "clock" and "someone," reflect this ongoing investigation and earned me a
distinction at the Glasgow School of Art.

Is it possible to ever fully access an "authentic" reality, or is the pursuit itself more important?
Due to the limitations of human perception and cognition, it’s impossible to access an “authentic” reality—this
limitation is part of reality itself, as all beings are constrained by their nature and cannot perceive the full picture.
However, we can always understand a little more, and go a little deeper. In the pursuit of reality, we expand
ourselves. That pursuit itself can make us stronger and purer.
In your projects like Clock and Someone, how do you translate such abstract concepts as time,
space, and self into tangible experiences for viewers?
We often overlook the environments we inhabit because they're too familiar—especially abstract ideas that lack a
physical form. One way I do this is by creating perceptual contrasts—letting viewers feel a difference in how they
sense something before and after, which makes the invisible more visible. I also guide their attention away and
then bring it back sharply, helping them become more aware of where they are or even who they are.

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Can you share a particular idea or philosopher that has recently influenced you?
Human reality is a symbolic system—constructed from artificial symbols; however, the system is not perfect and
inevitably contains cracks, collapses, and paradoxes. Slavoj Žižek has influenced me recently; he identifies artistic
strategies that disrupt surface harmony: over-realism, failed symbolism, illogical causality, and internal
contradictions. He’s sharply attuned to how artistic expression can expose the constructed nature of reality.
You describe the human drive to transcend and explore the unknown. How does this tension
between what is attainable and unattainable manifest in your creative process?
Repetition, persistence, and tragedy are key strategies I use to express and intensify this tension. The temporal
structure and pacing of the work or experience are crucial — they amplify the emotional weight and highlight the
drive behind the pursuit. In my practice, this tension often emerges as a gradual emotional build-up.
Your minimalist approach strips away distractions to focus on core ideas. How do you decide which
elements are essential and which must be removed?
Any element that does not directly point to the core idea must be excluded. Similarly, anything decorative or merely
“aesthetic” must be removed. The aesthetic of my work lies in the experience, not the visuals. The final work should
feel seamless and inevitable—as if it had to be that way. Nothing should distract from the whole or draw attention
on its own.
How do you hope viewers will experience the "disruption" of their perception when encountering
your installations? Are you aiming for disorientation, reflection, or something else?
My works often start with familiar concepts, which makes them easy to approach. But as viewers engage, small
shifts begin to unsettle that familiarity. I create what I call a “dysfunctional moment,” when the mind briefly fails to
make sense of an experience, leaving us confused, uneasy, and speechless. It disrupts automatic thinking, and
whether it leads to reflection or just leaves a strange feeling depends on the viewer.
How do you envision the relationship between your artwork and its audience?
My work is not an object—it is an event, an experience. As the viewer engages with it, it becomes part of their
internal experience, part of their subjectivity. From this perspective, it is unified—not just centered on the viewer,
but on an integration of the viewer and the world. The whole emerges through the individual.
Has creating your work changed your understanding of self and reality? If so, how?
Yes, it has. My inspirations often begin with observing contradictions in my own consciousness or in commonly
accepted concepts. I realized that I had been misled by my own perceptions and assumptions—that what I believed
to be true often wasn’t. Through the process of practice, I now maintain a certain level of skepticism toward
everything—even my own physical senses.
What role does ambiguity play in your installations, and how do you balance it with the desire to guide
viewers toward discovery?
In my work, ambiguity and guidance are not oppositional — they exist sequentially. My works guide viewers toward
ambiguity; Ambiguity doesn't appear at first glance but gradually emerges through the experience of the work that
I construct.
Looking ahead, are there new aspects of reality or perception you are interested in deconstructing or
exploring in future projects?
I’m interested in physical reality—things we more often see as "real." One concept I’m drawn to is a time difference.
Technically, it doesn’t exist because everyone is living in the same "now." Even so, we still feel disconnected from
people on the other side of the world, as if we're not at the same time. This paradox is fascinating.

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YY WANG
YY Wang is a mixed-media artist based in UK and China. She grew up with the influence of Internet
culture and subculture after the millennium. Her practices are deeply rooted in Jung's childhood
analysis theory in positive psychology and the healing effect of early dreams, combining nostalgia
with dreamcore aesthetic to create healing fantasy spaces. As a cross-cultural artist, YY Wang's
works present a delicate balance between personal style and Eastern and Western aesthetics. She
is good at using multiple media - from sculpture, painting, video, and performance, turning wild
ideas into amazing visual feasts. Her works often present a dreamy and blurred quality, as if
bringing the audience into a threshold space between reality and fantasy. YY Wang's work is not
only a pursuit of aesthetics but also a deep exploration of the subconscious mind. Her works often
take childhood fantasies as the starting point, and through reconstruction, deformation, and re-
creation, awaken the forgotten feelings deep in the viewer's heart. In her art world, ethereal
dreams, abandoned paradises, and deformed memory fragments are given new life, bridging the
past and the present, and encouraging people to rediscover and recover past emotional
experiences.
Unidentified Organisms
Jasmonate, resin, wool, iron, 70x50x80cm, 2024
Based on the research on the healing effect of dreams, I create a series of unknown creatures from the fantasy world in a surreal way, showing their
flowing forms in the real world. Their existence blurs the boundaries between reality and fantasy, familiarity and weirdness in this space. It provides people
with a safe corner away from the real world, extending to ethereal dreams and hidden hearts.

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 Shinyroom

Ceramics,
variable sizes, 2024

This series is developed from my Unidentidied Organism

series, I try to use different material to create surreal
creatures from the fantasy world. When they first came to
the real world, human thought these psychedelic
creatures with tails looked like mushrooms on the Earth,
and they always attract you with their shining dots.
Therefore, people decided to name them "Shinyshroom".
You can hear their breath at silent midnight.

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How do you begin translating deeply personal and subconscious themes into visual form?
I am a nostalgic person, often immersed in dreams and happy memories. But beautiful times are always fleeting,
so I hope to preserve the unique feelings the past has given me through artworks. These feelings are the origin of
my inspiration and an important part of me. I was attracted to dreamcore aesthetics as I discovered it on the
Internet. Its core is so similar to my inner desires. I want to develop Dreamcore further, but not by continuing its
current visual art forms. Instead, I hope to create a more immersive, multidimensional dreamcore environment
through various media, and show the deeper meaning under its surface as an internet aesthetic phenomenon.
Jung’s concept of the collective unconscious inspired me, as it revealed how the childhood elements often appear in
dreamcore influence adulthood. I began to use and expand on these childhood elements in my work, transforming
abstract emotions into something tangible.
You describe your pieces as “healing fantasy spaces.” How do you hope viewers feel or change
emotionally after experiencing your work?
In 2023, during my solo exhibition in Glasgow, I turned a space into a surreal garden with my artwork and lighting.
At the opening event, a group of the audience sat in a circle in the space, with drinks and snacks around them. They
chatted casually and played with the interactive sculptures I set up like playing toys. They stayed there for a while,
completely relaxed and immersed like they were having a picnic in a real garden. That’s the effect I wanted to
achieve. I hope to invite people into the world I build with my work to have a fantasy dream—and even after
waking up, they still think that’s joyful.

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Growing up influenced by internet culture and subcultures after the millennium, how do you think
these digital landscapes have shaped your imagination and artistic voice?
The internet lets me access cultures from around the world easily at a young age and connect with many online
friends. Although we grew up in different places and have never met each other, we share similar memories and
experiences through the internet. I grew up in China, but I was attracted by the dynamic and dreamy colors and
elements in Japanese magical girl anime, My Little Pony, and other animations from different countries. They were
my enlightenment on colors and aesthetics and had a profound influence on me. The dreamcore aesthetic which
my work is based is a subcategory of subcultures. The core of subculture is a form of resistance against the growing
homogenization of modern society. Subcultural communities find their unique ways to be different from the public.
I like connecting with subcultural people—they maintain independent thinking and a spirit of resistance, and it's
precisely these traits that fuel continuous creativity.
As a cross-cultural artist working between the UK and China, how do you navigate and merge
Eastern and Western aesthetic traditions in your mixed media practice?
The concept of “agnosticism” appears in both Eastern and Western cultures, and I often encounter agnostic
moments in my practice—where the whole work or some details evoke something that cannot be accurately
described in words or any other form. In Chinese philosophy, there's a tendency to intentionally preserve this
agnostic part, not to explain or overanalyze it. The haziness is where its charm lies. Sometimes it loses its beauty
when everything is seen too clearly. In my work, I always preserve an agnostic element. I hope that instead of
reading detailed descriptions, the audience will spend more time building a direct, emotional connection with the
piece itself. I visited many small towns after I moved to the UK. Unlike the busy urban areas, these places had
empty spaces with grassy fields, houses, and blue skies filled with drifting white clouds these are very dreamcore
scenes. These scenes inspired me to create some ambient music and gave me ideas for a new performance project.
Your work often feels like stepping into a "threshold
space" between reality and fantasy. What techniques or
materials do you use to create that blurred, dreamlike
quality?
I’ve experimented with many materials and media to capture the
hazy and vivid feeling of dreams and memories. In my video work
Eternal Space, I used techniques like defocusing, frame-skipping,
and high saturation to create a dreamlike atmosphere. When we
recall happy memories, the images that come to mind are often
blurry and bright. In the Unidentified Organism sculpture series, I
used blended color wool to create a soft gradient that blurs the
boundaries of the sculptures. I also used resin to create waterdrop
forms on the bottom of the pieces, making sculptures look wet, like
living creatures just born.
Mind Massage
Performance, 2024
I presented a unique musical experience for the audience, where I blended healing and ambient sound
and music I made and a selection of electronic music through experimental live improvisation, inviting the
audience into the imaginative world I created. The enchanting music will permeate your soul, bringing
deep relaxation and healing. Unidentified Organisms and other surreal sculptures I made surrounded the
space. Here, with music, audience, me, and art become one.

45
How do you balance personal memory with the desire to create something universally resonant?
Dreamcore is a manifestation of the collective unconscious. The popularity and resonance it has gained online
reflect how certain elements repeatedly appear in most people’s childhoods and dreams. In my work, I incorporate
these metaphorical, symbolic elements—such as playgrounds, blue skies, grassy fields, and stars—to create a
connection with the audience’s past, their childhood, and their dreams. In my creative process, I often use blurring
techniques. The blurred parts offer a space for the audience to imagine and place their own experiences.
How do you decide which medium best suits a particular idea or emotional atmosphere?
I tend to quickly capture the feeling through small-scale paintings when inspiration strikes, painting is an especially
intuitive and emotional form of expression. I used video as the major media in my early practice, but as I developed
more, I realized the screen wasn’t enough to create the immersive dreamcore environments I envisioned. So I
started creating sculptures, performing music among these sculptures, and using lighting to build the atmosphere.
It always achieves the effect better by cooperating with multiple media.
In your practice, you reconstruct and deform memory fragments. What draws you to the idea of
distortion as a method for exploring the subconscious mind?
Memory is always blurry, and people are used to romanticize the past. Happy memories gradually become more
perfect over time, while the painful details fade away. That’s why when I express memory in my work, I always
present it distortly and exaggeratedly.
Looking ahead, are there new mediums, collaborations, or dream projects you're excited to explore
to further expand your world of healing fantasy spaces?
Sure, I’m trying to combine my sculpture with music, performance, and visuals to present the scene I want to
achieve. As I’m not good at using software, I’m willing to cooperate with intermedia artists, producers, and people
in other areas to create the next more fantasy dream.

From my Island, from me 1 - Oil & clay on canvas, 32x25cm, 2025 46 From my Island, from me 2 - Oil & clay on canvas, 32x25cm, 2025
SELMA EDUARDA
PEREIRA
Selma Eduarda Pereira is an artist and researcher whose work has been showcased across Portugal, Spain,
Italy, Greece, the UK, Macao, and South Korea. She is interested in creating art through digital media and
merging these forms with textiles, and other tangible materials.
She holds a Ph.D. in Digital Media Art and frequently publishes her research in international journals and
regularly exhibits. Recent exhibitions include the CICA Museum in South Korea (2024) and The House of
Smalls in Edinburgh, UK (2024). Additional notable shows are BodySpaces at the Canvas International Art Fair
in Italy (2023), Nature of Digital Dreams at the Cyber Dreams VR Exhibition during the Burning Man Festival,
London (2020), and ArtRooms – International Contemporary Art Fair for Independent Artists, Roma, Italy
(2019).

Hands AR Hands - a homage to textile craft traditions

Digital sculpture textile sculpture, 100x120x18cm, 2023

In works like Síntese and Hands, Selma utilizes Augmented Reality (AR) to create interactive experiences,
blending traditional textile art with digital innovation and inviting immersive audience engagement.
Beyond her artistic production, Selma has served as curator for significant projects, including virtual pavilions
for the International Digital Art Biennale The Wrong Biennale (2020 and 2023).

47
How did your interest in merging digital media with textiles first begin?
This interest developed naturally, stemming from my lifelong passions. This duality has accompanied me
throughout my academic journey: I began my studies in Sound and Image, continued with Fashion and Textile
Design, pursued a master's degree in the History of the Algarve, and completed a Ph.D. in Digital Media Art. This
pathway provided a strong foundation for both artistic creation and research in digital and textile fields, enabling
me to combine tradition and technological innovation, significantly enhancing the expressive and narrative
potential of my works.
In works like Síntese and Hands, you use Augmented Reality to extend traditional art forms — how
do you approach balancing the physical and the virtual?
I strive for a careful balance, always respecting the tactile and emotional essence of the physical object. Augmented
Reality serves as a poetic and interactive extension, adding new layers of meaning without overshadowing the
physical experience. It is a deliberate balance, equally valuing both dimensions.
You often invite immersive audience engagement. What kind of emotional or sensory experience do
you hope viewers take away from interacting with your work?
Audience engagement is central to my practice, influenced by contemporary media art as well as my roles as a
researcher and curator. I aim to offer interactive, participatory experiences that appeal aesthetically and provide
playful and collaborative moments, reflecting contemporary behaviors, increasingly connected and interactive. My
goal is to create deep connections, evoking emotions and reflections on personal and collective identity, cultural
memory, and sustainability.

48 Identity between Contrasts I & II - Textile/fabric and cardboard, 50x90x13cm2025

How has your research in Digital Media Art informed or transformed your creative practice over the
years?
My academic research, fundamentally grounded in artistic practice, has profoundly deepened my critical
understanding of technological integration in the arts. This practice-led research allows me to continuously
experiment with new techniques and concepts in real-world contexts, fostering a dynamic and productive
relationship between theory and practice. This ongoing process of experimentation and reflection has been crucial
to the continuous evolution of my artistic approach, making my creative choices more deliberate and informed by
critical reflections on their cultural and social impacts.
As someone who exhibits internationally, how do different cultural contexts influence the way your
digitally-infused textile works are received?
Exhibiting internationally has revealed varied receptions shaped by specific cultural contexts. In Italy, in venues
such as the Palazzo Albrizzi-Capello in Venice and the Church Palace Hotel in Rome, historical settings provided
additional interpretative layers. In the UK, smaller galleries allowed for more experimental presentations, while
digital exhibitions like Art on Loop enhanced the interactive nature of my work, enabling simultaneous displays in
London and Athens. In South Korea, the institutional prestige of the CICA Museum highlighted the compelling
combination of tangible and digital elements.
What draws you to textiles as a material base, especially at a time when many digital artists are
working fully in the virtual realm?
The historical and cultural richness of textiles uniquely allows the exploration of identity and tradition narratives,
dynamically interacting with digital media. The tactile and artisanal nature of textiles starkly contrasts with the
virtual, creating a provocative and enriching relationship. Furthermore, textiles facilitate deeper engagement with
ancestral knowledge and cultural heritage.

49 Ecoações - textile sculpture, 2015

How does curating digital spaces differ from curating traditional exhibitions?
Curating digital spaces demands a more dynamic approach, with careful consideration of user experience,
technical accessibility, and interactivity. It requires continuous attention to virtual navigation and the creation of
immersive, meaningful environments from afar, delivering engaging artistic experiences without direct physical
interaction.
What challenges and surprises have you encountered while creating Augmented Reality experiences
for physical art pieces?
Technical challenges predominate, particularly due to constant updates and the need for intuitive interfaces. I was
positively surprised by the emotional and interactive impact that Augmented Reality can generate, significantly
enhancing audience connections to the works. Integrating AR requires extensive research and experimentation to
maintain the tactile quality of physical artworks.
Your work often blurs the lines between touchable and intangible. How do you think this tension
reflects broader shifts in how we experience reality today?
This tension deeply mirrors contemporary life, characterized by the coexistence of physical and digital realities. It
highlights the fluidity of boundaries between different realities, prompting reflection on the authenticity and
intensity of our personal and collective experiences.
If you could envision the next evolution of digital-textile art, what future technologies or materials
would you like to explore?
Primarily, I wish to further explore digital technology's potential to connect more closely with audiences, introduce
new narrative layers, and stimulate discussions about digital culture. Textiles bring a tactile dimension often
overlooked in digital art, combined with the extensive potential of ancestral techniques for fabric manipulation,
enriching the sensory and narrative depth of future works.

Textile Mask: The fabric of identity II

Textile/fabric,
Textile Mask: The fabric of identity III 42x52x11cm, 2025
Textile/fabric,
42x52x11cm, 2025

50
CAROLINE
LINDQVIST

Tranformation
Cardboard, tissue paper,
20x15x4cm, 2024

Change begins within but takes shape through action. A reminder: we are the makers of our own transformation.

51
Caroline Lindqvist is a London-based cardboard and paper artist originally from southern Sweden.
Her sculptural work explores themes of transformation, sustainability, and storytelling, often
drawing from Scandinavian folklore, personal reflection, and the eerie beauty of nature.
Influenced by her fascination with cinematography and prop making, Caroline creates emotionally
resonant pieces that blur the line between fantasy and reality. Her chosen materials—primarily
discarded cardboard and paper—embody her commitment to reimagining the overlooked. Each
sculpture is a quiet monument to inner change, uncertainty, and resilience. Caroline’s work invites
viewers into a world where the fragile becomes powerful and the strange becomes familiar,
offering a space to reflect on what we carry, shed, and rebuild within ourselves.
Inner Strength
Cardboard, paper, 19.5x27x6.5cm, 2024

We all go through moments when things don’t turn out as we hoped. It’s easy to give up,
but finding that inner strength is what keeps us moving forward. It’s always within us —
we just need time to uncover it. Through my journey, I’ve learned to hold onto my calling
and dreams, even when doubt creeps in. Like this bird sculpture — frayed but
unbroken, weathered by time — I’m still flying.

Going Places
Cardboard, paper, 10x22x5.5cm, 2024

Like a bird in flight, this piece speaks of movement, of leaving the familiar behind, going
on adventures, traveling. Every step into the unknown leads to growth and change.

‘’I sculpt with paper and cardboard because I’m drawn to what’s often ignored—things seen as fragile,
temporary, or broken. My work explores transformation: of material, of self, and of emotion. I grew up in
southern Sweden, surrounded by deep forests and folklore, where the natural world felt both grounding
and mysterious. That atmosphere still lives in my work. Each piece begins with a feeling—a flicker of
tension or wonder—and becomes a creature, a memory, or a question. I shape my sculptures to feel
alive, textured, and quietly strange. Using discarded materials allows me to build something meaningful
from what’s been left behind. Through shadow, shape, and presence, I aim to capture the magic that
exists in the in-between.’’

52
What first drew you to cardboard and paper as forgotten things new meaning. It mirrors the themes in
your primary materials, and how has your my work: resilience, transformation, and the hidden
relationship with them evolved? value in what’s often overlooked.
I was drawn to cardboard and paper because of their How has your fascination with cinematography
rawness and accessibility — materials often and prop-making influenced you?
overlooked, but still full of potential. Over time, I've I’ve always been fascinated by the craft of prop making
come to see them almost like living things: flexible, and the way film can build entire worlds through light,
imperfect, and capable of transformation, much like shadow, and texture. That sense of atmosphere shapes
the emotions I try to capture. how I approach my sculptures — not always as scenes
Your work often deals with transformation and from another world, but as objects that carry mood,
resilience. How do you translate such internal, tension, and a suggestion of narrative.
emotional processes into physical forms? Your sculptures exist in a space where the
I work instinctively, letting texture, posture, and tension fragile becomes powerful and the strange
guide the form. It's less about illustrating an emotion becomes familiar. How intentional is this
directly and more about allowing the sculpture to balance between vulnerability and strength?
become a physical echo of it, something felt as much as It's very intentional, but it happens intuitively rather
seen. than analytically. I’m always drawn to that thin line
Growing up surrounded by Swedish forests and where something looks fragile but carries a quiet,
folklore, how have those early experiences stubborn strength — where duality adds depth rather
shaped the narratives you build into your than division.
sculptures?
The forests of my childhood felt alive with unseen
stories — half real, half imagined. That sense of
mystery and connection to nature still echoes in my
work, often showing up through quiet symbolism,
organic forms, and a feeling that something hidden
might be watching.
You mention that each piece starts with a flicker
of feeling—how do you know when a particular
emotion or idea is ready to be made into a
sculpture?
I know an idea is ready when it lingers — gathering
emotion, imagery, and weight over time without fading.
When a concept continues to pull at my attention, I
know it’s time to give it physical form.
Sustainability is deeply embedded in your
material choices. How do you see the act of
using discarded materials as part of the stories
you tell through your art?
Working with discarded materials feels like a way of
honoring what’s been cast aside — an act of giving

53 Unfolding - Cardboard, paper, 30.5x22.5x6cm, 2024

You speak about capturing "the magic that exists in the in-between." Could you elaborate on what
that liminal space means to you personally and artistically?
For me, the in-between is where transformation happens — where things aren't fully defined and where
uncertainty is allowed to exist. Artistically, it’s a space of becoming — where vulnerability fuels transformation and
ideas take shape.
Storytelling seems integral to your practice. How do you balance leaving room for the viewer’s imagination
while embedding your myths and memories into the work?
I include parts of my own memories and feelings in my work, but I don't explain everything too clearly. I use
atmosphere, texture and small hints to leave space for viewers to find their own stories. I want each piece to feel
open, so everyone can connect with it in their own way.
Looking forward, are there new themes, materials, or scales you're excited to explore in your future
projects?
I’m currently working on a series of sculptures inspired
by oracle cards, which will take the form of 3D
paintings. I’m excited to explore larger scales and
textures, creating more immersive pieces that speak to
the search for signs and guidance in life. These works
will layer narratives, combining natural elements,
mythology, and moments of uncertainty, capturing the
feeling of looking for direction when it’s hard to find.

Grey Bull - Cardboard, tissue paper, jute string, 45x36x13.5cm, 2025 54 Brown Bull - Cardboard, tissue paper, jute string, 31x43x16cm, 2025
3D Art | Special Edition | volume 68 | Collect Art | Tbilisi, Georgia