I’m a Canadian-Taiwanese artist, my work is driven by my intuition for style and material manipulation. I care deeply about style and think about it often, it is my creative guiding force. To me, style is spiritual and I have found that when I approach things with spirit, I always win.
“What happens when people are simultaneously proud and ashamed, curious and opposed to my existence? What do I lose and what do I gain from the outside/inside understanding of myself? ”
Anti-Asian violence
It’s a mixture of fear, anxiety, hope and prayer right now. It changes daily and from moment to moment. Sometimes I’m anxious to go get groceries on my own or, if I’m walking alone, I plan an emergency exit plan in my head. On another day, I feel power and love from the collaborative voices and stories being shared right now. To learn that grandma Xiao Zhen Xie fought her attacker and is giving the million dollar raised in her honor right back to the community is inspiring. She’s a real life superhero and that’s a beautiful and humbling thing.
Where were you born and where were you raised?
I was born in Taipei, Taiwan and raised in Canada. My family immigrated to Montreal when I was 3 years old, we lived there until I was 10. We then moved to Toronto and I’ve stayed here since.
Where do you consider home?
Food and my closet.
Describe yourself as a teenager. What was your high school experience like? Is there an album that sums up your teenage years?
I didn’t have a great sense of self as a teenager which makes it hard to describe. I think people would say I was easy to get along with, mature and maybe reserved? I had a good high school experience, I attended a small french public school downtown. The school wasn’t big enough for there to have cliques, so everyone hung out together. In terms of music, I mostly listened to the radio
What advice would you give your younger self?
Lean into your curiosities, cultivate your inner voice and happiness.
What was your first job? Do you see yourself represented where you work? Do you love your job? If so, why?
My first job was working at my parent’s coffee shop in the beaches. I think I was 12. Today, I work in the service industry in restaurants. Do I feel represented at work? I mean, what does it mean to be represented at work? If we’re talking about race then no, as an immigrant, you’re used to being marginalized. If we’re talking about food then yes, anywhere with a kitchen I feel at home.
What have been some of your biggest challenges growing up in Canada?
I’m exploring the abject in the context of myself as the daughter of first generation immigrant parents. It’s important to me to create work that speaks to the loneliness and emptiness that comes with the build up. The build up from the consequences of being both a beacon of hope and an embarrassment to my family. The build up of growing up in a society where I was both abject and exotic. What happens when people are simultaneously proud and ashamed, curious and opposed to my existence? What do I lose and what do I gain from the outside/inside understanding of myself?
What does being Canadian mean to you?
Being Canadian doesn’t mean as much to me as being from Toronto. Toronto means multiculturalism and that includes food which is beautiful and delicious.
Have you been back to where your parents were raised? How did you feel coming back to Canada? Do you have a sense of home?
I’ve been back a few times to Taiwan. Recently, I spent 6 months there and loved it. I felt right at home. The noises, the smells, the texture in the air, the way people interacted with each other, facial expressions…there was a familiarity. The disconnect would be from conversations with my aunts and uncles, being called fat or made fun of for being an artist.
Coming back to Canada has its ups and downs. From my time spent in Taiwan, I know my home is there because my soul is rooted there. Being an immigrant, I kind of don’t belong anywhere but myself. I belong to my relationships and to the spaces dear to me. I don’t belong to the western system, narrative or conventions.
When did you start dating? Have you dated outside of your race and/or culture? What did your family think about it?
I started dating in my early 20s. Up until recently, I only dated outside of my race. My current boyfriend is the only interest I’ve mentioned to my parents. They don’t take him or us seriously.
What were your parents expectations of you? Do you feel like you have met them? Did you struggle with meeting their expectations? Did your parents say “I love you” or “I’m proud of you” often?
Haha this is a cliche story, but my parents wanted me to be a doctor, lawyer or work high up in the government. I definitely haven’t met those expectations. I never struggled to meet their expectations because I never tried. I have struggled with their disappointment and lecturing of not meeting those expectations. I don’t remember my parents ever saying “I love you” or “I’m proud of you”. I have received nods and smiles from me saying it to them.
When did you feel independant?
I think I was 24-25 when I started to feel right in my body. I had just started art school which I had chosen for myself. It wasn’t until turning 28 and beginning therapy that I felt like an adult or for that stuff to be important.
Do you feel like you belong? Is community important to you? What does community look like?
Right now, I belong to my chosen family. Community is important to me and I’ve been meaning to find ways to spend time in communities I care/am curious about. Community is a space created and inhabited by people who care about a common cause. They gather to build, celebrate and preserve what is near to their hearts.
Do you ever dream of living somewhere else? Where and why?
I dream of living in a country where the culture is centered on pleasure rather than capitalism.
What does your future look like?
Who knows these days :)
Find Jane on the internet at: @leejne