Shanxuelian (Shirly) Han

Your work often evokes a sense of disorientation and overload. Is this a reflection of your personal experience in today’s world?

Yes, It’s both a personal response and a shared experience of our time. For me they are not something to fear or panic about- they are messages and signals. Disorientation is an opportunity for transformation, the overwhelming is the beginning of awakening.

How do you approach combining sound, space, and visual elements in your installations?

I began my practice in painting and sculpture, but music has always been a significant influence on my visual expressions. As sound became more integrated into my work, I realised that I approach sculptures, paintings and installations in the same way I approach producing sound, and vice versa. In my installations, I treat all elements as a unified whole. There’s fade in and fade out, shapes have voices, different soundscape creates distinct spaces. The way we look, comprehend and process visual information is akin to varying volumes and beats, there is different speed in every sculptures and paintings. My interest in clubs and dancing is important as well, – as dancing spaces can both be spaces of intense connection and rebellion, and commodified, isolating spaces. All elements exists symbiotically, creating an immersive environment while leaving room for individual interpretation and response.

Shanxuelian (Shirly) Han | Sculptures with Bat (with JJ) | 2025

You describe your work as playing semiotic games. Can you share an example of a symbol you re-contextualized in a recent piece?

Certainly. In a recent exhibition, I presented a video work titled Fishman’s Rhyme, which combines text, video, and electronic music. The concept draws from a book of the same name published during the early Qing dynasty, designed to teach children to write poetry. It pairs huge amount of words and objects in the universe based on rhymes, elements or other connections between the existence of things. I re-contextualized this idea to explore the words, signs and sentences produced in the currently era,The work invites viewers to engage with urban and natural landscapes in poetic or even unconventional ways, serving as a reminder that even in chaos, there’s potential for new and meaningful beginnings.

There’s a unique tension between seriousness and playfulness in your sculptures—how do you strike that balance?

I think that tension is essential to my work. I like to craft a space where viewers can oscillate between joy and contemplation, it’s about playing with ‘seriousness’ and ‘rules’ in a way that feels both liberating and thought-provoking.

Shanxuelian (Shirly) Han | Small-sized object | 2023

How has your education in both Beijing and London influenced your artistic language?

The cities themselves-and the life within them- influenced me more than the actual education, I learnt from the streets, from the weather, from people’s stories, these experiences became an endless source of inspiration for both my work and life.

What role does absurdity or nonsense play in your creative process?

Nonsense, absurdity or foolishness can be precious in the world like this, they create a space of rebellion where I can explore and express with freedom and possibility. For me, embracing the absurd is a form of resistance and a way to invite curiosity, it’s a playful yet powerful tool to expand reality.

Shanxuelian (Shirly) Han | Jarring | 2024

In your sculptural works, how important is material choice in delivering the conceptual message?

I enjoy experimenting with different sculptural materials, both traditional and non-traditional as each carries its own information. Some have been formed for tens of thousands of years, and some were just manufactured yesterday. The time span contained therein is very interesting, and I use them to introduce the dimension of time into my work.