Dann Yidan Xiao

Dann Xiao is a multidisciplinary artist from China currently based in London.

She works in a variety of media and discipline such as installation, film, photography, fashion and painting.

Her practices are always run through finding balance and opposition between self and external, through different media and patterns to build her own aesthetic system.

In today's society, there is an incessant pursuit of external stimulation to fulfil the void within, seeking secular recognition and conforming to societal standards. However, very few individuals focus on their true needs, resulting in an ever-increasing threshold of expectations, leading us further away from ourselves and towards self-destruction. Throughout my long period of solitude, I have come to realize this and continually strive to connect with the depths of my inner being.

However, paradoxically, my experience with binge eating disorder exemplifies the phenomenon above. Binge eating disorder is a manifestation of the aforementioned pursuit. As a sufferer for many years, I have sensed the dichotomy and imbalance between myself and the external world.

The potato, bland and void of taste, becomes my vessel, resisting haste, a false satiety it brings, a distorted state, binge eaters' minds, mirroring the move.

No flavor savoured in these frantic feasts, mechanical consumption, true joy deceased, a flavorless sustenance, burdened we endure, external stimuli leading us toward self-destruction.

As an art worker, my creative expression is a response to and exploration of this phenomenon. Through creating, I delve into the self, navigating the depths of my being, with the hope of awakening the audience's attention to their own needs. My practice intertwines internal conflicts and external temptations, presenting an aesthetic born out of contradiction.