ArtConnect asked the winning artists to share with us a glimpse into their creative life to get a sense of their personal inspiration and artistic process.

How would you describe your artistic approach, and what themes or ideas drive your work?

My artistic approach is rooted in exploring the quiet, often overlooked moments of human experience. In my Backs series, I’m drawn to the idea of what is unseen yet deeply felt. Painting figures from behind allows me to focus on posture, gesture, and mood rather than identity, inviting viewers to project their own emotions and stories onto the work. Themes of solitude, introspection, and vulnerability drive my practice. I’m fascinated by the tension between presence and absence—how much can be conveyed without showing a face. Ultimately, my work is about connection: creating space for empathy, reflection, and an unspoken dialogue between the subject, the viewer, and myself.

Your paintings often capture everyday urban life with a sense of stillness and introspection. What draws you to these moments?

I’m drawn to the quiet, in-between moments that often go unnoticed in the rush of everyday urban life. There’s something profound in the stillness—those fleeting pauses when people are lost in thought, waiting, or simply being. These moments feel honest and unguarded, revealing a sense of vulnerability that resonates with me. In a fast-paced world, I find beauty in slowness and introspection, and my paintings aim to hold space for that. I’m fascinated by how much emotion and narrative can be found in a single moment of stillness, and capturing that feels both intimate and universal.

How do you approach storytelling in your work, and what role do emotions play in your process?

Storytelling in my work is subtle and open-ended. Rather than presenting a clear narrative, I aim to evoke a mood or feeling that allows viewers to create their own stories. Each painting is like a quiet pause in a larger, unseen narrative—there’s a sense that something happened just before or will happen just after. Emotions are at the heart of my process. I’m especially drawn to feelings of solitude, longing, and introspection, and I try to infuse those into my work through posture, color, and atmosphere. My goal is to create paintings that feel familiar in an emotional sense, where viewers can see a bit of themselves or their own experiences reflected back.

Can you share a piece or series that holds particular significance for you? What was your approach to creating it?

The Hong Kong Backs series holds particular significance for me. I began working on it in 2012, and while it shares similarities with my Backs series from London and New York, this one feels more personal—Hong Kong is my hometown. These are my people. Hong Kong is always crowded, bustling with life, and I was curious to explore whether solitude could still exist within such a densely populated urban environment. Each piece was painted on small 15x20cm wood boards, emphasizing the intimacy of these quiet moments amidst the city's chaos. Since emigrating to the U.S. in 2014, Hong Kong has changed dramatically, both socially and politically. That shift has made the series even more meaningful to me, and I hope to revisit and rework it at some point. It's a way for me to reflect on what has changed, not just in the city, but also in my connection to it over time.

What kind of responses or emotions do you hope to evoke in viewers? In general, but also particularly with this work?

In general, I hope my work evokes a sense of quiet reflection in viewers. I want them to pause and connect with the emotions beneath the surface—whether it’s solitude, longing, or simply the feeling of being present in a fleeting moment. With the Hong Kong Backs series, I hope to spark a deeper sense of empathy and contemplation. I want viewers to consider the tension between individuality and the collective in a crowded city, and to reflect on their own experiences of solitude, even when surrounded by others. Especially now, given how much Hong Kong has changed, I hope this work also evokes a sense of nostalgia and an appreciation for the small, everyday moments that often go unnoticed.

Your work distills scenes down to their essential elements. How do you decide what to emphasize and what to leave out?

When deciding what to emphasize and what to leave out, I rely heavily on intuition. After spending a long time with a photograph, it becomes clear to me which elements need to stand out and which can fade into the background. My choices are often guided by the overall composition, though sometimes it's simply about the interplay of colors in certain areas. I stay very true to what’s present in the photo—I don’t see myself as creating something entirely new, but rather as a conductor guiding an orchestra, bringing different elements together to form a cohesive and harmonious whole. After all, it’s just like how we experience the world. We see what we want to see, hear what we choose to hear, and overlook the rest.

How do you stay engaged and inspired in your practice, especially when working with recurring themes?

For me, each encounter is unique. Even when working with recurring themes, every figure, moment, and scene feels distinct—like everything has aligned perfectly in the right place at the right time to create a beautiful snapshot of everyday life. Most importantly, rather than asking who these figures are, I ask what they reveal about the viewer. In this way, Backs is not just about others—it is a study of the self. I see these figures as self-portraits. They become mirrors, reflecting our inner landscapes. When we look at another’s back, we may, in some way, be looking at ourselves. We are always changing and we are never bored with ourselves, right? At least I am.

What has been one of the biggest challenges you’ve faced as an artist, and how have you navigated it?

As a Chinese female artist and a foreigner, I’ve faced challenges navigating an art industry where cultural and linguistic nuances can feel like barriers. English is not my first language, which has sometimes made it difficult to express the depth and complexity of my artistic vision in conversations or written proposals. Additionally, as a parent of a young child, balancing the demands of motherhood with the time-intensive requirements of building a career in the art world has been a significant hurdle. Attending gallery openings, networking events, or even participating in residencies is often limited by family responsibilities.

These challenges have required me to find creative ways to connect with the art community and advocate for my work. I’ve focused on building relationships online, developing my studio practice, and using my unique perspective as both a foreigner and a mother to shape my art. While these hurdles have been difficult, they have also enriched my work, deepening the themes of identity, belonging, and human connection that are central to my practice.

How do you see the role of contemporary art in today’s world, and where do you see your own work fitting into that conversation?

I believe contemporary art plays a vital role in helping us slow down, reflect, and connect with our shared humanity, especially in today’s fast-paced and often overwhelming world. It offers a space for dialogue, empathy, and introspection—reminding us of the quiet, everyday moments that are easy to overlook. I see my work fitting into that conversation by focusing on these moments of solitude and stillness. Through my Backs series, I aim to capture the often unseen emotional landscapes we all carry with us. My hope is that my paintings provide a pause for viewers, encouraging them to reflect on their own experiences and the world around them with a bit more mindfulness and compassion.

Anything else you would like to add—perhaps something about your process, influences, or what’s next for you?

Due to a major renovation, I haven’t been able to access my studio for the past four months, so I started sketching on my iPad. This shift also led me to explore new scenes—moving from urban environments to suburban landscapes and people. For the first time, I’ve introduced trees into my paintings. Once I painted the first tree, I couldn’t stop! I’m now working on a new Suburban Backs series that captures the changing seasons, from autumn to winter, with spring coming next. This new direction has been an exciting experiment for me, and I can’t wait to bring these sketches to life on canvas in my new studio space.

See more of Gwen’s work

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