A studio is a ritual place, a lovely place. Ideas come and go fast. I just want to try to capture the idea. I leave a lot of fingerprints as part of my work.

Paddle tool, my own paddle tool, with different angles, structure. And this is a piece of rock. Also is a pretty handy tool.

I don’t need regular tools. The piece of wood, the rock, piece of rock, sometimes better.

You can see, this is the top of the head, shoulder area. And this is the torso area. This is the part I’m working on.

Eventually, I would say, like, seven feet, seven, eight feet tall.

This is a little maquette I made a few years ago. But this moment, I like it, because, not only the gesture, I think the color, quite simple. I want to make something like that.

I was born and raised in China. When I was 16 years old, accepted by a local art school, I was choosing sculpture major just because I like making things by hand and with physical strength.

And we have a five-year discipline, mainly focused on technique.

When I graduated in 1985, American conceptual artist Robert Rauschenberg had his groundbreaking exhibition in National Art Museum in Beijing.

That was the first time I experienced Western artwork in person. Personally, after that, I just say, I don’t want to do anything from school. I want to do something new.

I decided to come to the United States, continue pursue my artistic dream. That was quite a difficult moment.

In China, we don’t have a word in dictionary, “starving artist.” If you graduate from art school, pretty much guarantee you have a job.

Not much, but enough.

That’s different from here.

When I talked to my mother-in-law on the phone, we want to give up, you know, because this is nothing like we imagined before we come here. The reality is pretty different.

She said, “Hey Wanxin, do you guys have food on the table?” I said, “Yes.” But she said, “As long as you have food on the table, don’t give up.” I say, “OK.”

In 2002, I hold my first solo exhibition in Triangle Gallery, San Francisco.

I get a review by San Francisco Chronicle, Kenneth Baker. It’s not a long review, but it’s a very good review, quite exciting.

So I, I always remember that moment.

This is one of my, the California Artist series. I made this in 20, 2023.

My first time I saw the Bob Arneson piece in MOMA, California Artist, I stand in front of the sculpture and think about, Who am I? I know I’m a newcomer. I’m a new, immigration, but I live in California for years.

I’m a California artist.

Yelling, screaming, “I’m a California artist too.”

The Bay Area means everything to me, and especially for my art practice. And I’m grateful we have such a dynamic community. I pretty much love to immerse myself in this vibrant society, and proud to be part of California artisans.

Art is a lifelong journey. It is a risk, right?

But we gotta do what we gotta do, you know?