Based in Shanghai and Hong Kong, BAISHUI is a multi-media visual and installation artist whose practice transcends boundaries. She brings a conceptual approach to contemporary art, blending philosophical exploration with innovative artistic methods. Her work is characterised by a dynamic fusion of hand-drawn techniques, AI-assisted digital painting, collage, and synthetic materials, creating visually striking and conceptually layered creations. Her latest exhibition at Art Basel Miami Beach 2024 spurred audience praise with her latest series, ‘Raindrop,’ a meditation on the life cycle of water.
BAISHUI genuinely loves and respects the materials she uses and it delivers. The work has a philosophical side, a universality we can all relate to. How do we connect to work that subverts as BAISHUI does? How do we physically relate to the installations compared to the passive experience of viewing most art in a setting like Art Basel Miami Beach? It makes us consider our own scale in the world.
By using scale and reflections, BAISHUI challenges our way of existing within the immersive experience of her art. The installations appeal to a physical engagement that contrasts sharply with the scale of the spatial relationship to the work, an understanding of the now rather than a memory.
Through this dynamic interplay of reflection and perspective, BAISHUI’s work transcends the visual. Her art doesn’t merely ask us to look; it invites us to inhabit its philosophical space, provoking thought about our physical and metaphysical relationships with the water and the world around us. In this way, BAISHUI’s approach changes the involvement and deepens our understanding of ourselves and our place in the great continuum.
The development of her investigation into the philosophy and materiality of water presented seven installations that transformed the ephemerality of raindrops into monumental works of art. By researching the path of a raindrop from its formation in the sky to its dissolution upon impact with the Earth, BAISHUI investigates the cyclic permanence of water.
The Raindrop series magnifies the minute to monumental proportions, confronting viewers with the delicate forms of raindrops in striking detail. By blowing up such ‘nominal’ droplets to a larger scale than the human body, BAISHUI disrupts the anthropocentric point of view and calls for the audience to contemplate the eternal cycle of water, moving through air, land, and living beings. This subtle inversion of scale invites reflection on the interconnectedness between humans and the natural world.
Presented in the group project Rebirth in the Inferno together with land artist Alan Sonfist’s Burning Forest, BAISHUI installations are some of today’s hot-button ecological issues. In such a combination of works, the viewer could appreciate the dialogue between destruction and restoration, nature and human beings in front of the fragility of ecosystems caused by climate change.
BAISHUI has long been fascinated by the transformative nature of water, using it as both a subject and a metaphor in her work. From earlier series such as Spring Water and Ocean, she has developed a “cosmological view of water” that is both philosophical and poetic. In Raindrop, this philosophy is rendered with technical precision and an emotional resonance that invites viewers to see themselves reflected in the cycles of nature.
Using materials such as ceramics deformed by high temperatures, BAISHUI captures the fluidity and unpredictability specific to water movement. Every piece inside Raindrop embodies a moment, yet together, they constitute one narrative of endurance and renewal.
After success at Art Basel, BAISHUI will present her new series, Geocenter, at the CHUN Museum in March 2025. This body of work draws inspiration from the depths of Earth, combining mythology and technology to explore the evolving relationship between humanity and the planet. BAISHUI imagines a journey to the Earth’s core, evoking Jules Verne’s A Journey to the Centre of the Earth while addressing urgent questions about sustainability and coexistence.
Geocenter furthers BAISHUI’s interest in scale and interconnectedness, offering the audience a visceral journey into the geological and cosmological. With these works, she aspires to entice much deeper reflections on the Anthropocene, human impact on the environment, and the possibilities of a harmonious future.
BAISHUI’s innovative approach, which merges hand-drawn and AI-assisted techniques with unconventional materials, redefines how contemporary art engages with nature. Her work reverberates as a visual wonder and a call to action, reminding audiences of the beauty and fragility of our world.
At Art Basel Miami Beach, BAISHUI crystallised her position as a leading voice at the intersection of art, nature, and technology, inviting the world to see in the life of a raindrop a mirror for our cyclical existence. As she proceeds with Geocenter and beyond, her art will doubtless continue at the leading edge of environmental and artistic discourse.
The source of BAISHUI’s artistry is rooted in the tension between aesthetic and natural aspects, on the one hand, and technological innovation, on the other. She feels excellent unease about becoming numb to the subtleties of nature amid digital tools that predominate in every facet of life. Her works cultivate this “new natural aesthetic” that harmonises organic and artificial elements. This reflects a broader cultural synthesis in many respects, with the East meeting modern technological and artistic sensibilities. Situated at the core of BAISHUI’s practice is a negotiation between man, nature, and technology. Her pieces touch upon natural elements’ textures and symbolic overtures, specifically their use within the human experience. Based on a long-standing “New Naturalism” series, BAISHUI inspects how material culture and memory can function as substrata for storytelling and knowledge transference. In this case, her work takes organic narration into symbolic systems, which relates traditional Eastern thought to high technological innovation in materials and approaches.
With her meticulous use of diverse materials and multi-layered narratives, BAISHUI creates immersive visual experiences that invite the audience to reflect on their place within the cosmos. Her approach to contemporary art crosses cultural and disciplinary boundaries and invites a multidimensional framework for reshaping how we approach nature, technology, and culture.
Continuing her investigation into the intersections of natural and humanistic landscapes, Baishui remains a strong and intriguing voice in the global art arena, challenging and expanding the boundaries of contemporary aesthetics.
Meeting the Artist: A Dialogue with BAISHUI and Artlyst Editor Paul Carter Robinson
Q1: Tell me in your own words about your Raindrop installations.
BAISHUI: Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman, renowned for his “giant object” creations, once remarked, “Adults like to look down on everything, but children look up.” His words resonate deeply with me. People tend only to look up when confronted with something monumental, which forces them to see the world from a new perspective. This shift challenges human subjectivity, encouraging viewers to join me in stepping away from the usual human-centric viewpoint and adopting the mindset of non-human entities—of nature itself. This alternative way of seeing sparks reflection on humanity’s relationship with nature and the interconnectedness of all things.
Moreover, the presence of water in my work holds a universal significance. I believe the commonality of rain is akin to the experience of “gazing at the same bright moon.” Raindrops feel intimate, almost tangible, as though they touch each individual. Like the moonlight shared across the globe, rain embodies unity and universality. The raindrops falling is a manifestation of this interconnectedness, reminding us that every individual is an integral part of nature’s larger ecosystem—a participant in the cyclical rhythm of life. By utilising the imagery of raindrops, a universally understood element, I aim to evoke these profound truths.
The Raindrop series conveys an essential narrative about nature, time, and life on a global scale. Using the malleable quality of ceramics and their natural transformations under extreme temperatures, the series captures water’s essence in a unique and unexpected form. These works celebrate water as a vital force in nature while inviting viewers to reflect on the cycles of life, the role of humanity within those cycles, and the periods of stillness and transformation in life—moments that gather energy for future flourishing. I hope this series inspires a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness between humanity and the environment.
Q2: Could you share any unique experiences or memorable impressions from your time at Art Basel Miami Beach?
BAISHUI: Being part of Art Basel Miami Beach was an extraordinary experience. This global art event offered an invaluable opportunity to engage with artists, collectors, and enthusiasts worldwide. My cross-cultural conversations were enriching, providing fresh perspectives and insights. Throughout the fair, I could sense a strong appetite within the art world for innovation and experimentation, coupled with a hopeful outlook for the art market’s future evolution.
My interactions with artists and audiences from diverse cultural and social backgrounds underscored the transformative power of art in bridging cultures and fostering dialogue. These exchanges emphasised art’s unique ability to inspire awareness of pressing environmental and societal challenges. These moments shaped new possibilities for my artistic practice and strengthened my conviction in art’s essential role as a catalyst for global understanding and meaningful connections.
Q3: Could you delve into your influences and what inspires your work?
From the mid-20th century onwards, artists began to break away from the confines of traditional art, utilising diverse media and technologies to reflect on societal and cultural issues. Many postmodern artists have profoundly influenced my work, particularly embracing hybrid materials, which has become a natural trend as contemporary art pushes against creative limitations. My pieces—whether installations or shelf-based works—often weave together aesthetic elements from classical and modern traditions and Eastern and Western philosophies to create intricate networks of visual storytelling.
Take my series Raindrop as an example: its conceptual roots are inspired by Anish Kapoor, whose Cloud Gate in Chicago captivates me. The way it mirrors the cityscape and passersby through its stainless-steel surface evokes the philosophy of water—”to see everything and to see oneself.” Kapoor’s integration of Western artistic forms and concepts resonates with my practice, aligning with my goal of harmonising diverse cultural influences.
My creations stem from profound observation of the world and inner reflection. I strive to ground my work in the cosmology of Chinese natural philosophy while contemporising these traditions through innovative methods, such as integrating AI technology. AI enables me to reimagine the traditional interplay of “likeness and unlikeness“ in artistic expression. Whether through AI-generated imagery, art prints, or watercolour hand-paintings, I aim to retain my work’s natural beauty and ecological focus. However, I meticulously experiment and refine my techniques to ensure that digital tools serve my art’s deeper thematic and emotional underpinnings.
I view AI as a means of evolution in art, not its conclusion. My artistic practice remains rooted in the timeless relationship between nature and humanity, prioritising manual craftsmanship to preserve the unique imperfections inherent in handmade work. For instance, the ink drawings in Quantum Roses, the collages and resin-coated elements in Ocean, and the crystal glass elements in Raindrop are all painstakingly created by hand. This manual process introduces nuanced textures and layers that would be absent in machine-made pieces. These subtle irregularities, born from the human touch, imbue my work with a tactile depth and richness, setting it apart from the sterile precision of automated production.
Q4: What are your plans after Art Basel Miami Beach? How do you see your work evolving over the next few years?
BAISHUI: Following Art Basel Miami Beach, I plan to delve further into my artistic practice and explore new creative dimensions. I’m deeply interested in engaging with the international art market as a platform to showcase my work and as a space for meaningful cultural exchange and connection. Through my art, I aim to foster richer dialogues with art enthusiasts and fellow artists worldwide.
My latest series, Geocenter, draws inspiration from the mysteries and uncharted territories of the Earth’s deep interior. Geology, geophysics, and humanity’s imaginative interpretations of the planet’s core have always fascinated me. I hope to transport viewers into a captivating underground realm through contemporary art, evoking curiosity and wonder. This series encourages reflection on the Earth, its natural processes, and mankind’s role within this intricate ecosystem.
I’m committed to further exploring the relationship between humanity and the natural world, particularly pressing global issues such as climate change and ecological crises. Through my art, I want to inspire greater awareness and action toward sustainable development and environmental preservation. Additionally, I’m excited to incorporate cutting-edge technology into my work, including Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR), to create immersive experiences that deepen the viewer’s connection to the themes I explore.