A Peek into the Artist’s Mind…

Curatorial Rationale

My exhibition revolves around the theme of Chinese Culture. Through my collection of works, my intention is not to present the generally well-known aspects of Chinese culture monotonously. Instead, I intend to visually present it in a way that is specifically linked to my lived experiences as a Chinese-American person. Therefore, this theme both culturally and artistically resonates deeply with me, as it provides me the perfect opportunity to express my heritage to its fullest by demonstrating the skill I have treasured for the longest time: creating art. Through my collection of works, I intend to share my story as someone who sees Chinese culture as a unique, personally artistic experience.

To convey my story, I had to begin by thoroughly reflecting on specific, significant anecdotes ranging from my childhood until now that allowed me to immerse myself in my culture. Examples include my travel experiences in China, celebrating festivals with my family, and the way I view cultural symbols. In doing so, I finally split my story into three categories: Traditional, Mythological, and Contemporary. This way, I intend to present a multifaceted vision of what my culture means to me, allowing the audience to visually encounter what particular aspects of Chinese culture I have had the most interest in both learning about and/or experiencing. Additionally, rather than choosing to present this exhibition through a wide variety of mediums, I chose to use the few specific mediums I have worked with the longest, giving me the ability to show how I usually approach creating art at its fullest: utilizing texture and bold colors. As a result, not only will I share my experience as a Chinese-American, but I will also demonstrate where my long-term experience in visual arts has led me, ultimately taking genuine pride in both my culture and my ability to produce art through my own approach.

The placement of my artworks is exactly tied to the three categories of Chinese culture I intend to show: Traditional, Mythological, and Contemporary. These categories were placed from left to right in that order, while representing which categories among those three I have experienced or learned about the most. For example, half of my entire exhibition: Chinese ribbon dance, lion dance, the Great Wall, and my mooncake sculptures, collectively display the first category of my three categorized experiences: Traditional, hence it is the category of my culture I spent the most time in my life, both experiencing and learning about. Then, my paintings of the dragon, the dragon and the phoenix paired together, and the collapsing Great Wall collectively represent the second category: Mythological, showcasing my keen interest in Chinese mythology. Lastly, my painting depicting a student imagining the gates of Tsinghua University represents the Contemporary category, showing something significant I learned from my parents regarding education in modern Chinese culture.

To me and my exhibition, Chinese culture is not simply depicting randomly picked, well-known aspects of it. Rather, Chinese culture is taking the favorite parts of what I have experienced and/or learned throughout my life about it, and then intertwining that kind of personal inspiration with the mediums I have worked with the longest to produce artworks that are, frankly, an authentic representation of who I am today.

Through my collection of works, I intend to allow the audience to take a visual trip into Chinese culture in accordance with my unique experiences and acquired knowledge.


Shuchang Guo | Exhibition Title: Eighternal | March 2026

Gallery - Eighternal

  • 璀璨狮子 (Brilliant Lion)
    Shuchang Guo
    Acrylic & Gouache on Canvas
    40 cm x 30 cm

    My inspiration comes from another favorite festival of mine: Spring Festival (春节) and a popular traditional dance: Lion Dance (舞狮). I chose to depict different aspects of the Spring Festival, such as the lanterns, the architecture, the lion, and the warm colors, which culminate in cultural pride expressed through artistic practice. Specifically, my artistic practice takes place in the deliberate visibility of the brushstrokes, intending to leave the impression of a vibrant nighttime atmosphere.

  • 龙凤呈祥 (Dragon & Phoenix: Auspiciousness) Shuchang Guo Ink and Gouache on Watercolor Paper 30 cm x 30 cm

    My inspiration comes from the famous Yin and Yang symbol, which is often associated with two of China’s cultural icons: the dragon (龙) and the phoenix (凤). Since they are counterparts that present auspiciousness, my intention for this piece was to indirectly portray the dragon and the phoenix through the Yin and Yang symbol, showcasing how I put my art-making practices into depicting the dragon and the phoenix together.


  • The Grief of Lady Meng Jiang Shuchang Guo Acrylic and Gouache on Canvas 35 cm x 27 cm

    My inspiration for this piece was my favorite Chinese legend: 孟姜女哭长城 (Lady Meng Jiang’s Weeping at the Great Wall). This piece depicts the turning point of the legend: Meng Jiang begins weeping over her husband who died from the brutality of the Great Wall’s construction period. Inspired by the grief for her husband that became powerful enough to collapse the Great Wall, my intention for this artwork was exactly to depict the unfiltered, messy grief from Lady Meng Jiang.

  • 阖家团聚 (Family Reunion) Shuchang Guo Acrylic Paint and Mod Podge on Ceramic Clay 17 cm x 17 cm x 24 cm

    These sculptures were inspired by the Mid-Autumn Festival, one of my favorite festivals, where mooncakes are shared with families during this time. My intention for these piece is to portray the intricate relief-carving style seen on real mooncakes, except on ceramic mooncakes, I carved custom designs: a blossom and “中秋”, meaning “Mid-Autumn [Festival]”. (中秋[节]). These mooncakes were then placed in a box that previously stored real mooncakes, with red ribbons as a symbol to secure good luck.


  • 万里长城 (The Great Wall) Shuchang Guo Ink on Watercolor Paper 30 cm x 45 cm

    With the Great Wall being a prominent icon of China’s long, rich history, my inspiration not only comes from the Great Wall’s historical significance, but also my personal experience of walking on it in 2014. Therefore, my intention for this piece was to include a depiction of one of China’s most famous locations in my exhibition, as well as provide myself with an opportunity to artistically reflect and showcase my travel experiences in China as a person with Chinese heritage.

  • Twelve Years, One Score Shuchang Guo Gouache, Watercolor, & Ink on Watercolor Paper 27.9 cm x 38.1 cm

    My inspiration was my parents telling me their experience with the Gaokao, so my main intention was to depict the pressure of passing the Gaokao to secure a future at good universities. This intention was fulfilled with color choices fading from dark red signifying internal struggle to purple (the university’s main color), facial expressions, and calligraphy. Though it does not reflect my direct participation, it reflects my inherited understanding of its significance in modern Chinese culture.

    Translations (Simplified Chinese to English)

    高考：Gaokao Exam; China’s college entrance exam

    加油：Chinese phrase for “You can do it!”

    清华大学：Tsinghua University

    成功了：Succeeded

  • Mythical Guardian Shuchang Guo Ink, Watercolor, and Acrylic Paint on Mixed Media Paper 22.9 cm x 30.5 cm

    This mixed-media painting was inspired by my admiration towards the dragon, a cultural icon in Chinese culture. Additionally, the design style of the dragon was derived from my long-standing experience with craftsmanship in ink paintings. With my prior experience, my intention for creating this piece was to display an artistic manifestation of my perception of a prominent cultural icon, topped off with a popular location in China that I have visited before: The Great Wall.

  • 赤红美丽 (Crimson Beauty) Shuchang Guo Watercolor, Gouache, & Ink on Watercolor Paper 27.9 cm x 38.1 cm

    My intention for this piece is to display my favorite type of Chinese traditional dance in a way where it is unique to myself: Ribbon Dance. To accomplish this, I intentionally steered clear from a realistic approach on the artwork’s figure and incorporated my own art style. This way, not only was I able to make this piece culturally personal by depicting a type of traditional dance I’ve performed on stage with, but also showcase how I draw and render as a long-term artist myself.

What does “Eighternal” mean?

~ A closer look into a heritage artist’s exhibition ~

My exhibition title is Eighternal. But what exactly does that mean, and how does that relate to my exhibition’s theme?

“Eighternal” is a combination of the words “eight” and “eternal”. The first half, “eight”, holds two meanings. First, there are eight artworks in my exhibition. Second, eight is widely considered as China’s lucky number, as the pronunciation of eight (八 bā) rhymes with the first syllable in 发财 (fā cái), meaning “to prosper”. Simply put, it is a lucky number associated with success. The second half, “eternal”, comes from my lasting Chinese heritage, spanning over thousands of years of rich history, especially in the arts. (e.g. calligraphy)

Eighternal is a way for me to summarize all eight of my artworks into a single made-up word combination that reflects my success in my long-term experience with art and visually showcases my lasting heritage through my own perspective.