Miao Jiaxin

Miao Jiaxin was born and raised in China. From his early practice, starting as a street photographer tracking Shanghai prostitutes, to the development of a pseudo-transvestite web celebrity, Miao Jiaxin has evolved an edgy and protean practice. From Shanghai, Miao immigrated to New York, expanding his view of the urban streetscape toward that of a more conceptual public space, making work that spans a range of media. Miao’s work is influenced by existentialism, politically engaged in contemporary events, yet still expressing a universal theme of urban angst. His films often express the ambivalent and sometimes antagonistic tension that exists between the individual and governing or cultural authorities, questioning assumptions about power in relation to individual identity, race, gender, sexuality and social class. He posits the artist’s nature as that of one who transgresses boundaries, challenges consensus, and keeps a distance the authorities.