2025-2026 AALANA & BIPOC Inclusion Fellowship Recipient:

Naxi Jin

As a Chinese-American artist, I have lived in the United States for the past twelve years, grappling with my dual identity and the tension between cultural influences. Despite this, I still experience a certain sense of detachment from the American community, as though I am an observer rather than a fully assimilated member. It is this part of my identity which I seek to express through clay.

In this way, my art becomes a bridge between two cultures. I draw inspiration from Eastern gestures and techniques, blending them with the textures, colors, and expansive horizons of the Western landscapes that I experience and immerse myself in. This synthesis creates an aesthetic dialogue which is simultaneously interested in both tradition and innovation, the familiar and the foreign. Through this interplay, I unpack the complexities of identity, belonging, and the paradox of cultural assimilation.