Dreams of East & West, Chinese-Australian artist blending heritage through surrealism to amplify marginalized voices in Melbourne
#HUEVOICES: Meet Chloe Shao.
It’s been a while since the last #HUEVOICES interview! Did you miss it?
I know I’ve missed sharing these interviews with you too.
This week we’re straying off our Southeast Asian theme (again)—only slightly—to head farther South of the region, to meet this brilliant blossoming third culture kid who’s living her dream life as an artist in Melbourne.
I hope you enjoy this interview as much as I have! Also, please do yourself a favour and check out her art (once you finish reading of course!)
By the way, just a heads up.
This series now lives in it’s new home at HueVoices.
You can read the updated version and subscribe to the latest interviews here.
I am Chloe, an independent digital artist based in Melbourne. I draw inspiration from my dual Chinese-Australian identity. Through my art and journaling, I navigate and interpret the world around me by blending elements of Asian heritage into the dark surrealism; to create a sanctuary for marginalised souls. My creative process often yields surprising and random results, as I reflect on my subconscious, as I draw.
My hometown is Nanjing, China, but home is Melbourne, Australia.
I live in Melbourne, but I’ve also lived in Nanjing, Shanghai, New York, Sydney.
The one thing I miss most about my hometown is Authentic duck blood crystal noodle soup.
If I were an ice cream flavour, I’d be espresso because I love bittersweet flavours! It’s addictive and complicated.
My spirit animal is maybe a horse or cat because I love the freedom of running around freely in the wild and also the nonchalantness of a cat.
The soundtrack to my life is I don’t really have one particular song…
As a child, I used to dream of becoming an author/artist. Now I am an artist.
But, in another life, I’d be a better artist?
The “pinch-me” moment in my career so far was getting my work published in Banzai Magazine alongside with some people I admired for a long time.
The best career advice I’ve ever received was just do it, stop thinking about it.
Chinese indie song inspired me the most because the older I get the more I started to appreciate old poetry, the romance, the elegancy within the poetry — qualities that are unmatched elsewhere. I see a lot of indie pop as very picturesque, blending elements of past and present.
I really like a Taiwanese indie pop band called ‘Fools and idiots’ and I love their entire first album ‘夜长梦少’ ( Ye Chang Meng Shao’ ) translated into ‘ long night, less dreams’. The song 象牙舟 （Xiang ya Zhou) translated into ‘ Ivory boat ‘ is probably my favourite, the lyrics are really dreamy :).
My last three liked tracks on Spotify are I rarely like songs on Spotify… they are mostly accidentally liked, I do curate very specific playlists for different moods though.
The last book/movie/article/podcast/artwork that left an impression was “Fish Don’t Exist” because it came at the right time in my life, it’s difficult to articulate, I believe it was the journey the author guided me through the chapters, it was like a ship slicing through the fog on a turbulent sea of chaos. It made me feel less alone.
The creative(s) who inspire me most is James Jean because he made me fall in love with surrealism, with his Taiwanese American background he demonstrated the power of mixing east and western modern art.
What I need to be my most creative self is some sake and music, isolation.
My most recent well-spent splurge was a Ricoh Gr3 camera! Yet to be tested but I’m really excited about it.
I can never leave the house without my clothes? I’m happy to leave my phone or headphones at home sometimes if it’s a short distance travel.
My go-to outfit of the moment is flared jeans and thick boots.
The shoes you’ll see me wearing most are black boots.
The scent you’ll smell on me is Iris, I love powdery ricey smells, brings me comfort.
On my bedside table, you’ll find Meletonin, body lotion, markers, books.
You’ll always find kimchi stocked in my fridge.
My idea of self-care is look after your body, your body will look after your mind too.
The one healthy habit I cherish most is I always have a big warm glass of water first when I wake up.
The type of vacation I crave for most is strolling through old towns, have local street food, find a cafe and draw, talk to locals.
My ideal Saturday afternoon is spending time in the nature, get some vitamin D and touch the leaves, flowers, around me.
The mantra I live by most is don’t justify yourself to people who live a life you don’t want.
What is success to you?
To be content with life, be happy about what you have, emotional stability even with up and downs in life.
What is one piece of advice you’d like to share with your younger self?
Don’t worry too much about what others think about you, don’t be too harsh on yourself and forgive yourself a bit more.
What values, legacies, and perspectives has Asia impressed on you?
I place more value on people's actions rather than their words. Growing up in Asia, love was typically expressed through actions like giving food or doing favors, rather than verbally saying 'I love you.' I rarely heard those words, which led to some resentment. I used to believe I would have been a more confident person if my parents had expressed their love verbally more often. However, I've come to understand that love is more valuable when communicated through actions.
In the Western world, people sometimes express love more readily with words, but I've found that words can sometimes lack sincerity when actions contradict them.
How do you define your cultural identity, and how has it evolved?
I was quite confident in my Chinese identity before coming to Australia at the age of 15. However, in my early 20s, I began to resent my Chinese identity. I desperately wanted to fit in and prove myself, so I distanced myself from it. I didn't have many Chinese friends, didn't listen to Chinese music, and didn't watch Chinese shows. Intentionally pushing away my identity caused me a lot of suffering because I knew I couldn't change who I was.
Then, one day, my therapist asked me why I had to choose one identity over the other. They suggested that I could be both. It was such a simple answer that I had chosen to ignore. During the lockdown in Melbourne in 2020, isolated and seeking comfort, I began to embrace more of my culture. I started making Chinese friends online, exploring modern Chinese music, and blending both sides of myself. It’s getting easier and easier for me to filter and absorb which side I’d want/need for myself, I guess I’m more honest with myself the older I get.
How do you balance preserving your cultural heritage, embracing global influences, and honouring where you are now?
I tend to take a more metaphysical approach to this issue, emphasizing the importance of understanding the concept of time. We inevitably encounter conflicts between the past and present; what is present now will become the past for the future, and the future will shape our understanding of the past.
What truly matters is the present moment and the values that can enrich our lives. Cultural heritage encompasses not only traditional rituals but also the values it imparts to me. Rather than clinging to conservative values solely to validate my identity, I prioritize extracting values from traditions that can contribute positively to my personal growth and provide moral guidance in life. Simultaneously, I am willing to discard aspects that perpetuate generational traumas.
What is your art about? Are there any specific cultural references that pay homage to your heritage/cultural history?
I use my art to express the complexity and chaos of my identities. I often feel like an old, dusty vintage shop where things from all over the world find their places peacefully in a small room. I incorporate many Asian elements into my drawings, particularly porcelain and incense; these are essential objects in my daily life that I can't live without.
Find Chloe’s work at:
https://www.chloeshao.com/
@chloeshaoart
What resonated with you in Chloe’s story?
I’d love to hear what you think in the comments. If you enjoyed this interview and want more, please like this, so more people can discover it too.
My three key moments from Chole’s interview is her simple self-care routine of drinking warm water first thing in the morning, her bad@$$ mantra of why ‘you don’t need to justify your life to people you don’t admire’, and her vulnerability to honour her dual-heritage by embracing all parts to her identities rather than subjecting herself to neglecting one or the other.
Side note: the question that comes to my mind is, why do identities need to be binary anyways? If you’ve read my writing, you know I struggle with my sense of identity too; am I introverted, or extroverted. Am I creative or am I more analytical? What if I can be both at the same time? I think each of us are in fact much more complex than one or two labels. What do you think?
Do you have anyone else to recommend?
If you have other artist or creatives you’d like to recommend for the interview, please send your suggestions by email to hello@thehappyhue.com.
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