Qian Qian
Chaos and Shu-hu, 2024
Oil on canvas
100 x 100cm
Chosen by Simon Grant, Writer, Art Historian & Curator
What was the dream experience that inspired your piece, Qian Qian?
I dreamt that I was part of a vast running event, surrounded by scattered runners and spectators. A dark cloud gathered overhead and a storm began to form, so we quickened our pace. Nearing the end, the swirling cumulonimbus cloud suddenly opened from its centre, and glittering, dispersing luminous signs dawned directly upon me.
At that moment, I understood the meaning and turned to the person beside me to look. I felt a deep, harmonious ecstasy. I could no longer recall what the signs meant when I woke, but the sense of revelation remained. It felt like a profound encouragement. I've carried the conviction that part of my life's work is to decipher that moment of illumination – to trust that its meaning exists, even if it cannot yet be fully grasped.
Dreams and the unconscious are at the heart of this art competition. How does that territory relate to your practice?
I've long been drawn to The Secret of the Golden Flower, where Carl Jung reflects on the Taoist idea that, at the moment of birth, consciousness and the subconscious – once unified – become separated. The Taoist practice described in the text is concerned with returning consciousness to the unconscious, a process of reintegration.
In my work, I think of the relationship between waking reality and dreams in similar terms: wherever there is light, there is shadow. They appear distinct, yet they are manifestations of the same underlying continuum. Much of my research is concerned with developing a methodology to articulate this interconnected relationship without resorting to binary distinctions or reducing its complexity.
What drew you to enter an art competition at The College of Psychic Studies?
I had not encountered the College of Psychic Studies before, and discovered its existence through this competition, which felt both surprising and serendipitous. I have also been following the practice of the judge, Simon Grant, and recognised resonances with my own research interests.
The College's focus on the unconscious and the unseen feels closely aligned with my current line of inquiry. I am particularly drawn to its library, which is at the top on my list of places to visit.
How would you describe your creative process?
Each work is a process in itself – a bridge between who I am now and who I am becoming.
There is a story that Salvador Dalí would often take a short nap, allowing himself to hover between sleep and wakefulness, where an image or idea would suddenly emerge and he would jump up to work. This liminal state is often described as a form of lucid dreaming – where consciousness and the unconscious seem to enter into dialogue.
I relate to this quite closely. I often find ideas arriving while walking. With a vague image in mind and a strong emotional pull toward it, I put on music, light an incense stick, and begin. What follows is a long process of realising that initial sensation.
Where do you find your creative nourishment?
I love painting birds. It's a recurring motif in my work and a reference for Chaos and Shuhu. In ancient Chinese literature and painting, Chaos is often depicted as a faceless, four-winged creature, as described in texts such as the Classic of Mountains and Seas. I'm interested in this combination, the bird as both presence and absence, form and force.
The capacity of birds to move through the sky feels like a way of linking heaven and earth, a body that is not burdened by weight or flesh. It becomes a metaphor for a kind of pure, liberated perception.
What are you working on next, and where can we follow your journey?
I am having a solo show, The Fountains of Enceladus, at Lychee One Gallery in London, opening on 30th April 2026, running for one month. The exhibition extends and develops my concept of ecomythicism – a "practice-based cosmology" that emerges through painting. People are warmly welcome to visit and experience the works in person.
See all the results of The College of Psychic Studies annual art competition here.
The competition is open to all and free to enter.
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