Folk dance has a long history in traditional Chinese culture and has taken diverse forms over millennia. Dance has always been closely connected with the common people, reflecting their ideas, their labour, and their daily lives. Dancing female figures are the main subject of my artwork. My intention is to reflect on connections between ancient Chinese dance traditions and contemporary forms of dance. My work is inspired by memories from my childhood and photographs in which I performed Chinese dance with a group of dancers in front of an audience. I use digital photography to document dancers during Chinese New Year festivals, and these images represent modern forms of dance. The photos seek to capture the flexibility and strength of the human body, while at the same time commenting on what human beings are capable of, not just in dance and the arts, but more profoundly.

The artists who have influenced me most are Liza Lou, whose beautiful presentations of beadwork become works of sculpture and installation; Auguste Rodin, for his rendering of the human form; and Canadian painter Emily Carr, whose paintings, with their waves and lines, convey rhythm and vitality.