Date of Award
Spring 5-4-2026
Author's Department
Graduate School of Art
Degree Name
Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Visual Art
Degree Type
Thesis
Abstract
This thesis conceptualizes cultural identity as a fluid and dynamically generated process shaped through the experience of migration. Drawing on contemporary art practices and theoretical frameworks of diaspora and hybridity, the thesis is structured around four interrelated dimensions: fluid identity, memory fragmentation, material interaction, and spatial displacement.
Within the artist’s practice, traditional techniques are reactivated as both cultural signifiers and material approaches that adapt and transform across shifting contexts. Fragmentation is understood not as the loss of information but as a mode of reassembly. Materials such as ink, textile, and dye function as active agents that carry time and cultural memory, embodied experience and perceptual processes.
The thesis further examines how contemporary artists employ visual strategies to engage the instability of cultural belonging. These strategies operate in parallel with the nonlinear and generative conditions of migrant experiences, reflecting identity as an ongoing and relational process rather than a fixed state.
Language
English
Program Chair
Tiffany Calvert
Thesis Text Advisor
Joe deVera
Faculty Mentor
Joe deVera
Committee Member
Tiffany Calvert
Committee Member
Patricia Olynyk
Recommended Citation
Liu, Jingyi, "Fluid Belonging, Soft Boundary" (2026). MFA in Visual Art. 40.
https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/mfa_visual_art/40
Artist's Statement
My artistic practice delves into the fluidity of cultural identity and belonging with fragmented and mixed visual language. It focuses on the migration and reorganization of both physical and psychological aspects within the context of immigrant culture. Drawing inspiration from Gilles Deleuze’s concept of the “Rhizomatic”, “Nomad Object” in the book Mille Plateaux. This framework posits that things do not exist as fixed entities but remain perpetually in a state of becoming.
I’m obsessed with the concept of “cultural identity in between,” characterized by having no single origin, no hierarchical structure, or a central point. Identity is about being fluid and changing, not a settled label. Any point can connect with other points, which creates new and exciting forms. And this cultural identity keeps evolving, where traditions and behaviors are constantly being discussed, negotiated, and refined. I experimented with various conceptual and formalized dialogue strategies. I make paintings and mixed-media work that explore identity as a fluid, ongoing state—continuously remade through migration, memory, and material transformation. Working with acrylic, dye, ink, fabric, wood, and digital print, I treat materials as active agents: dye bleeds into cloth, pigment disperses across wet surfaces, and fabric is cut, stitched, and reassembled. These processes create moments of open-ended uncertainty, where recognizable form and ambiguity coexist.
As metaphors for fluidity of identities, Longhorns are my muse. They are a Texas icon, but they are not originally from Texas. They came from North Africa, moved to Spain, and eventually arrived in Texas through historical migration. The longhorn embodies a dual condition: an outsider and a participant. This deeply resonates with me as someone from China living in Texas. The interesting part of my work, Longhorn (Seal Script), is that if you’re not familiar with Chinese calligraphy, it may appear abstract. This opens up different interpretations. The meaning of an artwork changes as we look at it from different perspectives. The brushstrokes and layered paint create soft, blurred boundaries. The composition is ambiguous, making it impossible to see everything at once. It allows viewers to move between abstraction and figuration and interpret the work over time. When we look at art, it’s not just about seeing something; it’s about understanding. They do not represent a fixed identity from a particular origin. but instead show how meaning can constantly change.
My approach embraces multiplicity without hierarchy, prioritizing process and rhizomatic connection. I create soft boundaries to reflect fluid belonging—an experience of inhabiting multiple cultural contexts, continually negotiated and reshaped within the in-between.