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Xingchen Liu

Semester of Mini-grant
Year of Mini-grant
2025
Disciplines(s)
Grant Description
I am an interdisciplinary artist working in film and photography, with a focus on themes of identity, migration, and the ephemeral nature of belonging. *Homelands in Exile* is a photographic exploration of longing, diaspora, and the shifting notion of home in the modern age. This project will use portrait and landscape photography to interrogate how identity is constructed, perceived, and, at times, erased.
Original Proposal
Title
Homelands in Exile: A Photographic Exploration of Longing and Diaspora

Xingchen is an astrophotographer and cinematographer pursuing an Echols interdisciplinary major and a minor in Film. Having spent his childhood between San Marino, California, and Beijing, China, Xingchen has long held an interest in cultural diaspora, globalism, and the notion of nostalgia. This interest guides his gaze upward to what transcends all humanity — the stars, nebulae, and galaxies. Nostalgia has also endowed him with the ability to perceive the intricacies of the world, which he hopes to use to break down cultural barriers and foster mutual understanding. He believes that beyond nostalgia and the barriers of time and space, it is art that connects us all. He is immensely honored and grateful to be a member of the Miller Arts program, and is eager to collaborate with his fellow distinguished artists.

2027