Firmament
Fang Jingjing: A Journey Through Dreamscapes and Digital Realities
Words by Adela Zhao
Recently, Fang Jingjing launched her latest exhibition, Firmament, at 4C Gallery, showcasing a series of 3D virtual artworks created by scanning real-world objects and assembling them using software. The exhibition integrates AI and Unreal Engine, featuring several visually striking short films and still images.
Jingjing has the ability to recreate the scenes in her mind through her art.
When I first encountered Jingjing's work, I felt both small and free, as though I were floating in the vast universe. During our interview, Jingjing explained that her creative process is highly freeform. Much of her inspiration comes from her dreams, those beautiful and mysterious realms that belong solely to her. Sometimes, her inspiration is simply born from a "feeling." As I view her works, they strike me as the perfect combination of abstract imagination and concrete creativity. Everyone sees the world differently, and each person's world is like a unique movie. The challenge of portraying the beauty within one's mind is a task many artists face, and it is also the charm of artistic creation. Jingjing has the ability to recreate the scenes in her mind through her art, with works that demonstrate depth, complexity, and the delicate balance between the real and the virtual—captivating and immersive.
星葬
Funeral Planet
In her piece Form From Graphic, Jingjing scanned various real-life objects, from towering statues to succulents on the roadside, combining numerous elements with virtual design to create a stunning animated short. Upon first viewing, the piece felt both familiar and unfamiliar, drawing me in to explore. The animation seemed to "understand" my curiosity, zooming in gradually, revealing new details along the way, making the experience both thrilling and filled with surprises. While many contemporary sci-fi animations highlight the coldness of technology and the fusion between humans and machines, Jingjing's animations are different. In Funeral Planet, she depicts a future where human ashes are used as fuel to sustain life, evoking both awe for the continuity of life and wonder at the potential of future technologies. In Butterfly Lover, Jingjing presents a story about love between humans and AI, told through an animated short accompanied by a monologue. This piece explores the duality of AI—it is both an indispensable part of modern life yet separated by an emotional barrier that cannot be crossed. The short, presented from a first-person perspective, shows the world through the eyes of an AI, offering a detached viewpoint. One of the most poignant scenes involves an AI as a gravekeeper, a role it takes on due to its longer lifespan. The tombstones, each marked with unique codes, allow the AI to recognize former lovers by their ID. These stories gave me new insights into time, space, emotion, and coexistence. In the exhibition, Jingjing also provides an interactive installation for viewers, encouraging them to write their own unique love stories with AI using cotton threads. In Pixel Tide, Jingjing uses animation to depict humans under satellite surveillance, reduced to mere pixels. As the crowd gathers, these pixels form a wave, symbolizing the collective in a digital age. It presents a unique perspective—through the lens of technology, humanity loses its individuality, becoming nothing more than a collection of pixels on a screen.
形构
Motion from Graphics
After seeing these works, I find myself wondering what the world looks like through Jingjing's eyes and eagerly anticipating her future creations. After all, she has said that she will never stop using art to bring her dream world to life. Fang Jingjing's works, whether Butterfly Love or Pixel Tide, showcase her deep understanding of the relationship between dreams and reality, digital and natural. Her art is not just visually impactful, but through the fusion of technology and art, she conveys profound reflections on human emotions, the fragility of life, and future technologies. Her creations provide viewers with a multi-dimensional immersive experience, prompting thought and insight. I believe her future works will continue to push the boundaries of traditional art, bringing more innovation and inspiration to the world of art.
像素潮
Pixel Tide
About Artist
Jingjing Fang is an Unreal Engine artist and 3D Environment artist based in LA, USA.
