Navigating the intricate landscapes of belonging, multidisciplinary artist Jash (Liangqing Yuan, AKA awesomejash) crafts compelling narratives that dissolve boundaries between sound, image, and personal experience. Their works explore the intersections of East Asian cultural heritage, queer identity, and the complexities of diaspora, creating a rich, multi-layered dialogue on selfhood and belonging.
Between Trains and Memories
In their moving image work The Leaved, The Left, Jash transforms the humble train into a metaphorical vessel for transient existence. Black-and-white frames flicker with raw, intimate energy—each scene a fragment of an unresolved story. The film’s rhythmic transitions between interior spaces and vast, shifting landscapes evoke the perpetual motion of diasporic identity.
Central to the work is its soundscape, composed of layered recordings from Shanghai, Melbourne, Tokyo, London—cities that have shaped Jash’s personal and artistic journey. These sounds are not mere recordings; they are emotional echoes, a montage of urban life that pulses with the rhythm of displacement. The rhythmic clatter of train tracks blends seamlessly with fragmented conversations, dissolving into something entirely new—a soundscape that captures the tension between rootedness and dislocation.
The film’s poetic narration, penned by Jash, adds another dimension. Lines like ‘On a train that keeps moving, Am I leaving or arriving?’ frame the emotional core of the work, illustrating how physical journeys mirror the internal quest for belonging.
Queering the Narrative
Jash’s work engages deeply with their East Asian queer identity, using metaphors like the train to navigate the liminal spaces where cultural expectations collide with personal freedom. In The Leaved, The Left, the train becomes a site of negotiation—a space where binaries blur. Arrival becomes departure, and public merges with private, reflecting the fluidity of non-binary and diasporic experiences.
Beyond their moving image work, Jash’s experimental DJ performances extend their exploration of identity and cultural narratives. Performed at Kakilang’s Little TASTE scratch night and followed by the opening of the community-residency exhibition hosted by Queer Britain and Queer China UK, Jash presented a conceptual soundscape blending external voices—often harsh criticisms from East Asian parents—with softer, introspective affirmations of self-love. By layering Mandarin and English dialogue, Jash constructs a sonic journey that mirrors the negotiation of their bicultural experience.
While this dual-lingual approach adds an authentic and deeply personal layer, it might require audiences with similar bilingual or bicultural backgrounds to fully grasp the nuances of the narrative. For instance, the emotional weight of certain phrases in Mandarin—steeped in cultural specificity—may not entirely translate for monolingual listeners. However, through the rhythm and structure of the performance, Jash ensures that the aesthetic experience remains accessible. The dynamic progression of the piece—from the tranquility of cicadas to the tension of accusatory tones and the reconciliation of its final call for understanding—transcends language barriers, offering a visceral emotional arc that resonates universally.
The Cultural Context
Jash’s practice embodies the intersection of East Asian cultural norms and global queer narratives. By incorporating cultural motifs like trains and cicadas—symbols deeply tied to East Asian traditions and memory—they create works that resonate with a wide spectrum of experiences. Their ability to translate personal stories into universal themes highlights the transformative power of cross-cultural storytelling in contemporary art.
Why It Matters
In an era of increasing global fragmentation, Jash offers something profound: a vision of identity as movement, as process, as a continuous act of becoming. Their work invites us to reconsider fixed notions of self and belonging, presenting instead a world where fluidity is not only accepted but celebrated.
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