Tiantian Lou (b. 1995) shapes her artistic practice around a continuous curiosity for spatial conditions tangent to architecture. Drawing from her expertise in textile and printmaking, Tiantian utilizes a diverse range of artistic mediums, experimenting with them in her inquiries. She holds an M. Arch from Princeton University and a B.Arch and BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design. Tiantian currently lives and works in New York.
I paint, weave, and make architectural environments across scales. My works are evolving testing grounds for me to investigate the relationship between the human body and the built space. The current series of paintings delve into the spatial assemblies that exist in a perpetual dance of transformation, blurring the boundaries between interior and exterior spaces. With an ethos of challenging established norms, the project derives from my thesis in architecture school, challenging the dominant ideal of architecture as a static and unyielding entity.
Reflecting on building pliable and transformable spaces, my current experiment revolves around constructing fictional spatial conditions that are designed to be interpreted in diverse and nuanced ways. Painting as a mode of representation allows me to explore potentials that live outside the conventions of architectural drawing. I draw references from both European medieval and Eastern Asian depictions of space — which differ from the calculated one-point perspective of the Renaissance, dictating the representation of architecture up to the present. My images are constructed from fragments, from small-scale works that expand outward.
Weaving multiple visual structures into a unified composition, I hope to bring forth a spatial relationship in constant flux. The process permits and promotes pliability and elasticity within the visual narrative. Through these layered creations, I aspire to provoke a dialogue that transcends conventional perceptions, fostering an ever-evolving understanding of the dynamic between space and form.
Reflecting on building pliable and transformable spaces, my current experiment revolves around constructing fictional spatial conditions that are designed to be interpreted in diverse and nuanced ways. Painting as a mode of representation allows me to explore potentials that live outside the conventions of architectural drawing. I draw references from both European medieval and Eastern Asian depictions of space — which differ from the calculated one-point perspective of the Renaissance, dictating the representation of architecture up to the present. My images are constructed from fragments, from small-scale works that expand outward.
Weaving multiple visual structures into a unified composition, I hope to bring forth a spatial relationship in constant flux. The process permits and promotes pliability and elasticity within the visual narrative. Through these layered creations, I aspire to provoke a dialogue that transcends conventional perceptions, fostering an ever-evolving understanding of the dynamic between space and form.