Gu Xiong, Cafeteria #6

Gu Xiong
Cafeteria #6, 1991
Silkscreen print
17.5 x 21.5 inches

Framed by Fine Art Framing & Services

Artist Gu Xiong was a University Professor in China before immigrating to Canada following the Tiananmen Square Massacre of 1989. Gu’s immigrant story reflects the challenges many new Canadians face. Shortly after arriving in his new home country, one that offered the promise of artistic and personal freedom, Gu struggled to maintain his professional and economic standing. This included a downgrade in his living conditions—he and his family lived in a poorly lit basement apartment with two small windows facing a wall. In his late 30s and unable to find work as a professor, Gu embarked on rebuilding his career to ensure he could continue providing for his family. Gu worked as a busboy at the University of British Columbia student cafeteria for two years. He recalls, “My daily job was to collect tableware, wipe the tables, wash dishes, wash knives and forks, tableware, and kitchen utensils.”

Today, Gu Xiong is a visual arts professor at UBC and an artist whose works have been exhibited nationally and internationally. His work was presented at the Art Gallery of Ontario in 2017, the 17th Venice Architecture Biennale Parallel Exhibition, and the Hubei Museum of Art in 2015.