King's College London

White Noise of Belonging was co-created with two Chinese diasporic creative groups—Queer Patch and The Wishing Fountain. Queer Patch, a transnational Sinophone queer collective based in the UK, presents stories that rarely appear in mainstream art spaces. The Wishing Fountain—represented by independent curator Youliang—focuses on preserving and sharing queer artistic work through bookmaking, translation, and curatorial collaboration.

Featuring more than thirty female and queer overseas Chinese artists, the exhibition showcased photography, installation, poetry, painting, and film to explore the everyday realities and intimate spaces of Chinese diasporic women and LGBTQ+ communities. The concept of “white noise” served as a metaphor for the quiet yet persistent emotional undercurrents of diasporic life—turning private domestic environments into open, porous spaces where memory, emotion, and imagination converge.

One of the most discussed pieces was Shiman Li’s sculptural installation Beneath the Surface, which examined power, language, and female expression. The work comprised three interconnected elements: suspended online comments partially veiled by red gauze, a balance scale repeatedly losing and regaining equilibrium, and a mechanical writing device inscribing endlessly the Nüshu character for “woman.”

Artist Ziqing Yang explored the complex relationships with her mother, who is 8,000 km away the piece Finding Mom (2021–present). What started as a conversation on Chinese messaging app WeChat about China’s household registration grew into reflections on migration, urbanisation, and intergenerational memory. The work turns these exchanges into cinematic fragments, capturing the psychological dislocation of many young people living abroad. 

Two public events were held during the exhibition with contemporary dance artist Chen Yin performing There, at Here - a one-hour piece in which she moved slowly across the gallery while two long threads trailed behind her. These threads symbolised the pull of life and memory in both China and the UK—sometimes connected, sometimes in conflict. As the performance reached its final moments, Chen collapsed to the ground, struggling and gasping for breath, a gesture that resonated deeply with the audience.

The closing event brought together poetry readings and a panel discussion. Chaired by Dr Yao, the panel featured Queer Patch founder Jingjing, curator Youliang, and artists Yuyi Song and Xinyu Xu. Poet Yuyi Song read from their Series of Poems, which explored identity, movement, and belonging. Artist Xinyu Xu discussed her photographic works created in her London bedroom, reflecting on how personal spaces become sources of comfort, resistance, and emotional grounding while living abroad.

The exhibition attracted a wide audience from across King’s and beyond. More than 200 people signed up to attend with many visitors saying it was “the first time seeing so many original works by young Chinese diaspora artists in one space.” The exhibition also provided a valuable networking platform, enabling artists, curators, scholars, and students to exchange ideas and expand conversations on migration and diasporic life in an accessible, creative way. 

This art exhibition was funded by the UKRI Network Plus: Shifting Global Polarities Fellowship and the ESRC Impact Acceleration Account.

For more information about the artists featured contact the curator, Youliang. 

Learn more about Professor Nordin and Dr Yao's work on co-creation initiatives supporting Chinese communities.