about eileen li-jiang 江晴艺

I'm an actor with a background in visual art.

I was born in NY and grew up in San Francisco. I come from a very practical and loving Chinese family, both my parents have dedicated their lives to the fields of medicine and science. It was thus instilled in me at a young age to care to help and serve others as well as our humanity.

From as early as I can remember, I have loved art and expression. This driving force of mine was less understood by my family, and amplified a desire to be accepted. I became ashamed of what I loved but continued to create art using an abstract visual language to hold my emotions, stories, and inner life. Abstraction would comfortably keep me in a place of obscurity.

Through the years, I developed a heightened sense to the body and environment. I attuned myself to the weather and other natural phenomena, finding meaning and messages in the present moment. My art practice had evolved into listening, and I wanted to get closer to this practice of listening while also desiring to express myself more freely, to speak more openly.

When I shifted into acting, I found a way to listen and respond, but also connect. And finally I felt my family's acceptance when I told them this is what I'm doing now. I think it's because I've finally learned to share my truth, and perhaps when we share truthfully, others also cannot ignore it.