AACE INTERVIEW: missTANGQ T 人 N 中
My creative source is a complete mystery to me - it's not really identifiable or definable. If I had to pin my process down, it probably comes from someplace of complete nakedness with myself… - missTANGQ
MissTANGQ is an outlier, she is a muse, she is a diviner of the eternal internal, she is my hero. I fell in love with her collage work, the way she pulls in diverse elements that span millennia in our collective art history and histories.
This quote from her site speaks to the ephemeral world we inhabit and that missTANGQ navigates, of which she leaves a path to follow: “We are living in a “post-truth” era of media consumption that has left us exhausted and frustrated. It has become increasingly difficult to talk to people you disagree with, as well as to identify sources of trustworthy information. We are living in an infodemic - there is so much information that it is futile to keep up, and near impossible to know what information to believe.
The way to deal with this climate is not to expect easy answers, but to develop a working relationship to the unknown. “
How has cannabis helped you?
Cannabis has roots in ancient China and the female plant was first cultivated in Chinese medicine to treat yin deficiency and yin disorders. To me, cannabis is a Master Plant with thousands of years of history from my heritage. Cannabis has taught me the power of yin - slowing down, respecting the process, and removing inner resistance. It has helped me connect deeply with my body, allowing me to feel and be attuned with my energy channels and meridians. It opens me up to "negative space," where I can receive and listen to discomfort and pain without judgment. I am still learning about my relationship with this teacher. In my experience, cannabis has an energetic "oily" quality to it, which used intentionally can allow for psychospiritual lubrication and movement. But when I'm not intentional, this oiliness creates an emotional grease - a thickness and stickiness - just like the quality of the resin, which can actually impede releasing and letting go. Everybody has their own relationship with cannabis, and I believe she should be used with humility and respect.
How does the Year of the OX differ from the Year of the Rat?
The Rat represents the life chapter of conception, the source of inspiration and rebirth. Although last year felt incredibly apocalyptic, it actually heralded a paradigm shift, the opening of a new cycle of time. What follows conception is the life stage of pregnancy, which is what the Ox rules. What the Rat starts, the Ox finishes. Pregnancy is no less transformational, but the change it creates is deep and inward. Pregnancy forces us to respect inner, mysterious, and hidden processes and timing. As an earth sign, the Ox teaches us to respect the amount of time it takes for change to grow roots and have a lasting impact. In the post-truth infodemic era of our current reality wars, this year will also force us to refine and confront our relationship with the unresolved. The theme of the Yin Metal Ox year is learning to Thrive in the Unknown. You can read my full forecast for the Lunar New Year here.
Your collage work is stellar and comes from a divine space, tell us how your process affected by the use of plant medicine?
I would say that my artwork is not directly affected by the use of plant medicine. My creative source is a complete mystery to me - it's not really identifiable or definable. If I had to pin my process down, it probably comes from someplace of complete nakedness with myself - a total intimacy that is vulnerable, clear, and simple. I would say that plant medicine has greatly helped me in the process of getting to more nakedness, peeling back the layers of me getting in my own way - so that is where the attribution goes.
What is your favorite strain?
Double tangie banana
Tell us about you how design mediation journeys with your cultural influence?
I was born in Chongqing China (Sichuan Province) and emigrated to the States at the age of four. As a young adult, I dedicated myself to exploring ancient wisdom traditions from my heritage, which began my love affair with the Yijing (I Ching, the Book of Changes) and also Chinese Bazi astrology. This was 10 years ago, and my journey with these practices has been full of unexpected twists and turns. My teachers have come from all walks of life, but they are primarily Daoist practitioners - artists, writers, philosophers and martial artists. All of these modalities inform and shape my practice. However, my primary approach to divination, astrology, and mediation journeys is from the perspective of an artist. I believe these ancient forms of technology have immense relevance in our modern post-industrial world. In increasingly complex times, these practices are powerful navigation tools that support us in the art of making choices.
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This interview is part of AACE’s Chinese New Year’s series in partnership with EAZE.
