Artists & Friends
Yan Wang
(b. 1998)
Yan is a printmaker and ceramic artist born in Beijing, China, currently based in Chicago & NYC. Her practice centers around a deep passion and understanding of the crafts employed, often with a constant undertone of social feminism and personal politics.
Shuwen Xiao
(b. 1996)
Shuwen Xiao is a visual artist from Nanjing, China, with a practice that span across fiber, artist book and printmaking.
She explores the themes of home, mother-daughter bond and exploration&acknowledgment of one's body.
Rui Zhang
(b. 2001)
Rui Zhang explores her artistic vision through photography, print, video, and drawing.
With a deep attachment to the materiality of paper and the sincerity of optic instrument, Rui creates works that preserve personal archives through lenses.
Xiaoying Zhang
Printmaker and the founder of ROLLING HOUSE, Xiaoying runs the latter studio space in Nanjing, China, publishes with Chinese writers and creatives while keeping the alternative form of print education alive.
Yiru Chen
A filmmaker, educator and accessibility strategist base in New York.
As a fellow narrative enthusiast whose poetics honors Deaf, disabled, queer, and diasporic communities, Yiru is currently collaborating with Yan in the making of Grey Sparrow.
Could be you :)
About Open Lid
Driven by the belief in the book as a form of resilience, as an interdisciplinary artist myself, I founded Open Lid in 2025 to safeguard personal narratives, and to earn the under-represented works more exposure in the English speaking world.
Having grown up under a system of restraint, I view the continuous act of making a quiet rebellion, a way to keep voices alive in an age of institutional erasure. This spirit of resistance is woven into every object the collective carries, now and forward.
On how the collective runs:
The collective currently carries objects from artist friends and allies around me. It will continue to expand with similar artworks & collaborative projects made by friends and communities nearby.
(We currently have 2 projects in passionate progress.)
We aim to connect with more audiences through continuous efforts to participate in fairs.
Reach out to us if you have any pitch, lead, or pure interest in talking to us!
-Sincerely, Yan