There are so many people in New York City that make the lights go on for everything to take place in the art world. In many different branches of art, there are artists who are responsible for the final product that inspires us and drives us to be the best version of ourselves in this big city, because that is what fine art does. And there are also projects and artistic pieces that have a lifelong effect on our lives. So, it is important to know the people behind these projects and not only the main characters and people we see on the screen; or the people who we know because we have seen their faces.
New York Art Life is always on the search for these individuals as they are the ones running the art scene in New York City, and the art scene in this city is what most people dream about; to both be involved in it and to be touched by it. Today we will be introducing an artist you will definitely want to know.
Xiangfu Xiao’s Origins and Niche Work
Xiangfu Xiao is a lighting designer based in New York City. He has had impressive success in the past few years and is constantly raising the bar for lighting designers and individuals working in theater and film. He has trained with the best of the best and has continuously worked with the most impactful groups of artists. As a lighting designer, his work is very niche, and he has a great focus on what he does. It is not that his line of work is narrow, but he has the ability to focus on one singular aspect of a grand project. Yet that small aspect in a larger world has some of the greatest effects on the final product. Xiangfu Xiao has great determination and a belief system that keeps him stable in his artistic process and decision-making in his work.
How Xiangfu Xiao’s Passion for Lighting Design Developed
Xiangfu Xiao was impressed by the world of film and theatre from a very young age and always wished to pursue that. By studying film and drama and by going to the movies and watching plays he started to realize where his true passion was. Xiangfu Xiao slowly became fascinated in the way light influences the audience.
It is also important to mention how much he wished to be involved in the making of a play or a film. This has visibly evident as he has had great success in all the projects he was involved in. Most recently he was responsible for the lighting design for a play called Measure for Measure at the Mark O’Donnell theater in New York City. This play was directed by Raquel Chavez and Beth Ann Hopkins. It was a widely appreciated play and his work shined alongside his fellow cast and crew. Xiangfu Xiao’s lighting design for this project was so memorable that it was one of the things most people remembered about the play, and it made them see the story in a different light. Prior to this project, he worked on two plays at the Atlas Theater in New York City. One of the shows was King Charles III and the other was Marisol. Both of these plays had a significant effect on him and drove him to want more from the theater world.
Xiangfu Xiao is always watching what is happening in the theater and closely examining the new techniques and methods employed by lighting designers and experienced crew just like himself. Those things make the audience extremely excited and keep them on the edge of their seat.
His Work and Current Projects
Currently, he is working on large-scale projects. He is now the assistant and associate lighting designer for The March to Liberation concert which had its world premiere with the New York Philharmonic. This is happening at David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center, one of the most celebrated venues of theater. The lighting designer for this project is Robert Weierzel. He’s also working on an off-off-Broadway production as the assistant lighting designer. The production is called Becomes a Woman going on at NY City Center Stage II. He is working with Mary Louise Geiger. Xiangfu reflects on these experiences positively and always mentions how collaborating and working with others uplifts him and pulls him into the world of art even more. His colleagues also feel extremely mutual about working with Xiangfu Xiao as he brings an energy to the stage that remains long after the play has even finished.
His work with Measure for Measure at the Mark O’Donnell theater was praised by the broadwayworld.com and he is recognized for all the great work he does. Broadway world is a theater news website based in New York City that covers most news about Broadway and off-Broadway shows. Besides that, he was also mentioned personally in his work and was described in great detail at The Theater Times. He has worked with individuals whom many designers and theater crews have dreamed to work with. He has also won many awards and has been published by many different websites that cover news about theater and what is happening in the theater world. As a person who is active in that world, he is often mentioned, and his work is admired by critics and theater artists alike.
At the moment, Xiangfu Xiao is focusing on developing a narrative in his lighting design that captures the soul of what he believes in and what he sees in the theater. He believes that the work of a lighting designer can bring out the magic that they envision when they think about theater. He is very excited about what the future holds especially following the two projects he is currently working on. Xiangfu Xiao continues to be an inspiration for many lighting designers as he experiments with the boundaries of art and light.
