As an architecture and visual studies student, Xingtian Gong has been practicing her skills at the University of Toronto for about four years with her studies at the Daniels Faculty. With a deep passion for exploring traditional art forms, she dedicated nine years of her life to learning traditional Chinese painting. This experience not only enhanced her understanding of artistic techniques and cultural heritage but also instilled in her a strong appreciation for the intricacies of traditional craftsmanship. In her spare time, she loves capturing moments through digital photography. Drawing upon her extensive background in traditional crafts, she has recently embarked on a new creative journey by exploring the captivating world of film photography. This intersection of art, architecture, and visual studies has enriched her artistic sensibilities and shaped her into a multi-faceted creative individual.

The study at the Daniels Faculty encouraged Xingtian to explore using different mediums that allowed her to incorporate them into traditional Chinese art. She used the lens to record her paintings with traditional Chinese artistic techniques and tell stories behind these paintings in the form of a new medium, exploring and challenging the extent of the integration of new mediums and traditional artistic techniques. She believes that if some new medium can be used to combine those traditional crafts, more people will be able to learn about traditional crafts that are about to disappear..