MessyMsxi – Out Of Hand, Out Of Mind

PUBLISHED November 30th, 2015 12:21 pm | UPDATED June 18th, 2020 06:00 pm

Out of Hand, Out of Mind’ has resulted from illustrator MessyMsxi’s instinctive drive of exploring the unfamiliar in terms of medium and display format, and the laying bare of a self-reflexive practice.

Just as the title hints at mental clutter and the loss of control, as well as the hand-made arising out of the spontaneity of an idea, this presentation ofworks – including largely previously unseen drawings, printed matter, hand-made artefact, digital print and animation organised according to a visual and narrative trope related to, and around, an in-situ sculptural installation – reveals the vulnerabilities of the creative process, of being human, yet also the imaginative potentials that often surpass the constraints.

Singapore-born, London-trained, MessyMsxi is the moniker artist Zi Xi came up with while she was at Central Saint Martins as her course mates and friends had difficulties pronouncing her distinctively Chinese name. With its alliterative ring, MessyMsxi is not only memorable, it also hints at Zi Xi’s belief that the creative process is inherently messy, that the truest works spring from moments of spontaneity and inspiration.

MessyMsxi’s Out Of Hand, Out Of Mind Exhibition is running from 11 December to 21 December 2015 at The Substation. Admission is free.