LIN XU 徐琳
“The heavier the burden, the closer our lives come to the earth, the more real and truthful they become. Conversely, the absolute absence of burden causes man to be lighter than air, to soar into heights, take leave of the earth and his earthly being, and become only half real, his movements as free as they are insignificant. What then shall we choose? Weight or lightness?”
- Milan Kundera (The Unbearable Lightness of Being)
I am a Chinese-Canadian visual artist and educator whose practice centers on clay and ceramics. I was born in Inner Mongolia, China, to parents trained in radio engineering and computer science who were displaced to rural regions during the Cultural Revolution. My family relocated back to Beijing in 1983.
I have received an M.F.A. from Washington State University (WSU), U.S.A., a B.V.A. from the University of Sydney, Australia, a B.Sc. (Honours) in Packaging Engineering from Jilin University, China. My work has been exhibited throughout Canada and internationally, including in the United States, Japan, Hong Kong, France, Spain, and China. I have received grant supports from both the Canada Council for the Arts and the Manitoba Arts Council.
In 2004, after teaching at WSU, I accepted a full-time faculty position at Brandon University, Canada. I successfully established the ceramics facilities and helped develop the ceramics program within the university’s newly formed Visual Art Department.
I recently completed a B.Sc. (Honours) in Biological Sciences at Brandon University, integrating scientific inquiry into the ongoing evolution of my artistic practice. After a 24-year career of teaching ceramic arts at the university level, I relocated to the Greater Vancouver area in May 2026 to focus exclusively on my own creative pursuits.
Beyond artistic practice, I enjoy a quiet life centered on learning, day-dreaming, cooking, and good food and drink. I value solitude, the companionship of my daughter and pets, and the reflective atmosphere that rainy days bring.