Aru Meng: Transforming Pain, Love, and Loss into Cosmic Beauty

Art often rises from darkness, a refuge where creativity burrows into shadows before emerging as a force of self-expression. History reveals that some of the greatest works are born from struggle, where pain is forged into meaning. For Taiwanese artist Aru Meng, the alchemisation of pain wasn’t a calculated pursuit but a lifeline—an unspoken necessity born of love and loss.

Raised in a creative household, Meng was exposed early to the arts through her mother, a fashion designer whose work introduced her to the world of colour, texture, and creative expression. Yet it was a personal tragedy that marked the beginning of her descent into an artistic odyssey. In this time of loss, Meng instinctively turned to art, with it becoming her compass, ushering her through her darkest days. In this solace, she found space to explore pain and self.

I believe everyone experiences different transformations and realisations at various stages of life, with each change refining who we are

Aru Meng

Untethered from academic convention, Meng is a self-taught artist wielding creativity like a shield and a sword—protecting her from the weight of grief while allowing her to fearlessly engage the darkest corners of reality. Through relentless experimentation across painting, mixed media, and sculpture, Meng flouts categorisation, using materials as eclectic as her themes. Spanish wax, wood, and cement—each resonate with the grounding, tactile qualities of her inquiries into pain, resilience, and transformation.

Meng shapes these elements with a childlike touch and innocence, inviting us into her playful cosmic universe formed by simplicity, colour, and organic forms. The experience is surreal, whimsical, and cute, yet underneath this warm charm lies an emotional gravity that lingers—the fragility and tenacity of existence.

In this universe, we become acquainted with ARU, Meng’s mythical, flower-shaped anthropomorphic muse that dances through her ethereal universe like a series of Polaroid snapshots capturing moments of cosmic existence. ARU also manifests in wooden sculptures, stepping out of imagination and into the physical world. ARU is a reflection of Meng’s inner world.

For Meng, art is less about discipline and more about agency—a way to reclaim control, find purpose, and articulate emotions that defy language. Stylistically, Meng’s work is a glorious paradox. With its folk-artesque feel and soft colour palette, it lulls you into a suspended space—like a fever dream balanced on the edge of waking. In Meng’s world, there’s no such thing as a clean resolution. But that’s the point. Life doesn’t tie itself up in a neat bow, and Meng revels in this. Vulnerability is a superpower, and imperfection is the certificate of authenticity—a reminder of what emerges when creativity and pain meet.

Meng has exhibited across Taiwan, most recently at Whitestone Gallery with her solo exhibition Dreams in the Starry Sky. We spoke with Meng about her practice, her inspiration, and her journey.

Hi Aru, thank you for speaking with us. Could you start by sharing your journey into the arts? Were there any pivotal moments or influences that set you on the path to becoming an artist?

Aru Meng: I’m not formally trained, but I’ve loved art since childhood. My mother, a fashion designer, would often sketch at home, and I was deeply influenced by this environment. Six years ago, I experienced the devastating loss of my younger brother, who suffered from depression and ultimately took his own life. I was profoundly affected and lost interest in my work at the time. During this period of physical and emotional exhaustion, I turned to creating art to process my emotions. I wondered if art could accomplish things that weren’t possible in reality.

I immersed myself in creation during that time, not for any particular purpose except that art offered an escape from reality. While creating, I found myself healing and examining my life journey. I experimented with various media combinations and produced numerous works! By chance, I met an artist friend who saw my work and noticed distinctive lines and emotions in it. They encouraged me to participate in my first group exhibition, which marked the beginning of my path as an artist.

After my first exhibition, I met many visitors who were moved to tears by my work, telling me they felt healed by it. I realised that creation wasn’t just about presenting artwork—it was about the subsequent energy that continues to inspire thought and enlightenment in viewers. After this experience, I decided to dedicate my life to creation, feeling as though my brother remains with me always.

Your practice spans various mediums, showcasing your versatility and willingness to explore diverse artistic techniques as you delve into themes like the universe, personal discovery, and navigating adult pressures. Could we explore these themes further and discuss how they shape your work?

Aru Meng: I believe everyone experiences different transformations and realisations at various stages of life, with each change refining who we are. Often when we face setbacks or low points, it feels like the end of the world, but looking back after overcoming these challenges, you should be grateful for everything that happened, as these experiences provide invaluable nourishment.

In my creative process, I rarely set limitations for myself. I enjoy experimenting with various media combinations to create more possibilities. Each medium is like an independent entity with its own characteristics, similar to how in life we don’t exist in isolation but interact and combine with different people, changing our own thoughts and personality in the process.

I love jotting down sudden inspirations in my notes, using these recorded stories to contemplate suitable materials and finding the most comfortable ways to combine them. Rather than saying I create from my own stories, I feel that through creation, I’m exploring the core emotions of each event in my heart. Each phase of life, once passed, cannot be revisited. Through my works, it’s as if I’m writing my diary, documenting the changes in each journey and transforming them into tangible form.

Building on that, you embrace a range of materials in your practice—from acrylic to Spanish wax paint and cement. How do you decide which materials best embody the themes you’re exploring, and how does this material diversity influence the emotional tone of your work?

Aru Meng: The nature of acrylic materials is that they dry quickly and offer diverse colours. When inspiration strikes rapidly, I use acrylic paints to quickly sketch out the theme and lines of the painting, preventing the inspiration from slipping away.

Spanish wax colours have a warmer texture and quality, and the brush sensation while painting is more pronounced. It’s particularly suitable for detailed work and expressing warm emotions. The combination of these materials has led to different pleasant surprises through repeated experimentation.

When using paint, I love using my fingers as brushes. When directly touching the paint and canvas, you feel as though you’re merging with the work—you become it, and it becomes you.

For three-dimensional creations, I use both wood carving and cement sculpture. These two materials represent rather extreme contrasts—wood being warm while cement is cold. Wood offers more flexibility compared to cement, and each piece of wood is unique. I deliberately emphasise the extreme characteristics of these materials. For instance, with wood’s delicate grain, I particularly enjoy using an electric saw to create rough lines, selectively preserving them in the work. This represents how each life has infinite possibilities for expression. While cement is typically used as a building material, I enjoy using it to create curved forms, embodying the coexistence of strength and gentleness.

The use of round shapes in your work evokes a sense of cosmic infinity. How do these shapes serve as metaphors for both the internal and external boundlessness you explore in your Dreams in the Starry Sky series?

Aru Meng: The round shapes are perhaps influenced by two artists I admire: Van Gogh and Yayoi Kusama. While their works are vastly different, they both use many circular elements and lines in their paintings.

A circle is a meaningful shape. Although I didn’t think too much while painting, later examining my works, I discovered I had unconsciously used many circles. While a circle might seem like a frame, I believe it represents an infinite extension of a line, giving people a sense of warmth and stability.
When a circle acts as a frame, it’s as if within that space you can jump into ARU’s universe. This universe is like a dream where impossible things can manifest and stories can be created.

The Inner Universe of ARU is your first large-scale wood sculpture, a medium that requires precision and dedication. How did the process of carving and crafting affect your relationship with the subject, and how do you see it engaging audiences differently than your paintings?

Aru Meng: Large-scale wood sculpting requires intense concentration and physical strength. The wood is incredibly heavy, making transportation and rough work extremely demanding. You often need to rest for quite a while after just a few minutes of carving, repeatedly returning to the work. I decided to create a large wooden sculpture because I wanted my character to have a more tangible presence, as if I could embrace it.

Being three-dimensional, it creates a more immediate presence than paintings. When viewers enter the exhibition space, they experience a stronger visual impact. In “The Inner Universe of ARU,” the body contains a cosmic starscape. The universe is so vast, and the underlying meaning is that ARU is actually much larger than we imagine, encompassing the entire universe. Of course, this is an abstract representation, as ARU is my projected character, suggesting that each of us possesses infinite capacity for acceptance and emotion, unbounded by our self-imposed physical limitations.

In ARU’s Pink Alien, we see ARU accompanied by a multi-headed creature on a cosmic journey. How do you envision this companion character shaping ARU’s explorations, and what universal truths do you hope to reveal through their guidance?

Aru Meng: In my works, you often see many virtual characters. These characters are like alien beings, appearing familiar yet unprecedented to viewers. This inspiration comes from my daughter—everyone had imaginary friends as children, though we tend to forget them as we grow up. I believe people are happiest when they’re at their most pure state—simple, uncomplicated, yet easily finding joy.
I hope viewers feel happiness when they see my works, whether through the vibrant colours, simple lines, or the depicted themes, all maintaining a sense of pure imagination. I constantly remind myself of this initial intention because I believe people can better experience love and happiness in this world when they maintain simplicity.

Your practice began as a refuge from external distractions and evolved into a vessel for profound self-discovery. In what ways has this journey of self-expression altered your understanding of innocence, and how do you aim to communicate that to your viewers?

Aru Meng: Initially, I didn’t think too much about creating art—it was simply a world where I could exist in my own space. Later, I discovered that my work was healing me, soothing my wounds during my most painful moments. My brother’s passing was my first experience of losing a beloved family member.

I remember having a profound realisation then—I had been pursuing many superficial things, external growth, and even money. But my brother’s departure was something I could never reverse.
I suddenly felt that I had made my life unnecessarily complicated. I remembered how as children, we could find joy in something as simple as a sweet, but now it takes so much effort to achieve any result. I began encouraging myself and others around me to recognise the importance of returning to simplicity.

I’m left-handed, but I often use my non-dominant hand when painting because that untrained hand produces the purest, uninfluenced lines. This is something we can’t return to after growing up, like when we see children’s drawings—they draw intuitively. While mature eyes might see these as unskilled illustrations, I find myself smiling genuinely at such works. Therefore, I hope to preserve my own simplicity through my work and convey this to others.

Having begun your career in acting, you’ve spoken about the emotional flow shared by actors and artists. How does this understanding inform your creative decisions, especially when tapping into the childlike essence that defines ARU?

Aru Meng: Being an actor was a crucial part of my development because in theatrical roles, you often embody lives you’ve never experienced. So, I’m accustomed to first calming myself and entering the character when creating. That character isn’t someone else—it’s simply capturing the emotions I want to convey through the work. This helps inspire me during creation.

Sometimes before creating, I meditate to more deeply feel the emotions and atmosphere I want to present. I think this acting training has helped me become more focused and better at expressing my emotions in my art. So, when exploring ARU’s playful nature, I imagine myself at a child’s age, considering how such a pure mind would create this piece, how they would express themselves without constraints.

Your work captures a vibrant, childlike imagination that feels unbounded by reality. What techniques or mindsets do you use to maintain this level of authenticity and innocence in your art?

Aru Meng: As mentioned earlier, human growth is irreversible—we can never return to the past, but imagination is limitless. I’m grateful for my life journey. My decade-plus experience in entertainment has helped me become more precise in artistic expression, or rather, more imaginative. After creating for a while, I explore more of life, whether through travel or discovering new places in the world, helping me resettle before my next creation.

Each journey brings new discoveries, like a child receiving new stimulation, new things, new inspiration. This helps me remember the feeling of first experiences, which can never be repeated. So I have many drawers—mental drawers—and when I need certain stimulation, I open that drawer to recall those feelings, maintaining my initial creative spirit.

Looking ahead, are there new themes or projects you’re excited to explore? How do you see your work evolving in the coming years?

Aru Meng: Recently, I’ve been quite interested in experimenting with a medium – crystal. Crystal minerals are natural materials, like wood, where each piece is unique. However, compared to wood, crystals offer more diverse colours and textures. This is a material I want to incorporate into my future works.

I hope my future works can offer more than just creative expression—I want them to have greater healing power, because our world is becoming increasingly complex. I want people who see my works to feel recharged, full of vitality, and even find tranquillity, giving them courage to continue facing life’s challenges.

Finally, could you share the philosophy that guides your art? How do you understand the core importance of art in your life and career?

Aru Meng: ARU is a virtual character who represents me. Because many things are impossible in real life, ARU is like me in another parallel universe, where anything is possible in creation.

I’ve never considered being an artist as my ‘profession’—I see it as something I love deeply. Its importance is as essential as my own existence, an indispensable role that records my life journey and projects emotions I might not have discovered otherwise.

I once read an article suggesting that the patterns in the human brain resemble the arrangement of stars in the universe, with many areas still undiscovered by humans. It possesses more power than we imagine, and I strongly believe in this theory. We often limit ourselves due to our experiences, lack of confidence, or physical constraints. These limitations prevent us from exploring more possibilities. Therefore, I hope viewers can believe in their own greater power through my works, shifting from pursuing external validation to exploring their inner selves.

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©2024 Aru Meng