Introducing Jing Eldarin Yeong

135 artists are taking part in "Inside Job" which takes place on the 7th and 8th of April on Level 6 of Tate Modern. Over the next few weeks The Rebel Magazine will be chatting to some of the Tate staff who are showing their artwork. Today it's the turn of Jing Eldarin Yeong

Q) Where did you grow up and what kind of education did you receive? "I was born in a city in the Midlands of China, surrounded by thousands of lakes. The district where I grew up was once a British concession area during the Victorian/Edwardian period. The streets are choked with Neoclassical buildings. And in the summer, the relentless heat will get you soaked in sweat.I studied Life Sciences at University of Bristol and Imperial College. My family are quite traditional, so Art or English Literature had never been the option for me. However, in my second year, I was by chance cast in a show at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre. It reignited my passion for theatre. And eventually, I went to RADA to become a director and producer."

Q) How long have you been working at the Tate and what's the best show you've seen there? "I joined the Tate in May 2017. My favourite show is the Soul of a Nation exhibition. I was particularly intrigued by Betye Saar’s work. Her art integrates ancestry, mysticism, storytelling and political statement. There’s a kind of sorrowful and unsettling feeling about their presence."

Q) What can you tell me about the work you're exhibiting in the Tate Modern show? "Dry Room is an associate dance video of a cross-disciplinary piece that I wrote and produced last year for the World Stage Design Quadrennial. It is a collaboration between my Studio and the videographer Jevan Chowdhury. To make it an independent piece from the theatre production, we used London cityscape as the backdrop and tried to capture the sense of isolation, self-estrangement and social meaninglessness. It is also about breaking the boundary of theatre, responding to the environment, and exploring non-conventional space. Canary Wharf’s postmodern architecture and the snow (we didn’t plan it!) definitely enhanced this notion.

Q) How can people find out more about your work - do you have a website or do Instagram? "Most of my work can be found at: www.eldarin-yeong-studio.co.uk

Q) Is there anything you have to declare/do you have a favourite quote, thought or joke you'd care to share? “Courage is found in unlikely places” – J.R.R Tolkien

"Inside Job": An exhibition of art by Tate Staff will take place on Level 6 of the Blavatnik Building of Tate Modern, Bankside, London SE1 9TG http://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-modern