When you hear “Xiao S” or Barbie Hsu, you might immediately think of the effervescent Taiwanese variety show queen. Yet if you wander into a quiet corner of Taipei’s TARTCH Art Space, you’ll meet someone entirely different: Lily Hsu (許韶恩). No longer the “celebrity daughter,” Lily is charting her own course. Through bold brushstrokes and unexpected color clashes, this 17‑year‑old is asking us to pause, look closer, and ask ourselves: Who are we when no one’s watching?
TL;DR:
- Lily Hsu, Xiao S’s daughter, launched her debut art exhibition “Prey of Prey.”
- Her art explores self-expression, identity, and the nature of being observed.
- She uses bold, unconventional brushstrokes and colors to convey raw emotions.
- The exhibition features 25 paintings and resin figurines, including tributes to family.
- Art critics praise her as a “Z-Gen gaze artist” for deconstructing commodified beauty.
- Her work challenges viewers to reflect on their own vulnerabilities and perceptions.
1. Breaking Free from the Spotlight
At an age when most teenagers fret over Instagram filters or sneaker choices, Lily’s life was already under a microscope. From childhood, cameras loved her soft features. Fans praised her cuteness; critics plastered her with labels before she could even speak. Naturally, she internalized it. Yet, as she matured, Lily reached a tipping point. Instead of molding herself to others’ expectations, she chose a different path: self‑expression through art.
Over time, she realized that true freedom arrived only when she stopped performing. She traded scripted lights for blank canvases. There, she explored the raw, unfiltered emotions that had no place on glossy magazine spreads. No longer “Xiao S’s daughter,” she reclaimed her narrative—one brushstroke at a time.
2. The Turn to Paint
In high school corridors, selfies and status updates swirl like so many smoke rings. But Lily’s social media feed told another story. Instead of glamorous party shots, she posted close‑ups of swirling pigments and half-finished sketches. Initially, her followers were puzzled. Abstract shapes and moody color fields replaced polished portraits. Yet, with each new work, they began to sense her inner dialogue.
She paints the “strange things” living in her mind—those unspoken desires, the colors that don’t exist in any crayon box, the emotions that slip through everyday language. Her artworks are neither overtly beautiful nor conventionally “pretty.” Instead, they feel honest: fractured lines meeting at jagged angles, pastel blobs dissolving into harsh neon. It’s as if Lily is saying: “This is my breath, my heartbeat—take it or leave it.”
3. “Prey of Prey”: A Psychological Stage
In late June 2025, Lily unveiled her debut solo exhibition, Prey of Prey, at TARTCH Art Space in Neihu District, Taipei. The title hints at layers of power and vulnerability: predator and prey become interchangeable. Twenty‑five paintings and a cast of resin figurines populate the gallery walls. Each piece interrogates themes of observation and objectification—how we see, and how we are seen.
One show‑stopper is Barbie, a gold‑haired portrait dedicated to her late aunt, Victoria Song (大S). Underneath the surface glamour, Lily channels a deep yearning—an homage that hums with memory and loss. Nearby, Hungry Girl stands out as the exhibition’s emotional axis. In the hushed hours before dawn, mother and daughter exchanged tearful glances. That moment—captured in pigment and resin—became a silent dialogue about love, longing, and shared vulnerability.
4. Deconstructing the Z‑Gen Gaze
Art historian and curator Li Cheng‑dao from Taipei National University of the Arts calls Lily a “Z‑Gen gaze artist.” Why? Because she embodies the aesthetic tensions of our image‑saturated era. She straddles Pop Art’s candy‑colored surfaces and Superflat’s two‑dimensional vistas. Yet beneath the polished veneer, she dissects the very framework of commodified beauty.
Moreover, Lily’s figures aren’t passive muses. They possess a hidden edge—sweet at first glance, but razor‑sharp upon closer inspection. Like a social media icon who suddenly goes off‑script, her characters lure us in and then confront us. Are we the spectators, or have we become the spectacle? In that moment of realization, we slip, willingly, into her gaze.
5. Key Works to Know
- Barbie: More than a nod to a plastic doll, it’s Lily’s tribute to family, grief, and inherited legacies.
- Hungry Girl: Raw and unfiltered, it captures a mother‑daughter bond in tear‑streaked hues.
- Night Whispers: An abstract labyrinth of muted purples and electric blues, it feels like a dream you can’t fully recall.
- Self‑Portrait with Unraveled Lines: Jagged strokes symbolize the chaos of identity formation—half‑finished, always evolving.
Each painting stands on its own. Yet together, they form a mosaic of adolescent angst, familial ties, and the struggle to articulate the inarticulable.
6. The Power of Vulnerability
What makes Lily’s art so compelling is its unapologetic honesty. At seventeen, most of us are still learning the words to describe ourselves. Lily uses color theory and composition instead. In her world, vulnerability isn’t a weakness. It’s a superpower.
Through her work, she invites viewers to confront their own unspoken feelings. Loneliness. Confusion. The nagging question: “Am I who I want to be?” The exhibition becomes less a display of objects and more a psychological theater—one where each visitor plays both actor and audience.
7. My Point of View
Frankly, Lily Hsu is one of the most interesting young artists I’ve encountered in years. Here’s why:
- Authenticity Beats Polished Perfection
While glossy Instagram filters reign supreme, Lily ditches the filters entirely. Her work reminds us that raw, sometimes messy truth resonates more than any curated facade. - Generational Mirror
As a member of Gen Z, Lily holds up a mirror not just to her own generation, but to everyone who’s ever felt scrutinized. We live in a world where every selfie invites commentary—“likes,” “hearts,” and unfortunately, harsh judgments. By transferring that energy onto canvas, she challenges us to rethink the power dynamics of who gets to look and who gets looked at. - Embracing Contradictions
Her art refuses to settle into neat categories. It’s both sugary and sharp, fluid and fractured. That tension is what makes it pulse with life. - Inviting Reflection
At its best, art makes you question yourself. Lily’s paintings aren’t self‑help slogans. They’re catalysts for introspection. After wandering through Prey of Prey, you might catch yourself lingering in front of white walls, wondering what parts of you remain unseen.
If you ask me, her most beautiful creation isn’t any single painting. It’s the bold statement she makes simply by choosing to show up—as herself.
In a city where bright lights often cast long, complicated shadows, Lily Hsu’s art reminds us that sometimes the most profound revelations happen in quiet corners. By choosing her own colors, she’s painting a future that belongs entirely to her. And if we’re lucky, we’ll find a bit of ourselves in the unfolding story.
