Grantee Database

Nut Brother

• 2026
• Visual Art
• China to Bangladesh

To visit climate-conflict zones, examine the impact of climate-related disasters, and advance connections and knowledge sharing, focused on environmental challenges. Nut Brother will visit displaced residents, artists, and NGOs in Dhaka and other climate-conflict zones in Bangladesh, a country facing some of the most severe effects from the global climate crisis. He hopes to learn responsive aid initiatives and artistic practices through these communities’ stories and discuss the concrete manifestations and impact of the climate crisis. Building genuine connections and exchanging practical knowledge and gaining insights on these environmental challenges will inform Nut Brother’s eventual goal of launching a “Climate Creativity Alliance” – a cross-disciplinary platform connecting artists, NGOs, and experts to conduct climate research, organize workshops, explore creative approaches, and mobilize public participation.

Li-chin Li

• 2026
• Music
• China to Indonesia, Thailand

To conduct field research on the cultural roots, traditions, and historical creative practices of the sheng in China (Mainland), Indonesia, and Thailand. Li will trace and examine the historical development and cultural trajectories of Chinese ethnic sheng, Thai bamboo sheng, and the preservation of sheng craftsmanship in Indonesia. She will study instrument-making techniques with local sheng artisans, and shadow master craftsmen in sourcing raw materials in order to understand the cultural and ritual significance behind the instrument-making process. She aims to map a trans–Southeast Asian “cultural geography of the sheng,” whilst establishing connections with local art institutions to further deepen her understanding of sheng culture through cultural immersion.

WANG Qizheng

• 2026
• Dance
• China to United States

To conduct targeted research in choreography with the aim of building a framework for stage arts that responds to contemporary societal issues. Wang, who is a deputy director of the renowned Shanghai Dance Theater, will immerse himself in New York’s diverse cultural environment and expand his artistic vocabulary through visits to theaters, museums, archives, and cultural institutions, as well as by attending workshops and interdisciplinary discussions. He will connect with artists, scholars, and curators from various fields to exchange perspectives on choreography, performance, and cross-disciplinary creation, to better understand how artistic languages merge in practice. Wang hopes this experience will build an open, cross-disciplinary mindset that strengthens his creative practice and theoretical research, and that the fellowship will foster cross-cultural dialogue that contributes to the broader development of contemporary dance and stage arts.

LIU Tian

• 2026
• Curation
• China to United States

To research curatorial education practices as a form of social imagination and cultural mediation to rethink and reform current contemporary art curricula. Through site visits, archival study, and structured conversations with curators, educators, program directors, and artist-organizers, Liu will examine diverse approaches to curatorial education. He hopes to gain a better understanding of how curatorial studies programs in the U.S. structure their curricula, select faculty, and articulate their methodological frameworks. He also aims to expand his understanding of New York’s broader art ecology and thereby grasp the contexts in which curatorial and educational work take place. Liu hopes the fellowship will yield opportunities for future academic collaborations and continued cultural dialogue with counterparts in the U.S. after returning to China.

QIU Yang

• 2026
• Film/Video
• China to Japan

To research and collect stories of mixed-culture families and communities in Okinawa and explore how the human condition is tested in subtle, intimate spaces between families. Qiu will explore how the lives of Okinawa’s residents, especially those of Chinese descent, are challenged under the shadow of the region’s complex history and geopolitics. He will also investigate how memory, culture, and tradition transform across generations Qiu will follow stories across Okinawa, including neighborhoods near U.S. military bases, areas where centuries of exchange with Fujianese communities remain visible, and sites that speak to earlier Chinese presence and regional movement. Archival research and meeting scholars and community groups will further inform his understanding.

ZHOU Zhengnan

Country / Region:
• China

• 2026
• Architecture
• China to United States

To participate in the Special Program for Urban and Regional Studies (SPURS) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for a semester in 2026. Zhou was selected for the Tsinghua-MIT Exchange Fellowship to attend the Special Program for Urban and Regional Studies (SPURS) for one semester. During the fellowship, Zhou will research sustainable architecture, urbanism, and methodologies for doctoral education. As an Associate Professor at the School of Architecture at Tsinghua University, Zhou’s research focuses on green architecture and urban design.

HUANG Wanshan & LI Zhiyong

• 2026
• Visual Art
• China to Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore

To continue research on “Overseas Chinese farms” that the Chinese government established in the 1950s for ethnic Chinese who were forcibly relocated from Southeast Asia to Mainland China. Huang and Li will examine the layered histories of Chinese diaspora communities in Southeast Asia, forced to relocate to farms in China between the 1950s-1970s. They will document how these specific migration patterns have shaped cultural preservation and identity formation. Their fellowship will focus on archival research at museums and Chinese clan associations, interviewing local Chinese community members, participation in events, and exchanging knowledge with Southeast Asia-based scholars and artists. Their research aims to address both the preservation and evolution of Chinese culture across global contexts.

SHAO Chun

• 2025
• Crafts
• China to Japan

To explore the poetic connection between spirituality, craftsmanship, and natural materials through researching the Japanese aesthetic and philosophy Wabi-sabi.

CHEN Jie

• 2025
• Curation
• China to United States

To visit art institutions and engage with museum professionals across the United States, broaden her knowledge of global ceramics and art, explore diverse curatorial concepts and practices, and foster international collaborations.

ZHU Ning

• 2025
• Architecture
• China to United States

To participate in the Special Program for Urban and Regional Studies (SPURS) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) as a visiting scholar for a semester in 2025.

WEN Peng

• 2025
• Crafts
• China to Japan

To research the relationship between space and plants in Japan by studying ikebana—the Japanese art of arranging flowers—visiting temples in Kyoto, and studying garden typologies and architecture in Tokyo, Osaka, and Sapporo.

ZHANG Ruyi

• 2025
• Visual Art
• China to United States

To conduct fieldwork in New York City and its suburbs to examine how residential spaces shape individual conditions and emotional states amid urbanization, exploring how Western modernity influences the relationship between space and individuals in a globalized context.