Yuxiao Mu

Yuxiao Mu is a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Photography & Filmmaking and Foundation Departments at the Kansas City Art Institute, where she teaches digital photography and related courses. She previously served as an Adjunct Professor at Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt), where she also earned her MFA in Photography. Her academic journey began with a BFA in Photography from LuXun Academy of Fine Arts in China. She is currently based in Kansas City, MO, and is an AICAD Post-Grad Teaching Fellow.

Her educational background includes:

• M.F.A. in Photography, Massachusetts College of Art and Design (2023)
• B.F.A. in Photography, LuXun Academy of Fine Arts, China (2020)
• Certificate, AICAD’s BIPOC Academic Leadership Institute (2024–25)
• Certificate, Adult Mental Health First Aid USA (2023)

Yuxiao Mu’s research and artistic practice centers on memory, emotion, storytelling, and familial connection. Her interdisciplinary work spans photography, video, printmaking, and painting, often involving multigenerational collaboration. Projects like Phoenix at Sundown explore dementia and identity through cross-continental visual narratives, while Letter to my father bridges emotional and temporal distances. Her practice is deeply rooted in personal narrative, cultural heritage, and the tactile qualities of printmaking and archival media.

Her recent exhibitions and publications reflect a consistent engagement with themes of memory and identity. The artworks in her portfolio reveal a trajectory focused on emotional resonance, intergenerational dialogue, and the fragility of human connection. She frequently integrates sound, such as her grandmother’s humming, to deepen narrative depth. Her transition from student to educator underscores a commitment to both artistic innovation and pedagogical mentorship.

Her scientific and artistic awards include:

• Kansas City Art Institute Faculty Development Grant (2025)
• AICAD Post-Grad Teaching Fellowship (2024–2025)
• Shortlisted for Radius Photobook Workshop Scholarship (2023)

Yuxiao Mu has taught courses such as Digital Photography: Post-Production, Inside the Camera, Visual Language, and Time (focusing on video, sound, animation, and bookmaking). She has also contributed to academic administration as Graduate Programs Administrator at MassArt. She co-founded 100,000,000 Art Space in Kansas City, where she engages in curation and community programming, including juried competitions and collaborative events. Her work has been featured in Visual Atelier8, CAI Magazine, Rogue Magazine, Our Culture Magazine, and Al-Tiba9, among others.

She is actively involved in artist residencies and curatorial projects, including an upcoming residency at Casa Lü Parque in Mexico City (2025). Her lab or creative space emphasizes tranquility, natural light, and tactile engagement with materials, supporting a reflective and immersive artistic process.