Interview with Yuwei Li (KAY)
Q. Welcome to u1 gallery. We are so grateful to be able to interview you. We can never thank you enough. Could you introduce yourself and your works? How did you begin creating art?
A. I was born in China, Master of Science in Serious Game and Virtual Reality, graduated from Glasgow School of Art (UK) and now teach at the university. Mainly research games and virtual reality, comprehensive material painting, oil painting and other projects. In addition to teaching, I am also an administrator in the university, more than three years of experience in formulating policies and implementing matters at the management level.
I have had a strong feeling for drawing since I was consciously born. At the age of three, I grabbed my own crayon to describe the world of unknown exploration. And have a strong interest in all art forms such as music and dance. So I naturally think that I should fulfill the mission assigned to me by God, and make good use of this gift to start a wonderful life script.
However, I hadn't made much progress in oil painting before this. Until 2022, I started to participate in international art exhibitions, and my art career started to develop from here. I have participated in various exhibitions in UK, USA, Europe, Canada, China, Japan, Korea etc. Some of my work has been published in journals and magazines. In addition, I have won several international art awards. At the same time, I write and publish papers on the disciplines of art and design in journals.
Q. Could you talk about the process of creating and the way of expressing your work?
A. In my opinion, all works of art should be reflected between alike and unalike according to the influence of subjective and objective factors. The beauty of painting lies in the relationship between resemblance and no resemblance. My painting is influenced by the combination of Chinese and Western ideas, including the philosophy and skills of traditional Chinese painting, as well as contemporary art skills. Use an oil paintbrush to dip the canvas with thick paints of different colors, and paint texture from different angles with dry and large strokes. brush lines to abstract structure to construct thick lines to reflect the picture, interlaced in virtual and reality. Use concise brushwork to describe the scenery. The brush is swayed, and the paint is flying, which can also express the author's feelings more directly. Use techniques such as reversing the pen tip from the side and erecting the pen tip to reflect the work.
Q. Could you describe one artwork or series from your oeuvre that you feel it was pivotal in your career?
A. I considers this to be the most different from other series and soulful group of works in my paintings. I expresses 'A spirit of freedom’ in a way between abstraction and realism. Dedicated to those closest to me, who has been battling bipolar affective disorder and has lived a hard and tenacious life. Hope to be a voice for people who experience mental, physical, sexual abuse and so on. I thought about it for a long time, how to reflect the picture so that people can have a deep and strong resonance? What kind of space environment, time, and posture make people more sensitive, focused, sad, and fearful? Close your eyes and think, maybe the answer will come. If 'A spirit of freedom' is the work's guidebook for spiritual and soul energy, then 'A hand of freedom’ is the action force of the guidebook.
This group of works does not seem to form a direct relationship, but in fact it is the connotation embodied in the subconscious, and the answer can be known with a little observation. The two works are reflected in a large area of yellow and blue complementary colors, following each other, entangled with each other, and supporting each other.
Q. Are there any artists or work that have influenced you?
A. Certainly! I really like the work of Egon Schiele, I am his big fan. I was very proud to have seen Schiller's works in his hometown of Austria in 2018.
Q. Where do you get the inspiration for your work?
A. I believe that every artist's creation is inseparable from finding inspiration from life, sometimes I feel it from movies or books. I love my life, feel everything, and zoom in on things to see narrow down the experience, every meeting and acquaintance with things, every different experience may be the last time. Because everything has its shelf life, and they can only accompany you for a certain distance. If you don’t know when to get off the bus, cherish that moment. When the emotions are immersed, the moment is probably painful. Maybe people can always wake up from the pain and think deeply. This is the source of inspiration for my works.
Q. What do you hope that the audience takes away from your art?
A. Everyone has different feelings when they see a work. As long as it is even for a second at a certain moment, I am satisfied that the work can bring people to think or transmit any positive energy. At the same time, I hope that I will not be knocked down by anything, not violate my original intention, and insist that my works convey spiritual power with warmth. I hope people can think more deeply and clearly about what they really want in the fragmented age of the information age.
Q. What is your dream project? Could you tell us your plans and aspirations as an artist?
A. I dream that my works will be displayed in famous museums in the world, and I dream of becoming one of the most famous contemporary artists. 2022 is a year when my thoughts rise. During this year, I have experienced many things and sharpened immature self. It may be far away, but idealism is the most sincere and passionate dream chaser, and neither the affirmation nor negation of others can affect one's footsteps. No matter how difficult it is, I will persevere on this road, to achieve the small goals that have been set up one by one, then form a big plan.
