Interview with illusory L / Lucy Wu

q)please tell us a brief info about yourself.

a)I am from Taiwan, but I have stayed in UK for 4 years. I enjoy doing things like the young generation. I love contemporary art, fashion, design industry, rock 'n' roll music, travel, and every crazy thing/story.

q)Tell us about your humble beginnings, When did you you first realized that you wanted to be an artist?

a)I found that art is the most direct thing I can express everything in my head, I am not a good speaker, so I chose to communicate with people by art.

q)What are your tools of the trade and why?

a)I used almost every art media to create art, I admire both western and Chinese art, there are just too many beautiful mediums to be used.

q)Who or what gives you inspiration on your morbid art?

a)I think that the real integrity is not existing. The more painful we feel; the stronger we are. I am not interested in hypocritical things. I am crazy about Van Gogh and Munch, they expressed the very beautiful stuggle, which is really powerful. Also, I adore Yayoi Kusama, her art is full of sick but touching energy. My favourate author is Haruki Murakami, his novels depict a lot of black and blue layers of souls. He wrote many surrealistic plots but I think that is the truest thing to be believed.

q)Is your artistic background self-taught or did you go to college to study?

a)I had studied under the art system for 7 years, 3 years in the art-specific High school, and then I went to Kent and London to study in colleges for 4 years.

q)How do you keep “fresh” within your industry?

a)Always get information from the outside world. I enjoy getting information from everything, everywhere. After that, I observe and judge them.

q)What are some of your current projects?

a)My project has been developed for over a year. I am gathering loads of creatures/monsters from myself and people around me. I like to research what the real faces we have, and how far I can dig it. The beastliness under our skin is very interesting and worth digging. I see every painful event around me as an inspiration, the ugly beauty...

q)Which of your works are you the most proud of? And why?

a)http://www.flickr.com/photos/lucy-wu/3479522624/in/set-72157616433807001/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lucy-wu/3611223131/in/set-72157619403798780/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lucy-wu/3612036678/in/set-72157619403798780/

They are my degree show works. I think they stand a sort of new possibility in my own art practices. I was really confused in the differences between drawing and painting, and about combining doodles and oil paints. During the process of painting the final pieces, I got my confidence back and I really enjoy how much the paintings broght to me.

They were like my drama, I was the director, I experimented and decided many many things for them. That was a very cheerful thing to do.

q)Are there any areas, techniques, mediums, projects in your field that you have yet to try?

a)I have done so many drawings and paintings, I wish I will have some projects to be displayed in public, like window design and wall paintings. I am interested in making my characters into scupltures too. Also I would like to make animations as well. There are just too many plans to do...

q)What do you do to keep yourself motivated and avoid burn-out?

a)The competition between pals and other artists. When I see someone is doing great jobs, I feel like I have to work much more than that. My art is based on feelings and emotions, I am too sentimental and moody sometimes, the defect of my personality has somehow become a pusher in my art.

q)how do you spend most of your free time?

a)Reading a lot of novels, watching movies, listening to music, shopping, drinking with friends, and wandering around in the city.

q)What contemporary artists or developments in art interest you?

a)Peter Doig, Yayoi Kusama, Tal R, and a lot of people. Basically I am quite open-minded to contemporary art. I love those who are challenging the possibilities of paintings, and I love the lively energy artists have given in art.

q)We really like some of your pictures, how can we get our hands on them? Do you sell them? How?

a)I sell paintings. If anyone wants to buy one, he/she just needs to write email to me and we will diccuss the price and details. Most of my works are stored in London at the moment.

In the future, I would like to sell prints, stationary, or T-shirts. It's an interesting thing to do with my line-drawing characters.