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Intimate Portrait
#NoPainNoFilterMindy Lui (L4-14)
You explore various creative mediums, including drawing, oil painting, video, and installation art. Which one do you prefer or excel at? Why?
If I had to choose just one medium, I would select drawing, as I am more skilled at observing and capturing the contours and forms of objects. In terms of the types of works I prefer to view, I tend to favour oil paintings and installation art, and I have recently developed a keen interest in photography as well.
How do you choose the medium to present different creative themes? Do you select a medium first and then find a theme to explore, or is it the other way around? Additionally, what do you think are the interactions that arise from cross-media creation, particularly in terms of visual and auditory elements?
In the early stages of my creative work (around 2019 to 2022), I tended to choose the medium based on the theme I wanted to explore. However, I later realised that my understanding of different materials and mediums was insufficient to achieve the visual effects I envisioned. After experimenting with the unique characteristics of mediums like oil painting and video, I decided to no longer restrict the order in which I choose themes and mediums. I believe that each medium has its own critical points and extensions, and that cross-media creation can facilitate the collaboration of different mediums, enhancing the intensity of the presented effects rather than constraining them.
At first glance, your series of works may appear unrelated; however, they all revolve around the theme of everyday objects. What commonalities or points of focus exist among them?
I focus on how social and human perceptions shape objects, as well as how objects, in turn, shape those perceptions.
You focus on exploring the existential significance of objects and the functionalities assigned to them. How do you connect the “objects” in your works with those in reality? Do they consequently acquire different meanings or functions?
I don’t emphasise the connection between the objects in my works and those in reality. My pieces often consist of images related to objects, resonating with the viewers’ life experiences and pointing towards real-world references. However, I believe there is a certain distance between the artwork and reality, and their meanings do not completely align.
Would you describe your works as static or dynamic? Are they realistic or fictional? Why?
I consider my works to lean towards the static side, while encompassing both realistic and fictional elements. I once discussed with a curator friend how my video works evoke a strong sensation similar to viewing my other oil paintings, a quality I had not previously been consciously aware of.
What do you think distinguishes “contemporary art” from regular “everyday documentation”?
“Contemporary art,” as the name suggests, carries a sense of urgency, reflecting complex issues in a rapidly changing world. Because “contemporary” encompasses a wide range of meanings, I believe the distinction between “contemporary art” and “everyday documentation” may be difficult to articulate clearly.
Undoubtedly, much of today’s art leans towards the everyday. Art originates from daily life, but the two should not be equated. If the focus is merely on mimicking reality—emphasizing the repetition of the everyday without understanding or thoughtful consideration—that’s unfortunate. Nonetheless, there are certainly good works that incorporate personal aesthetic judgments into everyday documentation, or engage in reflection through everyday language, making the “habitual” or “conventional” feel vibrant.
