Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kristen Liu-Wong. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Kristen, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?
Surprisingly, this is a question I have never been asked in an interview although it is something that almost every creative has probably asked themselves at some point. I know that I am lucky to be able to support myself doing what I love and working as an artist has given me some incredible experiences, but it can be difficult to not question your choices when you’re struggling financially. or when you don’t have benefits like healthcare or job stability, especially in this current economy. Sometimes I do wish that I had a career where there was more easily defined path to what you need to do be successful, especially in times of self-doubt, but ultimately I can’t imagine another career that could be more personally fulfilling for me.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
My name is Kristen Liu-Wong and I’m a painter and illustrator living and working in Los Angeles. I’m originally from San Francisco and I’m a 4th generation Chinese American on my mom’s side. I was raised by my mom and grandmother with my older sister and I studied illustration at Pratt Institute. Since graduating, I have shown my paintings extensively with galleries both domestically and abroad and I’ve worked with a large number of clients on projects ranging from murals to clothing lines to editorial illustrations. My work is often vibrantly colored and uses playful, aggressive, or sexual imagery to explore the complexities of what makes us human.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
When I went to art school, I had planned on becoming an illustrator and so upon graduation I paid for a directory of art directors and emailed every singe one my portfolio. I went to a portfolio review with ADs at the Society of Illustrators that my school set up and every single one told me they liked my work but it didn’t feel right for their publication or they imagined it better in a gallery. I was told the same thing when I went to speak with an AD at the NY Times and out of the over 100 emails I had sent out, only one director ever got back to me and it never turned into a job. I had however gotten some opportunities to have work in some group shows so I made my own art at night and on weekends while I worked during the day as an assistant at a print shop. Every time I was given a show opportunity I would put in as much work as they would allow and I would paint a mural for the show whenever I was given the chance, even if the show was up for just 2 days. Back them, tumblr was also big, so I submitted work to every blog that accepted art and I even painted commissions for only $20 each, just so I could keep generating momentum for my personal work. Eventually my gallery career began to take off and only then did I begin to actually get hired as an illustrator. I was eventually able to transition into making art full time but that was only after saving up a small nest egg from my “real” job as a safety net for that transitional period. In art there is no one road to success and success comes in many different forms so you need to have the resilience to continue to make work for yourself, even when things seem to be in a slump or if a show is a flop or if a job falls through.
Can you share your view on NFTs? (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)
I am really glad I did not release any when that was a huge thing because they definitely wouldn’t be worth shit (although I did have a couple of my pieces stolen from me and sold as NFTS which was then a whole pain to shut down). I do think that there needs to be a way to buy and sell digital works so I understand where the impulse came from but since I am not a digital artist, nor do I make work that explores technological themes, I felt like if I did release an NFT, it would be a money grab and I wouldn’t even be making anything that spoke to me personally. NFTs and AI work has led to a lot of ethical questions too since it is easier than ever to steal and profit from someone else’s images, and that’s not even taking into account the environmental impact that NFTs have. For me, one of the most fulfilling aspects of art is being able to see it in person, to see the physical hand and its imperfections that toiled over this object in the brushwork or sculpture and to know that someone took the time and energy to will something into existence. That one monkey jpeg that was selling for millions was fairly soulless in my opinion, especially since most collectors who bought it, got it for hype, not because they personally connected with the piece. I was also wary about releasing an NFT because even though a painting can increase and decrease in its financial value, the collector will always at least have the physical work even if the market value drops; I would feel personally guilty if someone spent a bunch of money on what is essentially a jpeg image of mine and the next day it was worth pennies.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kristenliuart.com
- Instagram: @kliuwong
Image Credits
Photos by Luke Pelletier