We caught up with the brilliant and insightful May Ling Kopecky a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

May Ling , appreciate you joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

The projects that are most meaningful to me are the projects that allow me to connect with other people. This past summer, I had a solo exhibition, “To-Do List”, at the Rochester Art Center in Rochester, MN. This exhibition shared the experience of chronic illness, highlighting struggles that relate to conserving energy and prioritizing tasks. I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) when I was fifteen, so I have spent many years learning how to balance my health with the demands of everyday life. The idea for “To-Do List” had been floating around in my head for a couple years. I wanted to make a series of work that not only shared my own experience with MS, but also the experiences of other people who may have different chronic illnesses or disabilities.

“To-Do List” got very positive feedback, with many viewers saying that they could see themselves in my art. Having so many people interact with my work and relate to my drawings was very encouraging. “To-Do List” featured 100 original graphite and ink drawings, so it was also a test of my own ability to conserve energy while working on a large project, and proved how I can still function as an artist, despite struggling with MS symptoms like extreme fatigue, brain fog, and muscle weakness.

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.

I specialize in detailed, small-scale paintings and drawings, primarily based off of photographs I have taken or photographs clients provide. I have been painting and drawing since childhood. At first, I only tried to render things as realistically as possible, but as time went on I began to deviate from the original image to add additional meaning to the art. I aim to share specific feelings in my work, like sensations that have been experienced or emotions that relate to the subject matter. The small size of my work makes it intimate, oftentimes including tiny details that only some people may recognize. Many people may find this sort of work to be tedious or frustrating, but I enjoy the precision that comes with small artwork, and I think this sets it apart from many other types of work.

Much of my art reflects my experiences with pediatric-onset MS, sharing my journey of reframing obstacles and continuing to find beauty in the world despite being diagnosed with a chronic illness at a young age. I also aim to share other people’s experiences through my art, sharing their stories and expressing their ideas in a visual way. My work has received multiple awards in art exhibitions across the US, and I have been featured in publications such as New American Paintings, the Mayo Clinic News Network, Momentum Magazine, and the Star Tribune. I have been an art instructor for both adults and children, and I currently work in the Learning Center and Accessibility Services department at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, helping students with disabilities navigate the world of higher education. I have also been a part of the Plymouth Arts Council since 2018, helping promote local artists and coordinate art events in the area.

I’m very proud of the type of work that I do and the effect that it has had. Many people have told me that my art has made them feel understood, or that it has visualized feelings they weren’t able to put into words.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My goal is to use art as a tool to share ideas and make connections. Art has been important to me my whole life, but especially after my MS diagnosis as a teen. Due to my young age and otherwise healthy appearance, I faced a lot of skepticism when talking about having MS. I was told that I “looked fine” or was “too young” to have health problems. My artwork is a response to this skepticism. I aim to not only tell my story, but to also help others feel seen and heard, making their own invisible experiences visible.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

One of the most rewarding aspects of being an artist is seeing my own ideas come to fruition through my work, and I especially enjoy the process of creating itself. I love watching images form with every line of my pencil or stroke of my brush, and adding the small, finishing touches at the end is my favorite part. Something perhaps even more rewarding, however, is seeing people connect with my art. To me, art is simply a visual language. When I am able to express an idea in a way that people understand and relate to, it encourages me to continue to create.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.maylingkopecky.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mayling.k/