We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Webson Ji. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Webson below.

Webson, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I still remember the first touch of art that I had was drawing in my grandparent’s house when I was a little kid. I picked up crayons and pens and doodled all over the living room and bedroom. No one from the family accused me of doing any of these, yet they decided to keep the doodles for quite a while till I was a teenager. The drawing was terrible, but it helped build up my confidence with art tools and the ability to express myself freely.

It was how the story started. I took art lessons, went to art colleges, and kept polishing my skills along the journey. I picked up certain techniques from college courses and also kept learning online. I am a multimedia artist, so basically, I use whatever materials I feel would work for the project to accomplish the visual composition. For instance, I sometimes draw, paint, sculpt, project videos, find some ready-made, and whatever approaches I take, I always try to find the most related medium to express the idea. In this case, being confident is quite important since I won’t always achieve the presentation I want every time I try. So instead of being solid with a specific skill, I would say just be confident and try all the possibilities out there to shape your practice. Sometimes magic happens within unexpected experiments.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Lin Ji, and I go by Webson Ji as a multimedia artist and freelance visual designer. I hold an M.A. degree in Sculpture from Savannah College of Art and Design and a B.F.A. degree in Public Art from the China Academy of Art. I am a member of the International Sculpture Center, a member of the New England Sculptors Association, and an associate member of the National Sculpture Society.

With a background of being a professional swimmer during my youth, my practice focuses on the presentation of water, combining it with various materials to present the viewer with a unique interpretation of my meditation. My works and projects have been widely exhibited nationally and internationally.

Right now, I am also the founder and creative director of a New York-based Asian community called Li Tang. Li Tang (禮堂) is a term in Chinese meaning “Assembly Hall”. It is usually considered a ritual place to hold ceremonies and events. Li (禮 ) can also be interpreted as manner or decency, as my initial wish is to build up a community and present a platform for Asian creatives to share and engage with love and good intention. As an online cultural platform, we interview art creatives, share art news and opportunities, and hold virtual exhibitions.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

Definitely online courses. Ever since the pandemic and work-from-home lifestyle, I have noticed more about online resources, like podcasts, classes, workshops, and panel discussions. Most online resources are more manageable and efficient than traditional ones in terms of time and budget.

I have been taking online courses for a while. It takes me one hour or two per day, or I can manage my schedule on a weekly basis. Also, some of the big names for online courses provide various classes, from IT to marketing. The options from amateur to professional offer me a great opportunity if I want to take a peek at what people in other industries are doing.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

As an artist, I would say I just go with the flow. My practice is very personal and project-based, and I do not have an anticipation of selling. I create when I feel the time is right to create. I do non-art stuff when I don’t feel art is anywhere near me. By the way, I work hard at my job to keep food on the table. I have love and respect for art, and I don’t expect anything in return. In the end, I am hoping maybe my practice could define who I am, and the audience gets a sense of what I have been through.

As the creative director of the Li Tang community, I aim to show more love and support to the community. I collaborate with people from different industries to do events and share their stories, and I wish they succeed as much as I see myself grow.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.websonji.com/www.litang.zone
• Instagram: websonji
• Facebook: websonji
• Linkedin: websonji
• Email address: [email protected]