Jingfeng Li

What themes does your current work involve?

My themes are very broad, and what can move me is what I want to express.

Describe your creative process.

The creation of the process is relatively simple. The pen, paper, and ink are drawn on the paper through the density of the pen lines to draw layers and spaces. My pen-and-ink paintings drawings start from the local area and gradually expand outward. This requires the ability to control the overall painting.

What influences your work? What inspires you? Why do you make art?

Influenced by my elder brother at the age of 7, I started to learn to draw. In middle school, I went to night school to learn how to draw. Later, I was admitted to the Luxun Academy of Fine Arts to study. I have always been in awe of nature, and nature has brought me I have unlimited imagination, and I respect the touch brought by reality, so I like to use realistic expressions to truly reproduce what I see. I have been exploring in the field of pen-and-ink painting until now. It is really laborious to draw realistically with pens. But its form of expression is different. When you finish a painting every time, although you are tired, you are still very happy. This is the magic of pen-and-ink painting.

What are your goals and plans as an artist in 2023?

I don't have any plans. The art of painting is not a fast-food culture. Although the technology can be improved quickly, aesthetics and self-cultivation are the result of slow comprehension and personal experience in life. Art has no artistic conception, I can only say that I am still on the way of exploration.

How do recent advancements in technology affect your art practice? How may recent developments in Artificial Intelligence (image generator software) affect the definition of fine art?

I personally think that artificial intelligence can meet the needs of ordinary people or businesses. The thoughts of artists cannot be replaced. Every artist has his own judgment and thinking. Artificial intelligence naturally has its uses, but it cannot replace my thoughts and it will not affect the exploration of pen-and-ink drawings.

What is the role of the artist today?

Although art cannot be eaten, a high-quality life cannot be separated from art. Art is a product of the spiritual level, and life cannot be without art. I don't know what role an artist plays in life, because I don't make a living by painting, but I know that when I paint a good work, it will also touch the people around me, and I will be touched by nature and life, which is what I think an artist should do.

What is good art? What makes a piece of art great?

A good artwork first moves the painter himself. The painting must have depth and thoughtfulness, and the work will resonate with the viewer. Everything from composition to modeling to tone should be carefully study, so that the viewers will remember the appeal of the work after watching it.