red road studio : Sylvia Ji Interview

25 February 2011

Sylvia Ji Interview

I'm delighted to say that American artist Sylvia Ji kindly accepted my interview request this week. As an excerpt from her bio reads "Make no mistake – Sylvia Ji is the real deal: an artist of genuine, sometimes brutal, sincerity in a world of swirling uncertainty and constant change. Yet, she does more than consistently adjust to the change that life brings, she thrives on it; taking life as it is, content to simply “be”. Using the simplest of materials to create her work….she would say “letting it magically happen”... the results obliterate the antiquated lines between ostensibly “high brow” and “low brow” art."

A huge thank you to Sylvia for taking the time in her busy busy life and here it is -

Describe yourself in five words!! Creative, lover, loner, eccentric, zen

Any new adventures for 2011

I'm dedicating this year to growing and evolving my work, which in perspective can kind of be an adventure. No traveling planned this year, but i'm a bit impulsive so I may just take-off to some random city.

What works really well for you and did it take some time for you to get there

In terms of medium, I find acrylic works the best for me. I started out painting with oils, but found under deadlines that the paintings weren't drying fast enough. It took quite a bit of time experimenting with the medium, I'm still trying to master acrylics!

Describe a perfect day for you

A perfect day is spent being productive on painting and then winding the evening down with my love.

Favourite artist/designer, music and type of food

I have so many favorite artist/designers, but at the moment i'm really into renaissance portraiture, especially artists like Holbein and Bronzio. Favorite music at the moment are Arcade Fire and The Black Keys; favorite food right now would be this one Brazillian spot near my home that i've been ordering every night the past week.