Interview by Jimon

1-How would you describe Nianxin Li?  Brave girl.

2- Where did you study art and do you think Art school was necessary for your process?  I got my BFA at the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence and currently at the School of Visual Arts in New York. For me school is more like a ticket to a different culture.

3-You have a distinct style. What is the origin or inspiration behind your style?  My practice begins with feelings of disconnection between the purpose and methods of my early education and family life. The incongruence of cause and effect in this context gave me a strong interest in absurdist literature, cubism and the digital aesthetic.

4-How do you choose the colors and shapes in your paintings?Plasticity and unnatural shapes are very important elements in my works. I put less-historical elements into traditional still-life compositions. I use “toxic” and “inedible” colors (neon pink, ultramarine, etc.) combined with neutral colors that convey a sense of safety.

5-Do you work on one painting at a time or multiple?  I do things very randomly, sometimes I draw one, sometimes I draw multiple at the same time.

6-What is the toughest part about being an artist, please explain?  For me it is constant self-reflection. I require that the things I do must be real, so I need to constantly reflect on whether I am perfunctory in my works.

7-Tell us something about the art world that you want to see changed?  I hope that more young artists can support themselves. So they don’t have to worry about making money, and have more time to settle.

8-The future is _________.  If I knew I would do it. .

9-What inspires you the most?  That must be daily life.

10-If you could live in any museum anywhere in the world which would be your choice?  Uffizi Museum in Florence.

11-Do you listen to music or prefer to work in silence?  I don’t listen to any music while I work. I like a quiet environment where I can stay focused. Drawing is the only thing that keeps me focused, and I enjoy it. But sometimes when I’m drawing I talk to myself or someone in my mind.

12-If you could have dinner with 3 artists living/dead who would be at your table?  Yoshitomo Nara, Hieronymus Bosch, David Hockney.

13-Name three things you can’t live without in your studio?  Tape, small containers and slippers.

14-If you were asking the questions what question would you ask please follow up with an answer?  What would be your ideal career if you weren’t an artist? I want to be a politician.

15-How would someone find you on social media?  @studio_linianxxik

16- Please name the first thing that comes to your mind while reading the following:

Art= museum

Food= hot pot

Sports= ski

Politics= sucks

Poor= artists

God= I’m not sure…

Rich=Trump tower on 5th Ave

Luxury=black and gold combination

Sex= good

Picasso= visual game

Religion= taboo (makes me very cautious in answering this question)