Nini the young artist, Be at the Golden Cut
Could you describe the concept behind your paper installations and how it relates to your artistic vision?
I made my installation into strips to express the connection between women in different times and different fields, and the power of women. The feminist quotes on it express my inspiration to more women. But also I want this work to be more humorous and fun rather than radical or angry. So I played a lot 2D 3D games between graphics, installation, tattoos stickers, shootings and retouches.
How do you choose the themes for your installations? Is there a particular message or emotion you aim to convey through your work?
I had noticed that women were not in the dominant position in many photos that include both men and women , and I was very interested in the topic of feminism. So I decided to make this the theme of my project. Through my work, I hope to tell more women to take the lead in their own lives and break the male gaze.
Can you walk us through your creative process, from the initial idea to the final installation? I firstly collected graphic photos of men and women in different times, then made some three dimensional development of them by cutting and pasting them, and finally made them into tattoos by scanning and toning them, and displayed them on the skin again back in a two-dimensional way. I want this work to be more humorous and fun rather than radical or angry.
What challenges do you face while working with paper as a medium, and how do you overcome them? The difficulty of working with paper as a medium is that paper is fragile and can be easily destroyed. Therefore, in order to ensure the integrity and aesthetics of the installation during the final shooting of the project, I had to protect it carefully at all times. But at the same time, the paper is sharp, and it can cut your finger. I think these two points also represent the coexistence of two female characteristics. Fragile and powerful at the same time, like women.
Tell us about any specific projects or installations that are particularly meaningful to you and why. Returning the Gaze" is a cyber-physical robotic installation designed by Behnaz Farahi and commissioned by Universal Robotics for ANNAKIK1 Milan Fashion Week. Fashion is an important medium for cultural production. Yet the fashion industry has long been complicit in traditions of objectification and sexual harassment of women. The gaze is directed at the audience as well as the female model on the runway, and is extended and enhanced by cyborg technology. The project brings together robotics, fashion, design, feminism and critical thinking to critique the asymmetries in social and political power relations between men and women.
How do you choose the locations for your installations, and how does the environment impact the way your art is perceived? In order to better protect my installation from being destroyed, I chose to create at home. In addition, the quiet and closed environment at home enables me to experience the connotation of the work more deeply.
In your opinion, what sets your paper installations apart from other forms of art and artists?
I think the transition between two dimensions and three dimensions that makes the now commonplace topic of "women rights" humorous and interesting.
Can you share any advice for aspiring artists, especially those interested in working with installation art and unconventional mediums like paper?
As an art, installation art should not tell the audience what happened, or reason with the audience. It should convey the artist feelings about a certain event, object and principle, and the audience will be moved by the art works. When we create installation art, the establishment of the relationship between objects, the change of location, etc., is essentially the same as writing a poem - All of them use a poetic nature to convey the artistic feelings about a certain matter, object and principle. It is necessary to have a deep feeling for the materials used in order to create a very moving work.
How do you see the future of your art and where do you hope to take your creative journey as an artist?
I believe people will become more tolerant to the forms of artistic expression, which gives people more space and opportunities to create ar. I hope I can continue to learn and surpass myself in the field of art with the media of interactive art or web art. I want to communicate with what other people think and transfer them into my inspiration.
Photographer: Yihan Shao @yihan_shao WB:moonwalkstudiolondon.com
Creative Director/Model: Nini @cinn_l
Makeup Artist: Mei from Mystudio