Life & Work with Niki Li

Today we’d like to introduce you to Niki Li.

Hi Niki, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story? 
My name is Niki Li, and I am a visual artist and graphic designer from China. Currently I am based in NYC where I thrive professionally and personally on the multidimensional diversity this vibrant city offers. Graphic arts are my primary medium of creative expression in both my corporate endeavors and personal artistic pursuits. 

One of my greatest strengths is my clarity on my goals and aspirations. From a young age, I knew my goals and dreams were in the arts, and this vision led to my growth and development in painting and fashion design. I also delved into other forms of arts such as music. Classically trained as a violinist, I fell in love with pop music during my teenage years, so I learned guitar by myself, started singing and writing my own music. During my freshman year of college, where I was studying fashion design, I participated in ‘Super Girls,’ a Chinese nationwide music talent show similar to American Idol, and I reached the national top 36 by performing my original pop-rock songs. This experience opened doors for me in the entertainment industry, leading to touring and performer residencies. However, I eventually chose to go back to school and earn my design degree mainly due to the uncertainties of show business. 

After college, I worked as a fashion designer for multinational fashion corporations but felt unfulfilled. I yearned for a more multidimensional form of expression that could combine visual arts, fashion design, and music to address contemporary social issues like cultural appropriation and consumerism. I wanted to raise awareness to these issues through my artistic lens. This led me to pursue an MFA degree at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University, where I could explore the big umbrella of contemporary art to integrate my diverse artistic media into a cohesive language. 

New York City, with its cultural and ideological diversity, always appealed to me as a place where I could thrive both personally and professionally. After obtaining my MFA, I moved to NYC without a job or any connections. Looking back, I really appreciate the courage and vision that I had along the way. Maybe things are meant to be; I landed my first job as a graphic designer within a month, embarking on a journey of embracing the city’s rich diversity. 

Six years later, I consider myself a New Yorker now. I am grateful for the opportunity to develop myself in this hub of openness and diversity, and I have established myself both a corporate identity as a graphic designer and a personal identity as a visual artist. My journey from China to NYC has proven my initial vision that creative boundaries between different art forms can dissolve, leading to a more potent interdisciplinary expression. Living in NYC has also taught me to comprehend the nuances of people and situations, accepting and appreciating the subtlety and poetry in life’s shades of gray. Creativity is my lifeline, and creating is my way of being. I am proud of my journey so far and excited for what lies ahead. 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Navigating life in the US as a foreign woman of color pursuing a career in the arts has been a challenging journey. While every day has presented its struggles, I choose to view each challenge as an opportunity to grow stronger. 

Initially, mastering English, especially local slang and daily vernacular, was the challenge. True mastery of a language goes beyond textbook learning and requires immersion in everyday conversations. 

Then the challenge becomes understanding contemporary ideologies in the US, particularly in the art world, and recognizing the differences from the Chinese social context. Grasping both perspectives is crucial for my personal and professional development and my artistic expression. As I gained this understanding, the challenge shifted to finding my voice in these conversations, finding my community, identifying myself in social interactions, and shaping my path utilizing my unique identity. This is an ongoing challenge. 

Furthermore, navigating the job market as a foreigner in the creative realm and dealing with visa issues has not been easy. I’ve also experienced many incidents of microaggressions, hostility, and biases, possibly fueled by race or xenophobia, which have tested my resolve. 

Despite the difficulties, I am grateful for the obstacles I’ve overcome. They have molded my spirit, tenacity, and resilience, shaping my unique identity. 

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
In my corporate role as a graphic designer, I specialize in creating visually engaging marketing pitch decks to promote fashion brands. In my personal creative pursuits as a visual artist, I use graphic arts to explore and initiate dialogues on cultural appropriation, cross-cultural misinterpretation, consumerism, and capitalism. I’m grateful to balance these two facets of my life. 

My international background draws me to address cultural appropriation through my art. I’ve observed that in Western visual culture, such as in fashion and tattoos, Chinese characters are often used for aesthetic appeal without addressing the linguistic meaning, leading to cultural misinterpretation. To address this, I created a conceptual space called “No. 1 Best Chinese Tattoo Shop”. The space features original tattoos designed in my original stylized English font that resembles Chinese characters. These tattoos are used in decoration and on products like T-shirts and tattoo stickers. Visitors can apply these tattoos stickers, fostering a dialogue on the complexities of cultural exchange in a globalized world. The project aims to highlight how shallow attempts at cultural engagement can lead to misunderstanding rather than fostering genuine respect and clarity. This project represents both my ideology and craftsmanship as a visual artist. 

Another recent project was with Jurin Sushi in Midtown Manhattan, where I integrated the artistic essence of my abstract portrait series ‘Drawing the Line: A Sketchy Ex-Posé’ into the restaurant. These portraits capture the diverse and complex personalities of my connections using bold strokes and playful hues. These figurative representations serve as both a lamentation and a celebration of the intricate dance of love within the perplexing urban landscape of NYC. It’s a unique project that explores the challenges of finding genuine connections in a bustling metropolis and the impact of hyper-individualism, emotional capitalism, and the commodification of romance on human interaction. 

In addition to my visual art, I occasionally model as a way to stay connected to my passion for performing arts and expand my creative network. Modeling provides a dynamic creative outlet that inspires me in a different way than my static creations. 

I view my work, identity, and journey as products of globalization, drawing from contemporary social issues and ideologies. I aim to fuse art, design, and music into a unique language, leveraging my diverse background in these areas. My artistic style is characterized by vibrant colors, abstract shapes, humor, and a hint of sarcasm to address serious or poignant subjects. I aspire for my art to be both visually pleasing and thought-provoking. As an artist, I may not have the solutions to these social issues, but I do see my role as initiating discussions and raising awareness about social causes. If my art brings people enjoyment while also prompting introspection and contemplation, encouraging them to look at this world beyond everyday trivialities and focus on often overlooked aspects of life, thus thinking of ways to improve these situations, then I consider my goals achieved both aesthetically and conceptually. This is my way of contributing to humanity. Humanity and the desire to make a positive impact is what ultimately drives me to create. 

What makes you happy?
I view my happiness as a three-tiered structure. At the base level, there are the ‘material consumptions’ that provide sensory delight, such as enjoying a new dining experience, savoring a beautifully crafted latte, or buying a stylish piece of clothing. These experiences offer ‘surface level happiness,’ which, while enjoyable, I consider fleeting and not the core of my overall happiness. 

The middle level is where my ‘intellectual consumptions’ reside, bringing me ‘happiness of the mind.’ This includes engaging in activities like reading books (particularly in sociology, psychology, and science), watching thought-provoking documentaries, exploring museums, and curating music playlists. These pursuits nourish my mind and provide a deeper level of happiness than mere sensory pleasures. 

At the top level is my ‘happiness from creating,’ which is the most fulfilling for me. This level encompasses creating art, fostering meaningful relationships, offering guidance to young talents from similar backgrounds, and performing small acts of kindness, like buying coffee for my building’s superintendent. This level is characterized by the joy of making a positive impact, inspiring others, spreading love, and leaving a legacy, offering a more profound and lasting fulfillment than the happiness derived from the first two levels. 

Striking a balance between ‘consuming/taking’ and ‘creating/giving’ is essential to my well-being and moral compass. Overall, my happiness is derived from a harmonious blend of these three levels, which I believe constitutes a happy and fulfilling life in both a secular and spiritual sense. This comprehensive spectrum of happiness ultimately brings me inner peace. 

Pricing:

• Abstract portrait series: ‘Drawing the Line: A Sketchy Ex-Posé,’ – Contact for rates – https://www.instagram.com/p/C1kke25Rd52/?img_index=1
• Digital painting: ‘Quarantine Reflection’ – Contact for rates – https://art.kunstmatrix.com/en/artwork/niki-li/quarantine-reflection
• Digital painting: ‘Quarantine Reflection 4’ – Contact for rates – https://art.kunstmatrix.com/en/artwork/niki-li/quarantine-reflection-4
• Digital painting: ‘Quarantine Reflection 3’ – Contact for Rates – https://art.kunstmatrix.com/en/artwork/niki-li/quarantine-reflection-3

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.nikili.club/
• Instagram:  @nikili1220 https://www.instagram.com/nikili1220/         @iamnikili https://www.instagram.com/iamnikili/
• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/niki-loves-music/albums

Image Credits
Omar Ortega
Peng Wang
Nicholas Persaud
Uba Udogwu
darkmatter.nef
Alonso Nichols
David Emmanuel Geddam