Conversations with Loriya Zuo

Today we’d like to introduce you to Loriya Zuo

Hi Loriya, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Like many creative people, my pursue for art and appreciation for beauty started when I was little. My very first artistic endeavor was the fruit of my childhood obsession with a show about magical girls. I watched it religiously and made for myself a little book of drawings, documenting all the magical transformations that I thought at the time was the pinnacle of fashion into a secret diary of sorts. The concepts such as the transformation of self, the magical coexisting with the mundane, really kindled something in me. Thinking back, that was really one of my most free yet ambitious periods of my creative journey. It was this obsession and the creating that resulted from it that led me to my very first understanding of this world and really solidified my interest for art and storytelling. As for how I slowly discovered myself within the niche of mysticism & spirituality — during my more formative teenage years, a rather turbulent part of my life where my family moved a lot. I was trying my best to adapt to a wider world, and I came into contact with many kinds of spirituality and philosophy that I’ve never experienced before. I visited many religious institutions, become invested in a lot of eastern wisdom as well. Without really having a direction, I did a lot of what people might call soul searching, partly out of curiosity, partly out of an attempt to find solace in some higher form that surpasses the mundane. Then I decided to pursue a degree in art. That was when I felt like I need to carve my own path, to find my own magic that I missed so much from my younger years. I had this brilliant mentor in college who is really passionate about life and her craft. She helped me understand and find confidence in my artist voice and kindled my interest in the mystical and occult. I fell in love with tarot, oracle cards, and astrology. It was a new kind of awakening for me, becoming more in tune with the past and the future, learning to flow with the current of life in the present as well. Artistically, That’s when I surrendered myself wholly to this subject matter that seems to inspire me endlessly. I think I’m at the beginning of a journey learning to channel my own magic again.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There were definitely challenging times. Being an introvert and always a bit weird since forever didn’t help. There had been moments when I was aimless, helpless. I became very easily influenced by the energy of the people and situations around me. I am a water sign, so emotions are very much at the center of my life. During the period of my blind searching, there were many ups and downs, many hopeful times, moments of exhilaration, and also numerous instances of what I can only call a sense of betrayal by dogma and humanity’s narrow mindedness. My wish to pursue a career in the arts wasn’t necessarily looked up upon by the people in my life who uphold more traditional values of financial stability. Although my loved ones were supportive, there were still a lot of emotional insecurity and pressure to prove to the world that I’ve made the right choices. But looking back, it really wasn’t about right or wrong. Experiences are great teachers. I am really grateful for those challenging times. Without the restlessness, I wouldn’t have learned what it means to be at peace.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I illustrate the spiritual & mystical. I am forever inspired by the divine feminine, the unknowable ancient times, the origin of humankind, Rumi’s poems, and magic. I like to bring the more elusive and abstract concept into healing visuals. I’m very proud of my most ambitious series — Sacred Artifacts & Mystical Rituals — where I incorporated storytelling with a lot of my favorite motifs into a total of eleven illustrations. It was also a major turning point in my creative pursue that resulted in yet another metamorphosis of art style. I used to be afraid that my creative voice was not settling down, but now that I finally let go of the various fears, I very much enjoy seeing how my style continues to evolve. The series was where I almost worked myself into a mold and then broke out of it. It was really the beginning of something that’s in alignment with my soul. As of now, my artist voice is somewhere between the figurative and the symbolic. It’s filled with swirling shapes, abstract forms, and interpretative landscapes. The metaphysical is where most of head space currently rests and where I always find inspiration.

We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Very good question. Success means many things to many people. Many would define achieving material fulfillment as the benchmark for success, but I believe, since humans are emotional beings with spiritual consciousness, it’s much more complicated than that. We simply cannot find true fulfillment by only satiating material needs or the egoic self. Part of my own definition of success is finding peace and fulfillment that nurtures the soul. Another thing that I think is quite challenging to achieve is a state of balance in life. Humans in today’s society have this fear of mediocrity and are very easily drawn to extremes, and to be in a state of equilibrium, to me, is an incredible accomplishment. Ultimately, we came into this world to experience and gather wisdom for our higher selves. And I think success might be just that — did we live? Did we learn? Did the soul burn brighter by the end of our physical existence?

Contact Info:

• Website: https://loyrey.univer.se
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/loyrey
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@loyrey?si=H4hiCrVhAQZv15_Q