Today we’d like to introduce you to Mengyuan Li.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I’m from Chongqing, China. I studied fashion design and got my BFA from Marist College, Poughkeepsie, New York. I will get my MFA of art from Claremont Graduate University in May.
From fashion to fine art, it seems like a big jump, but for me, fashion is always a part of the art. The experience in fashion gave me good aesthetics; at the same time, It also trained my three-dimensional thinking ability, which is quite important for my sculpture and installation arts.
Please tell us about your art.
I choose to make art from materials that have been discarded. In my opinion, every piece of garbage and every kind of material has its own story and life. Garbage is a misplaced resource. As long as we have artistic creativity and practical hands, garbage can have a purpose outside of the trash can. It can turn into art and light up our lives.
In the eastern Pacific Ocean between California and Hawaii floats the Great Pacific garbage patch. It was discovered in the 1990s. Since then, it has expanded at an alarming rate. Now, the vast dump which obscures the sun to the sea life below it weighs 88,000 tons, or about the weight of 500 jets. I want to make people aware of it and take it seriously. The things that people leave behind don’t actually disappear.
Many people try hard to break down plastic, make it decompose more easily. However, we must admit that it is difficult for human beings to transition to plastic-free lives. Rather than constantly making plastic waste at a high rate, recycling is used to extend the life of plastic products and thus reduce the rate of creating plastic waste. For plastic bottles, the ordinary usage is to throw them away after drinking, so the functional life of this plastic bottle is less than one day, and then it turns into garbage. But if we use it over and over again, or if we collect plastic bottles, and use industrial technology to convert them into something else that gives them new value and function, then the rate at which we make plastic waste will be greatly reduced.
I use recycled plastics and other materials to build new worlds. I am inspired by the Japanese aesthetic wabi-sabi, which finds beauty in imperfections. My work often has the asymmetry, roughness, and simplicity that is characteristic of this idea. To quote Richard Powell, “wabi-sabi nurtures all that is authentic by acknowledging three simple realities: nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect.”
Choosing a creative or artistic path comes with many financial challenges. Any advice for those struggling to focus on their artwork due to financial concerns?
Many external factors may influence the presentation of your work, but never negate your inspiration or idea for these reasons. Maybe the present is not the best time to show it, so write down every inspiration or idea. Only in this way you can seize the opportunity when it comes.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
Solo Exhibition
2019 Carbon 碳, Peggy Phelps Gallery, Claremont Graduate University, Claremont, California
Group exhibitions
2018 Make Space, East & Peggy Phelps Galleries, Claremont Graduate University, Claremont, California
2018 Fresh Take, Claremont City Hall, Claremont, California
2018 Chroma, East & Peggy Phelps Galleries, Claremont Graduate University, Claremont, California
2017 Daybreak, East & Peggy Phelps Galleries, Claremont Graduate University, Claremont, California
2017 Entities, Claremont City Hall, Claremont, California
2017 Twelve, East & Peggy Phelps Galleries, Claremont Graduate University, Claremont, California
2016 Silver Needle Fashion Show, Civic Center, Poughkeepsie, New York
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mengyuan-li.com
- Phone: 9097749497
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mmmli777/
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/my.li777/
Image Credit:
Mengyuan Li
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