We recently connected with Keyi Liu and have shared our conversation below.
Keyi, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.
The environment is important for personality development. I would first choose a country or city that suits me to live in because every place can bring a different energy to people. Some cities have a positive and confident atmosphere, some are more slow-paced, and some are more strict. So if we can find the opportunity to live in a city that suits us is a good beginning.
Then, there is friend selection and improving self-understanding. Confident and positive friends can be a good influence; we can talk about interesting topics every day and encourage each other when things get tough. It’s important to keep our friend’s circle positive. The next step is to deepen your self-understanding. When we know ourselves very well, other people’s comments will not have too much impact on us because we can easily know whether they are telling the truth or not.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I’m a multimedia artist and illustrator. Currently, I am traveling between New York and London for my art activities. I have explored many mediums, such as illustration, generative art, 3D art, installation art, and so on. My current projects are primarily focused on 3D art.
I think my specialty is visual design. I’m a very imaginative person. I see any sights in life, even a white wall, and I can instantly transform them into a fantastical space, so for me, this creative process is a constant source of inspiration; that’s what I’m most proud of. And I’m a goal-oriented person who doesn’t give up easily, which I think is very important in creating art because it’s not an easy journey, and when an artist has a good idea, they need to have the ability to turn it into a work of art.
The theme of most of my work revolves around the confrontational relationship between nature and rules. I have explored this theme in different mediums. For example, in the interactive installation “Forbidden Cage” that I designed in 2022, I used the imagery of spiders and cages to represent societal rules and installed ultrasonic sensors inside. The audience, representing free will, was included as part of this project. When the audience approached the spider, its limbs would wriggle frantically, imitating its hunting movements. At the same time, the cage above the spider would also open as if attempting to catch the audience and trap them into the rules and restrictions.
I also explored this topic in the VR project ‘Heavenly’ which I created in 2023. In this project, I create a virtual space set in the future and visualizing this confrontation as a 3D narrative animation. This project is inspired by the increasingly popular “consciousness uploading” topic. We often see this form of existence discussed in movies and literature. By uploading their consciousness into the virtual world, humans can break away from the physical body’s limitations and gain “immortality power”. Many idealize this form of life, believing that the virtual world of immortality can make up for the regrets of real life but ignoring its potential dangers. However, as long as society exists, regardless of its form, it will have limitations. The transformation of social forms cannot eliminate dilemmas but only transform them into another form of existence.
I think this confrontational relationship is an interesting topic because although they have a fundamental logic, they are not the same under different social contexts. This is why I keep exploring this topic.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
For the art industry, perseverance in creation, learning to communicate with others, and keeping an open mind to other people’s comments are the three most important qualities that have influenced me the most.
In addition, for the self-improvement of artists, artistic creation is a journey of self-discovery. The viewpoints expressed by artists, whether they are expressions of personal emotions or discussions on social issues, are based on their values. Therefore, understanding oneself is crucial, as it helps artists develop a unique artistic style.
Additionally, many artists are perfectionists in their artistic creations. They always expect their work to be as perfect as possible before presenting it to galleries or audiences. However, it is hard to reach a perfect moment, which will cause artists to miss the opportunities to show their work. Artworks possess their unique charm at each stage of development. Emotions are phases, and when we pass through a certain period, things become different, and it is difficult for us to get back to the original emotions and feelings. That’s why artmaking is fascinating and unique at all stages. We should record them confidently and present them to the audience.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
Yes, I always create new projects and am pleased to connect with artists in different directions for inspiration. My recent work has focused on 3D art and installations, and I plan to combine these two aspects to create a creative project, so I welcome sculpture or installation artists to talk to me!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://keyiliu-art.cargo.site
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edekiow/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keyi-liu1215/
- Youtube: https://youtu.be/ZTm_AjnTNzk
