Artist in conversation: lin Jou chun
Embracing an ever-evolving artistic journey, Lin Jou Chun refuses to confine creativity to a singular style. The exploration spans a diverse spectrum, transitioning seamlessly from traditional mediums to the vast realm of digital art. This adaptability and willingness to venture into uncharted territories reflect an artist committed to continuous growth and innovation.
The heart of Lin Jou Chun's art lies in an enigmatic yet captivating style - an "unknown" that is deliberately boundless. This uniqueness stands as a testament to the artist's belief in the power of art that transcends boundaries, an art form that is unconstrained, pure, and liberating.
As Lin Jou Chun continues to traverse the uncharted territories of the art world, the underlying mission remains to spread happiness, foster a sense of cheerfulness, and extend a helping hand to those in need. Through the medium of art, the aim is to create a space where limits dissolve, simplicity reigns, and freedom knows no bounds. Lin Jou Chun's journey is a tribute to the unrestricted and boundless nature of artistic expression.
What initially inspired you to become an artist, and how did you develop your unique style?
My style is not fixed and I will keep exploring, which means the exploring trip will go from traditional media to digital media. I used to think the world was awful. However, recently I met many incredible people, especially a female entrepreneur who is so outstanding that she takes care of her children and company with significant abilities and patience. Therefore, I decided to become a person who is helpful to others and helps people feel happy and cheerful. My specific art style is an “unknown” which is great, and I hope it is unlimited, simple, and free.
In terms of subject matter, what themes or motifs do you frequently explore in your work, and what draws you to these topics?
Basically they come from life. There are layers in our life, the layers including everything, from the sound of a drop to the massive wave in our heart. For the “Whale” in this exhibition, it was named after it was completed. At the moment of completion, I found out that “Whale” is about “everything is what it should be, together they achieve.” During the process, it is the experience of the flow of both memories, emotion, and questions.
Your desire for peace and a relaxed world is truly inspiring. How do you incorporate these values and emotions into your artwork? Can you share an example of a piece or series that reflects your vision of bringing energy and peace to the viewers?
It is about recording and echoing. The record of life reflects something and echoes something with the viewers. The communication might bring something unexpected, thoughts, or energy to the viewers. The content would not always be peaceful, however, sometimes something not peaceful could bring peace. For example, In the painting “就是這樣 this is what it is” from my second series, recording my understanding of life at the moment. To the left to the right is born, grow, old, death.
It's impressive to see your academic background in both fashion design and illustration. How do these different disciplines influence your artistic style and approach? And how do you balance the freedom and versatility of your art with the desire to create work that is vivid, alive, and personally meaningful to you?
The journey in both fashion design and illustration in Taiwan and San Francisco gave me rich life experiences, and the chances to explore the people in different fields. This is more than academic learning itself. Actually I was not quite fit to these two academic environments, and I usually was frustrated by the grades and rules. However, these two journeys gave me a great opportunity to meet different people, countries, cities, cultures, climates, nature, landscape, life styles, concepts, ideas, thought angles, personalities, standards, and etc. They inspire me, and become my rich soil.
Can you discuss a specific piece or project that challenged you as an artist, and how you overcome those challenges?
The two pieces which are sold are “Fly” and “角落萌芽 Born from corner”. They are from my first solo exhibition. It was held in 2019 at a composite space, and it was a small show with a low budget. I prepared everything including setting up the exhibition, and thanks to my brother who helped me to set the painting and lighting. The guests only include my family, some teachers, and a few friends. I held the exhibition because I was in a negative health condition, and I want to make my dream come true — become an artist. I think that “ I will not regret now.” After the show, there are some miracles happening. A buyer came to buy the two paintings, and he gave me great encouragement.
In addition, I was accepted by the biggest art platform in Taiwan. Besides, one painting of my second serious 鍾馗 joined an exhibition in Paris. “Whale” comes from my third series, and thanks to The Holy Art Gallery, it could be seen in New York and London in digital format.The challenge to me could be the haunting thought “why do I have to do this although I will die or might suffer?”, and my health. This bothered me. However, during the creating progress in my first exhibition, I conquered them and completed what I aimed for. Now my health has improved, and the challenge turns to be the fear of the climate crisis and war. The fear teases me to focus on my personal benefit instead of helping others, and challenge the peace in my mind.
I am working on ablating it.
How do you stay connected with other artists and keep up with new developments and trends in the art world?
As a person who used to love to travel and see the world when health conditions are good enough, and also love to stay alone, I do not stay connected with other artists consciously. However, I do have some connections from the courses I took, and from social media. Also I love to enjoy the different types of works on the internet and in the exhibitions. I could tell the overall trend in the commercial art world, however, I love to watch them instead of chasing the changeable trend.
How do you incorporate feedback from critics and audiences into your artistic practice, and how do you balance this feedback with your own artistic intuition?
I love to listen to the viewers, the feedback itself is like the echoing between mountains. They are interesting and might be art as well. However, the voice from the viewers will not affect me.
How do you stay motivated and inspired despite any setbacks or creative blocks you may encounter?
SInce I do not earn money for daily life by art, and I earn money to support my life by being a Mandarin teacher, I do not have to force myself to create works. Therefore, I just create when I create.
How do you feel about exhibiting your artworks with The Holy Art Gallery?
I really appreciate The Holy Art Gallery. You are the other shining sparkle in my life.
Looking ahead, what are your long-term goals and aspirations as an artist, and how do you plan to achieve them?
I am going to create different creations, such as comics, illustrations, and maybe sculpture. I am also excited to try novels, 3D prints, and exploring AI tools to create animations and movies. Also, I am going to explore the transferring between different expression languages, such as lectures to visual and sound, sounds to visual, smells to sounds, multi senses combinations, and etc.