Artist in conversation: Sai Ma

“the so-called reality TV is not always the truth!”

Sai Ma is an artist who created “Beautiful New World” after being inspired by the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Observing social instability, economic downturns, and declining happiness during this time, Sai Ma envisioned an entertainment program to address these issues.

This project takes the form of a manga, showcasing an open-ended narrative centered on architectural design. The focus is on the design process, spatial functions, and creating a positive atmosphere. Sai Ma’s work encourages discussions on solving contemporary social problems and imagines a "utopia" in a relaxed and engaging manner.

Through this unique blend of storytelling and architectural exploration, Sai Ma aims to provide both an escape and a platform for constructive dialogue. The manga invites readers to reflect on societal changes and consider innovative solutions for a better future.

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What initially inspired you to become an artist, and how did you develop your unique style?

Initially, it was my father, who was a traditional Chinese ink painter, who kept encouraging me, and he thought that my children's drawings as a child showed great artistic talent, and then encouraged me to take the Chinese art college entrance exams, which I did by attending an art pre-training organisation of sorts, where I met a group of very interesting and ambitious friends in the arts, and where we spent days and nights with each other, discussing and creating art. The teacher gave us a lot of guidance and inspiration, introducing us to experimental art, a subject that was full of attraction and creativity for us, and I gradually got hooked on it. Although I later chose environmental design as my university subject, I have always been thinking and creating in the way of experimental art, and I have been cultivating my own critical thinking and brainstorming by watching various films and books until now. Although my major is nowurbandesign, I still favour this kind of narrative architecture, focusing on the concept and logic behindarchitecture and urban design.

Do you have any rituals or routines that help you get into a creative mindset when starting a new project?

I've always been a fan of variety, especially during the epidemic, when going out became very difficult, I was angry about all this, and seeing how unstable people were on the internet, I suddenly thought of the series of tittytainment, and inspired by my previous university project “Utopia”, I decided to start researching this series of topics.

 Can you elaborate on how has the COVID-19 pandemic influenced your artistic practice andthe themes you explore in your work?

The Covid-19 was a really bad thing for me at the time, we were going to class, going out became a hassle, and there were days and nights of nucleic acid testing. At the time it could also be said that it was a period of time when I was bursting with negative energy, but it wasn't necessarily a bad thing for creativity, I even started studying sociology to try and discover the truth behind it all, who made the people so miserable, who made the economy go downhill so badly, and where they stood, and how they could fix it all ...... Honestly never felt so socially responsible haha. Finally I think in today's network information age, the netizens are the most real masses for all this reaction, so I think it is a good thing to create a variety show to cause discussion, after all, the creation of art, interaction with the masses is also a very important part of the audience's reaction is also part of the creation of it.

What challenges do you face as an artist when engaging with societal themes, and how do you overcome them?

No challenges yet, while doing this project I only shared it with my friends and they all thought it was cool hahaha. But I still have some reservations in doing it, after all, it involves a social theme, and I think society is made up of enough people, so I think people's reaction is also an important part of my creation. As I was doing it, I was also asking my friends around me for their opinions, especially some journalism and variety entertainment enthusiasts. When I asked my fellow journalism and writing and directing students, I started to doubt my life for a while, and realised that most of the shows on TV or the internet just show you what they want you to see, and most of them are very passive and have no way to know the truth, so that's what I want to express in my work, that the so-called reality TV is not always the truth! 

Of all the projects you've worked on, do you have a favorite or one that holds special significance to you?

I think this project is my favourite in this exhibition, it has some darkness and fully expresses my state of mind at that time. It is also the project that inspired me to study various fields of knowledge such as society, politics, entertainment, news, etc. I am very happy to have been ableto create this project, and I myself have gained a lot of knowledge, and I also have a lot of thoughts, and I have a feeling that I suddenly feel like I have grown up, and that I have become a more penetrating person in looking at problems and the world. 

How do you stay motivated and inspired despite any setbacks or creative blocks you may encounter? 

When it comes to frustration I do experience it, and often I feel creatively stuck or not what I expected. To be honest, I can only console myself or keep streamlining my brain. For example, the project "Beautiful New World" is a variety show wrapped in social issues, and I had to integrate knowledge from various fields, such as the rules of the show, the development of thestory of the variety show, and the design of the recording venue for the variety show...... . I don't need or deserve to give an answer to the question of whether or not a "beautiful new world" exists, and in what way it exists, just like what I have expressed in my work, which is that it needs to be explored by people together. After figuring all this out, my creation has become smoother, and it's good to move forward step by step. 

How do you feel about exhibiting your artworks with The Holy Art Gallery? 

I am very honoured to be a part of this exhibition, it is also my first time to show my artwork outside the campus, I am still a bit nervous and I am looking forward to peoples‘ comments andfeedbacks.

Looking ahead, what are your long-term goals and aspirations as an artist, and howdo youplan to achieve them? 

Continuing to create, every creative process is a learning and brainstorming process, combinedwith my professional urban design, improve a more attractive living environment, and strive toresearch the real "beautiful new world" haha. 

What role does emotion play in your creative process, and and how do you aimto evoke specific feelings or reactions from those who view your artworks? 

Emotional projection is of course an important part of my creativity, and my creations are alsobased on my current emotions. For example, in the creation of "Beautiful New World", the design of "pop-up" is that when I watch TV programmes in China, I like to pay attention to the audience's timely comments on each scene, which I think is the most interesting part of watching TV programmes. I think this is the most interesting part of watching TV programmes, not only is the interaction rate high, but it also gives me the feeling of watching a TV programme with friends and discussing it together. Therefore, in order to evoke the feelings of the audience, it is necessary to improve the sense of interaction and the ability to empathise with the creationof the work.The audience's reaction is also part of my creation.