Artist Profile: Grace Li
Written by pat bui
About 2 weeks ago, ubique had just started looking for more members to join our editorial team. We were searching high and low for the next in-house writer, designer and artist. It was a boring night of ubique chores, editing articles and replying to emails when I had stumbled upon a submission in my Gmail inbox. Upon opening I saw the name ‘Grace Li’… she was interested in becoming an in-house artist. I was beyond excited - so naturally I had to hide that and reply in the most professional manner possible. “Do you have any art I can see?” I had asked. 2 emails later and a wonderful little drawing greeted my eye…
Fast forward 2 weeks and Grace has taken that sketch into something wonderfully spooky. Since her art for this issue cover was just too good, I had to know all about her and her art. So join me in this interview to get to know all about Grace - the artist behind Issue 23’s best issue cover yet.
-
Q. Tell us a little bit about yourself !
A. I’m Grace, I’m a year 8 student at uni high and outside of school I like taking care of my houseplants (aka my plant children), going on runs, and long walks on the beach.
Q. Describe your art style in 5 words.
A. I use too much paint. (Does that even count?)
Q. What’s your favourite thing about being an artist?
A. My favourite thing about being an artist is definitely being able to convey a message to heaps of other people without having to actually talk to them. (Public speaking, eek!)
Q. What is art to you?
A. For me, art is anything expressed visually. That might sound really broad and vague, but that’s kind of the beauty of art. There’s such a wide spectrum of artist ideas and definitions of art that there’s no real answer that can encompass everything.
Q. How is art a part of your life and how has it changed your life?
A. Even though art is definitely a demanding passion - it can be expensive, time-consuming and very, very frustrating, it’s more rewarding than people give it credit for. Even though I enjoy it, making art needs consistency and patience, both of which I definitely didn’t have when I started. It’s given me more opportunities to help and feel connected to my community, and I’m definitely better for it. (Steady hands are a bonus, too!)
Q. What made you interested in art in the first place / how did you find your passion for art?
A. I think I started getting interested in art at around the time I got into uni high - the city still felt foreign but novel, and going to places like the NGV helped me adjust, but also started my passion for art.
Q. What’s your favourite thing about studying at Uni High
A. It might sound really cliche saying this as an artist, but my favourite thing is the old fashioned style of architecture of the buildings that meshes with the newer adjustments across the years. It’s really interesting being able to see how different it looked when it was first built, too!
Q. As an art student and artist at Uni High, which is a predominantly science focused school, do you feel supported by our teachers / school?
A. Although I agree that uni high is a pretty science focused school, I do still feel supported by the art curriculum. For me, art has always been a very self-motivated hobby, so even having materials I can make art out of is enough. Plus it’s just fun to play with paint.
Q. Are there any ways that the art education program at our school can improve / change / implement so that you feel more supported as an art student at uni high?
A. The art program at uni high generally feels pretty free and unrestrained in terms of creativity, which I definitely appreciate, but I’d also love to be able to learn more technical skills in mediums I’m not as familiar with. I think that some students could definitely benefit from more structured lessons, especially if they’re not as comfortable in an art classroom.
Q. Who are your inspirations / are there any artists you are inspired by / look up to?
A. My main inspiration, and partially the reason why I started taking art more seriously is Yayoi Kusama. I obviously love her outlandish, politically charged work, but I also admire how hard she worked to break into a male-dominated industry with the odds stacked against her. And she’s in her nineties and still dyes her hair. Iconic.
Q. What are your tips and tricks for aspiring artists or art students like yourself?
A. I’d definitely say branching out into new mediums can always help! It’s really easy to get sucked into the pressures of ‘getting good’ with a certain medium, but it’s much more enjoyable when there’s less stress involved. On another note, make sure to find other artists that you look up to - but don’t compare yourself to them! Improvement always feels like it isn’t coming fast enough when you’re unsatisfied with your work, and feeling inadequate is a sure way to fall into a cycle of self-deprecation.
Q. Last but not least, anything you want to say to people who haven’t started art but are interested in starting?
A. Never be afraid of making art. It’s meant to be something you want to do, and it can be as private as you want it to be. All you have to do is start. :)
-
Thank you to Grace for allowing us to get an insight into what it is like being an artist and a student at Uni High. If you feel the same way we do about Grace’s art on this Issue (we love it) let us know in the comments. And keep an eye out for Grace’s work in upcoming issues ;)
If you have any inquiries, comments or feedback, let us know by commenting down below, emailing us directly through our ‘Contact’ page, or messaging us through:
Instagram: @ubiqueuhs
Gmail: ubiqueteam@gmail.com