Q&A: Sylvia Ji

By Edward Paik

Academy of Art graduate Sylvia Ji has garnered praise for her ability to fuse historic influences with modern techniques. Best known for her take on La Catrina, works of beauty and feminine sexuality, she creates hauntingly beautiful pieces that are in high demand these days. Currently showcasing her latest works at the White Walls gallery in downtown San Francisco, All Shook Down had the opportunity to catch up with Ji:

Is your art meant to be seen in any particular way? Is it a collection or separate works?

Sylvia Ji: Well, the pieces are individual in themselves you know, sometimes I would create a series or sometimes I would do something on my own as an experiment. It’s more of a collective of my work not just a singular show idea.

Why work with wood instead of canvas?

Well, I started with canvas and I just didn’t like the take of the paint on the canvas so I switched to wood. I experimented with wood at first. I found that the surface just tends to soak up the pristine it better. I like the effect of water dripping down and scathing wood instead of applying the paint on the canvas.

What other element does it contribute to your art?

It definitely has an organic feel. It has a hard surface. When I look at different grains, each piece is unique in its own way.

There seems to be a large focus on color in your art.

I use red a lot. It’s very passionate. It’s very strong. I just love the strong colors. Sometimes I use blues, which I use more frequently now. My earlier work had a lot more colors and I kind of simplified it down and tried to capture just single emotions of colors just to grab you.

What about the motifs of bugs, singular hair and shades of gold?

Sometimes when I want more of a darker piece I use black more. It just has to do with composition and color, what you feel like you think goes good together.

Now, I'm sure everyone asks this, but what about the influences on your art? Is there anything that shapes your outlook?

One of the studios of Lady Death series we looked at the culture of Lady Death, went to Mexico and experienced an idea about La Catrina, of a well to do woman in her prime in her beauty but in the end she’s impervious to death. That kind of relates to a lot of things. The idea that it all ends. And that’s a pessimistic view but at the same time your celebrating life as well as the spirit. It looks strong from the skull and the design lacquerness, I’m really drawn to that as well

But would you say that your art carries a feminist tone?

If they do it’s great, but I don’t really see it as feminist work. I don’t know I just tend to draw females, that’s what I like to do.

About the make-up and designs on the female’s foreheads, are they significant?

Yeah, it’s a great combination, symbols. You can take when you see it.

But do they mean anything?

They do, yeah.

Can you elaborate?

No, not really. It’s what you take from it.

So as you continue, what will we see in your works?

I’m probably going to go larger, on a larger scale. Landscape mixed with females figures and definitely larger scale pieces, probably not do to much La Catrinas. Maybe once in a while. Kind of want to move and maybe travel to Europe, so that’s a great experience and hopefully I will get more inspiration form there.