In the midst of the grand paintings and documentary photographs within the Shanghai Gallery of Art, Lai Jinna’s color pencil drawings illuminate the atmosphere.
Her contributions to the group exhibi-tion, Airs of the States, stand in the middle of the gallery – its bright lights inspiring cheerfulness.
From the floral headdress adorned chubby rabbit to a pair of flamboyant roosters, Lai’s exquisite skill shines through. Her masterful strokes and clever color processing breathe life into these doodles, drawing unexpected reactions from visitors.
Born in Xi’an, the 30-year-old artist tells us that her current drawing style was developed six years ago while living with her family on the mountainous outskirts of Beijing.
Lai confesses that the hermetic lifestyle was the perfect environment for her to cultivate her distinctive style, while providing a perfect space for the low-key artist.
What inspired you to produce this series?
I’d say everything in nature, obviously. I’ve been living deep in the mountains, so anything I lay eyes on becomes my inspiration. Meanwhile, color pencils are handy tools for my art creation, though it usually takes me hours to go restock them every time.
Do you find yourself isolated from the outside world because of where you live?
Quite the opposite. I find the life I have now could not be more suitable. I rented a workshop in Beijing after graduating from Xi’an Fine Art University in 2008. But, to be honest, city life is too much and too fast for a slow character like me. I feel like I’d be more disconnected living in the city.
How long does it usually take to complete one piece?
It depends on the size. For a small one like a dragonfly, it might be an hour and a half. My latest project took me four months. The process might be repetitious and boring, but who am I to talk about living a lonely life?
Your drawings are full of impossibly refined details with seemingly countless lines and strokes. What’s the secret?
As you can see, each line is extremely thin. When I worked on this series, I prepared a bunch of super sharpened pencils of each color because it would be slightly thickened after four or five strokes. I have to pay extra attention not to break the pencil head while drawing, so I need to adjust my strength and drawing angles from time to time. The color pencil tree installation next to my drawings is actually made up of those used pencil heads.
> Until Jan 10. Shanghai Gallery of Art.
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