Xinjian Lu Interview

As promised, here is my interview with artist Xinjian Lu. In our interview, Xinjian Lu shared his artistic journey, thoughts on creativity, inspiration behind his paintings, favorite spot in Shanghai,  plus more. Enjoy! 


Was it always your dream to be an artist?

Yes, as a child I wanted to paint but I didn't know what it was like to be an artist, I just had some vague and romantic images of ancient artists.

How have you grown and evolved, and how different is it now compared to when you first started?

As a child in elementary, I met an intern teacher who appreciated my drawings a lot and introduced me to an art institute. To be honest, though the idea of attending university was too big for me at that time, I started to dream to be an artist. It has been a very long and difficult path.
I didn't even know how to find a good teacher in the beginning. We could only have an hour of drawing class every week, but most of the teachers had no experience in art. I met an English teacher who saw my art talent. He encouraged and supported me to pursue my dream. Luckily, I got accepted at Nanjing Art Institute in 1998, I asked my teacher’s advice which direction I should go. I was hoping to study art, but he said I had no idea in color philosophy and always mixed colors like shit.

Meanwhile, he addressed the important fact that I was very poor and it was better to study something which I could make fast money. I decided to study graphic design. After many years of traveling around the world, deep in my heart I still had the desire to be an artist. Again, I still didn't know how to start.
With the help of my professor Petri Leijdekkers, who was the director of Frank Mohr Institute in the Netherlands, he admired my work, bought me art books and advised me on how to progress. Eventually, I found my way and created some sexy works.

Last June, I invited Petri and his wife to my solo show opening at Hua Gallery London. He was very proud of me when he stood in front of my paintings.
We said we will make another toast for my Amsterdam art show opening in 2015.

What is the most important factor to you when working on a project?

My work is kind of a meditation, It takes a lot of time to make one painting. I usually work in a quiet room with some nice music, like jazz and blues, sometimes when I am tired, tago and flamenco can cheer me up. My wife always tells me: Xinjian, your music taste is really strange.

What is the inspiration behind City Streams and City DNA paintings?

At a point in time I was going through depression. I made a lot of expressive paintings and somehow I got lost. My professor Petri Leijdekkers advised me to stop making paintings and read books in order to understand what the working process and philosophy of other masters were. I was inspired by Piet Mondrian and De Stiji's books. I often pondered for nothing with some green tea in my balcony until one day, I was deeply moved by the trail of stars in the sky and the edges of buildings. I immediately drew those lines on a sketch book. From that I completed 10 drawings, showed and discussed with Petri what I was looking for in those sketches. He was proud of me and encouraged me to keep on going. The first City DNA painting was a rendition of downtown Groningen, I was studying and living there then. The painting was based on an aerial photo which I made on the top of Martini tower. Later on, I moved from photo to the Google Earth which is very convenient to choose locations and zoom in/out.

Besides art what else are you passionate about?

I mainly work at home, so food is very important. I enjoy cooking for family and friends. Besides that, I like to travel.

What is your favorite food to cook?

I normally make Chinese food, mainly from South of China. The food is light and a bit sweet. Sometimes, I cook Spanish food, like paella.

Which country has been your favorite as far as travels?

It’s hard to answer this question, every country has its own attractions. Generally, I prefer to travel Europe. I do hope to go to Africa one day. I want to see the wild animals, landscapes, cultures and art.

In your opinion how will you define creativity?

Creativity is creating something that is mind blowing and changing our perspective. Moreover, creativity can stimulate us to think and imagine.

Where is your favorite spot in Shanghai?

The old Shanghai French concession is a beautiful place to walk around. It has lots of beautiful roads with big trees, nice restaurants, cafés, and galleries.

What do you like most about what you do?

I love the freedom and medication.

City DNA / New York, 140x190cm, acrylic on canvas, 2009

City Stream / Shanghai No.1, 150x200cm, acrylic on canvas, 2014

Xinjian Lu: Webpage