10 Questions with Kun Li

Kun Li (KUNSTER) is an artist and illustrator, currently based in Hamburg, Germany. She graduated from HAW Hamburg, the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, with a major in illustration. She specializes in multi-media illustration design. She learned from illustration master Bernd Mölck-Tassel and artist and illustration master Anke Feuchtenberger.

www.kunsterart.org | @kunsterart

Cybergirls | Project Description

The series of Cybergirls comes from the story "TIKOOLAND", written by Kun Li herself. The story plots are about finding yourself and finding the meaning of life.

Different chapters of the story have been translated into artworks on canvases. With this creative concept, Kun Li suggests "The Rise of Female Power", who lives in the future. They pursue their own values in different roles and bring positivity, love, tolerance, and justice to the social structures of different countries.

The tool used to create this series is the iPad. At first, the artist sets up different female characters and then designs the images, hairstyles, clothing, etc., one by one. Each part was split into different layers to keep the same pose and position.

The image of contemporary women is a pluralistic existence. They are not just characters, but also exist in spiritual and ideological growth and differentiation. This series of works, "Cybergirls," was created in 2022.

INTERVIEW

First of all, introduce yourself to our readers. 

My name is Kun Li (KUNSTER), and I was born and raised in Xinxiang city, China. I have lived in Hamburg for many years. I call there my second hometown. I graduated from HAW Hamburg, the department of illustration. I was extremely fortunate to study with Prof. Bernd Mölck-Tassel and Anke Feuchtenberger. I used to work at Academy as a college lecturer in Hamburg. 

What is your artistic background and how did you start experimenting with images? 

My relationship with the universe is the starting point of my thinking.
I would like to explore the meaning of emotional links, identity, and love between people from the perspective of a woman.
Perhaps because my grandfather was a traditional Chinese medicine doctor, I often thought about the relationship between the human body and spirit and the surrounding environment and the universe. Our human bodies have many similar connections with the universe. Therefore, I will think from the "source" and express my feelings about the world and beauty through my works.

Why are you an artist, and when did you first become one?

I'm full of curiosity. I have studied illustration and graphic design, but only by becoming an artist can I express my thoughts more fully and freely, using more media and interesting ways to convey my inspirations. The artist's responsibility is to awaken the sense of community through a theme that can construct the visual language and aesthetic mood of the work. People must first feel the work and then reflect on themselves, so as to gradually experience the beauty of life. My lifestyle has always been an "artist". So I have been accumulating works and many sketches. And because I know who I am and what I am doing. Since the first solo exhibition in Shanghai in 2022, I thought I was an artist.

How would you define yourself as an artist today?

Artistic creations are revolved in every day of my life. It takes me at least 6 hours a day to draw, and the preparation of the works for the exhibition is a phased goal. At least three solo exhibitions are held every year. I observe the world and the feelings I get inside, and I express them through artistic creation. I live by art, both spiritual and material.

In your series Cybergirls you mix pop images and messages of female empowerment. Can you tell us about the process of creating your work? How do you go from the first idea to the final outcome?

I've illustrated a lot of fashion and worked as a columnist for the fashion magazine "Psychologies".
This has given me a lot of aesthetic skills in commercial vision. I prefer elegant and cool female figures. Therefore, in the "Cybergirls" series, the female image I created is the image of a woman in another time and space during the "Wasteland Punk" period. I hope they are breaking away from the shackles of modern society and playing their respective roles. And I hope they can truly realize their self-worth. The first idea is a long-time love of astronomy, anthropology, and cold science fiction films.

What themes do you pursue with this series?

The theme of this series is to explore women's roles and lifestyles in the world of tomorrow. Women's intelligence can manifest itself to a greater extent in another space-time and affect the entire universe.

You predominantly work with illustration. What's the essential element in your art?

As the medium, illustration is very free, and it can move between business and art and convey information more clearly. That's why I studied illustration in Germany. The most basic element is: Cycle

You have a peculiar style, with bold colors and striking images. How did you come up with your style?

I think it's because I read a lot of fashion magazines in the early days and drew a lot of female images with strong personalities. Fantasy is important, but the practice is even more important. Otherwise, you won't find your own style. The motivation and core value of creation cannot be replaced by OpenAI and ChatGPT.

The series Cybergirls was developed for TIKOOLAND, a story you wrote yourself. Can you tell us more about it?

TIKOOLAND is an adventure about finding oneself and finding the mother's body. "Tikoo" is an unknown species, and they have their own race and idiosyncratic abilities. They will meet a variety of interesting characters in the unknown world on the road to find themselves and their mothers, including "Cybergirls", resulting in a lot of bizarre fantasy stories. "Cybergirls" and "Tikoo" are characters in the same futuristic world. Women are a symbol, representing justice, wisdom, love, and hope.

What do you think about the art community? Do you feel you have found your place there?

I love the art community, and I like to exchange ideas and creative journeys with friends. It is natural human instinct to pursue beauty and harmony.
These creative people come together densely in the art community. Continuous thinking and creation every day make me more and more aware of who I am and what value I can create. I think everyone needs to find their place in the world first, and then the art community will automatically absorb you into it. I believe that the unity of knowing and doing is the only way to create value.

Finally, any projects you are looking forward to for this year?

I have been preparing for an exhibition at an international gallery and completed a group exhibition in Milan, Italy.
I'm going to start creating illustrations and painting works of my story "TIKOOLAND".
I hope to have more opportunities to show more work. Maintain my original intentions and keep creating.