Today we’d like to introduce you to Alyvia Luong.
Hi Alyvia, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Art has always been my preferred tool of communication – even as a young child. Having to battle the language barrier in my youth, I was constrained to digest topics and materials in a visual manner. I naturally found it easier to communicate ideas through paper and pencil rather than dialogue. This circumstance translated into me taking a very artistic route throughout elementary and grade school. I explored music, drawing, writing, etc. But it wasn’t until receiving my first camera in high school that I discovered the medium that fit me best as an individual: photography. Over the past year and a half, I’ve begun working in more mediums, such as sculpture, installation, 2D, and film. I aim to become both a multi- and inter- disciplinary artist, able to shift between/combine art mediums to tell stories.
Delving into my personal journey as an artist, I did not take art-making “seriously” until I started receiving accolades/recognitions throughout high school. In my senior year, I won regional and national awards from numerous art organizations for a narrative photo project, which retold the events of a past traumatic event (as a way of self-healing from it). If it weren’t for this project, I would not have chosen to pursue art in college, nonetheless, continuing to make art after high school.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Choosing an art career definitely hasn’t been the smoothest road. Throughout my entire life (especially in my youth), teachers and family members often told me “Don’t become an artist, you’ll never be successful.” There were many points in my life wherein I almost took their advice. I spent years pursuing dreams that weren’t mine to begin with. Over time though, I came to the understanding that the definition of success is subjective and that others’ definitions didn’t need to always align with my own. Thus, I chose to pursue art and attend art school.
There are other struggles I face now of course: there’s a lot of pressure to constantly outdo oneself, that the next project has to be better than the last, etc. Though, I am learning to accept that being an artist is non-linear. Not every piece/body of work will outdo your old work, and not everything you do has to turn out exactly the way you plan. I’m doing my best to accept the mistakes and allow them to transform my work in their own ways, as well as be open to experimentation.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
A majority of my work focuses on human connection and introspection through a picturesque gaze. My main objective is to connect with viewers through visually-constructed narratives (that explore Asian diaspora, concurrent social issues, and other relative topics) whilst preserving a sense of introspection across all of my projects. Although my main practice is photography, I am in the process of expanding into other mediums. I’ve developed a love for working with my hands and constructing sculptures and art installations. I’m also aiming to explore film as another way to tell stories and have been frequenting my friends’ film sets whenever I can. I’m excited to see how I grow as an artist, as well as what mediums I’ll eventually encounter.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Recording your thoughts, inspirations, ideas, etc. is so important as an artist. Thoughts can be very fleeting, so I make it a habit to write down ideas/topics that come to mind to revisit down the line. Additionally, it tends to function as “documentation” of my own artistic progress. I’ve undoubtedly found myself returning to old ideas and retranslating them in a different medium at different points in my life. In a broader sense, my second piece of advice is to be comfortable with the uncomfortable. Experimentation is how you grow into your own distinctive path and style as an artist. I myself am still learning to balance this dynamic, but it’s definitely a large part of how I work and shift into the unexplored.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.alyvialuong.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/visualsbyalyvia/
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/alyvia0421/
Image Credits
Alyvia Luong
