Today we’d like to introduce you to Nikki Chen.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I’m from Beijing, China originally, and spent all my life living there before going off to CalArts for my BFA degree in Experimental Animation. I grew up watching the city develop and change drastically, but it made me nostalgic about the past and my childhood all the time. When I was little, I had tons of animation DVD albums. Some of my favorites include Czech cartoon “Krteček”, “Gulliver’s Travels” by the Fleischer brothers, Tom and Jerry by Chuck Jones and work done by Studio Ghibli. Chinese animations that employed many traditional art technics done by the Shanghai Animation Film Studio hold the most special place in my heart. I could really see the long Chinese history with its unique art style, taste, and sense of humor being merged into something that’s so accessible and pleasant to watch to everyone. I always go back to these “classics” for learning and for leisure purposes even after studying animation for four years now.
I sort of always knew I wanted to make animations or other types/forms of art. I got to experiment with different art mediums like painting and sculpture when I was in high school and had more experimentations with performative and interactive art at CalArts. It is really interesting as the nature of my major Experimental Animation is to explore and always find new ways to express, but I always go back to animation/art/film history for answers.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I’m always grateful for the opportunities and support I had along the way. My family made sure that I didn’t have to face any external or financial difficulties when pursuing my dreams. While I acknowledge my privileges, I think a lot about the different types of inequalities many people have to face. Thus, Feminism/ Activism has always been a large part of my art-making and who I am as a person. Generally speaking, one of my biggest challenges is to find my personal voice and a unique way of expression with the art/film I produce on the subject matter I’m interested in. For instance, my graduation film is an animated documentary about the life story of an early Chinese feminist, activist, and educationist. I hope to introduce powerful characters and stories through visually pleasing animations to raise awareness of these historical figures and their achievements. This goal of bringing positive social impact through my work will be carried out after graduation and ideally in all my future works.
Please tell us more about your art.
I make art! Specifically works related to animated films and the concept of animation/time.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I’d say perseverance. When we were kids, we wanted to try everything, as many things as possible, and I still am. But once I found out what truly attracted me, I’d stick to it and keep working on getting better at it. I discovered my passion for animation when I was little while I stayed curious about all the other types of beautiful art forms, hoping to discover and connect more dots as I move forward with my work.
Contact Info:
- Website: nikkimengwenchen.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @n1881c
Image Credit:
Nikki Chen
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