Garden of Dreams works of Sun Ying 2012.09.08 - 10.10 PREFACE WORKS SCENE TEXT	□ The Power of Sweetness Conversation：Luo Ying=Luo Sun Ying=Sun Luo: With the success of your first solo exhibition have you experienced any changes in your life? Has your success influenced your creations? Sun: “Talk to Her” was presentation of all my previous works, which gave me a great deal of encouragement. My success has not had much of an impact on my life, I still paint every day. Though the success of the first exhibition I feel a sense of being on the right track with my painting. With my success I have set higher standards for myself and my work. I am finding with higher standards I have more hurdles to overcome, which is forcing me to further explore myself. Luo: It has been a year and a half since “Talk to Her” your first solo exhibition and “Garden of Dreams”, what do you feel are main differences between the creative themes of both? Sun: There really is not great difference between the themes of both. A majority of the paintings in my original exhibition were head portraits, while my new works incorporate more of the environmental aspects of the stories. As in movies my works have moved from individual details to more of the story at large, the protagonist of the paintings are still the girl and the wonderful animals, presented in their own worlds sharing their stories with us based on their life and emotions. Luo: In your previous works there were two main characters prominent in them, the little girl and the rabbit. In your current works the little girl seems to be the only main character, why was the rabbit made into a supporting character? Sun:The main and supporting characters are not relevant, both the little girl and the rabbit are not the key importance in life. The little girl is growing and her inner world is changing with her. The rabbit is a supporting character, but is still a key figure in the story as it has its own inner world. I just gave them different importance. Luo: I remember you once said you did not enjoy complicated works and you felt simplicity held great power. In your previous works we could feel a sense of simplicity. However in your new works are filled with rich vibrant backgrounds with great emphasis on a sense of depth. What would you ascribe this transformation of style to? Sun: Although I still prefer simplicity, I seek to push myself and my boundaries through my works. I can no longer rely on head portraits to properly convey the depth and meaning of the stories. So I feel that expansion into supporting content is the only way to present the depth of the stories I wish to convey. Luo: After your first solo exhibition did you already have the concept to expand like this? What was the main influence for this? Sun: The exhibition received high praise from the audience; a majority of them were greatly impressed. However if you continually repeat the same thing it leads to aesthetic overload. Many of my online supporters gave me this feedback, so I am trying to present my growth development through my different stages to my audience. I wish to blend the emotions that I have expressed previously with a simple head into the painting as a whole. I wish to enrapture the audience in not only the visual impact but also the emotional and spiritual impact as well. It is my dream that everyone can find a piece of rapture and inner peace in my works. Luo: What is your inspiration in composing the scenes? Sun: The scenes are just an extension of the character, and as such I compose the scene to reflect the theme of the painting. Some examples include: “The Tree in the Past”, I placed a wooden horse in a forest enveloped in snow to show loneliness, helplessness, the thirst for life and the yearning for the beauty of the past once again.In “Where the Heart Belongs”, the girl is wrapped in a wonderful world of her own and traveling through a dark jungle. This leaves the impression that she is the last person in the world, and she shows how she strives forward to the future through her own courage, optimism and persistence. Luo: Would it be safe to say that your expansion into making your works more detailed is a key highlight of your new works? Sun: In my new works there is more of an emphasis on details than in previous works, I sincerely hope that even though the paintings have more life that people do not merely focus purely on the beauty. It is my hope that people will notice the minute details I add to my new works to give a more depth of meaning to my works. Some examples you might find are small houses and castles that appear in my new works that represent a sense of safety to me. To me they are just like our hearts and they contain many things including happiness and sadness, and we should all have such a place for our happiness and sadness. Luo: How should the audience interpret your paintings? Sun: I personally feel a great work must tell its own story and share the emotions of that story. As a painter I feel it is my responsibility to have a clear understanding of the focus of the work and express it properly in order to lead the audience to the path of discovery for that work. The most important part of the work is not the technique or materials, but instead it is the story that is unique to that particular work. Luo: I have noticed that your fans that are members of your Douban site have doubled to over 40,000; do you have any news you wish to share with your fans here? Sun: I would like to thank every one of my fans for their support, I greatly appreciate it. The more fans I have on Douban the more encouraged I feel. As the interactions between my fans increase the more it grows and becomes something wonderful itself. It is not just a repository of my works it is also to follow the growth of my works. The other day a friend sent me an email on Douban and she shared that she copied my works. She asked me to look at her copies. I felt honored and touched, putting aside the question of professionalism, I saw within them her passion and style in painting presented there. It is for this reason I have made an online gallery on my Douban for my fans to present their own works. Luo: Although the girls all share the same basic similarities, we can see how you include subtle nuances of personality and emotion how do you achieve this? Sun: Everyone has their own personalities and there are many sides to them that others do not see. If my works are a mirror which reflects my truest self then all the girls in the paintings are just subtle aspects of me. They represent my stubbornness, my persistence, sadness and optimism… I believe I represent everyone in these paintings, and that is why many people have told me that I am painting them. Luo: Please tell us about your aesthetic taste. Sun: Do not completely focus on appearance of something; instead immerse yourself in the emotions that it ignites in you. Luo: Can you please tell me how you turned an apparently sweet painting into something with considerable depth? Sun: It is not an easy thing to explain in detail. I did not set out to add this depth intentionally. Perhaps they appeal to the audience with the serenity, warmth and honesty of my paintings.
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Garden of Dreams
works of Sun Ying
2012.09.08 - 10.10

□ The Power of Sweetness

Conversation：Luo Ying=Luo
Sun Ying=Sun

Luo: With the success of your first solo exhibition have you experienced any changes in your life? Has your success influenced your creations?
Sun: “Talk to Her” was presentation of all my previous works, which gave me a great deal of encouragement. My success has not had much of an impact on my life, I still paint every day. Though the success of the first exhibition I feel a sense of being on the right track with my painting. With my success I have set higher standards for myself and my work. I am finding with higher standards I have more hurdles to overcome, which is forcing me to further explore myself.

Luo: It has been a year and a half since “Talk to Her” your first solo exhibition and “Garden of Dreams”, what do you feel are main differences between the creative themes of both?
Sun: There really is not great difference between the themes of both. A majority of the paintings in my original exhibition were head portraits, while my new works incorporate more of the environmental aspects of the stories. As in movies my works have moved from individual details to more of the story at large, the protagonist of the paintings are still the girl and the wonderful animals, presented in their own worlds sharing their stories with us based on their life and emotions.

Luo: In your previous works there were two main characters prominent in them, the little girl and the rabbit. In your current works the little girl seems to be the only main character, why was the rabbit made into a supporting character?
Sun:The main and supporting characters are not relevant, both the little girl and the rabbit are not the key importance in life. The little girl is growing and her inner world is changing with her. The rabbit is a supporting character, but is still a key figure in the story as it has its own inner world. I just gave them different importance.

Luo: I remember you once said you did not enjoy complicated works and you felt simplicity held great power. In your previous works we could feel a sense of simplicity. However in your new works are filled with rich vibrant backgrounds with great emphasis on a sense of depth. What would you ascribe this transformation of style to?
Sun: Although I still prefer simplicity, I seek to push myself and my boundaries through my works. I can no longer rely on head portraits to properly convey the depth and meaning of the stories. So I feel that expansion into supporting content is the only way to present the depth of the stories I wish to convey.

Luo: After your first solo exhibition did you already have the concept to expand like this? What was the main influence for this?
Sun: The exhibition received high praise from the audience; a majority of them were greatly impressed. However if you continually repeat the same thing it leads to aesthetic overload.
Many of my online supporters gave me this feedback, so I am trying to present my growth development through my different stages to my audience.
I wish to blend the emotions that I have expressed previously with a simple head into the painting as a whole. I wish to enrapture the audience in not only the visual impact but also the emotional and spiritual impact as well. It is my dream that everyone can find a piece of rapture and inner peace in my works.

Luo: What is your inspiration in composing the scenes?
Sun: The scenes are just an extension of the character, and as such I compose the scene to reflect the theme of the painting. Some examples include: “The Tree in the Past”, I placed a wooden horse in a forest enveloped in snow to show loneliness, helplessness, the thirst for life and the yearning for the beauty of the past once again.In “Where the Heart Belongs”, the girl is wrapped in a wonderful world of her own and traveling through a dark jungle. This leaves the impression that she is the last person in the world, and she shows how she strives forward to the future through her own courage, optimism and persistence.

Luo: Would it be safe to say that your expansion into making your works more detailed is a key highlight of your new works?
Sun: In my new works there is more of an emphasis on details than in previous works, I sincerely hope that even though the paintings have more life that people do not merely focus purely on the beauty. It is my hope that people will notice the minute details I add to my new works to give a more depth of meaning to my works. Some examples you might find are small houses and castles that appear in my new works that represent a sense of safety to me. To me they are just like our hearts and they contain many things including happiness and sadness, and we should all have such a place for our happiness and sadness.

Luo: How should the audience interpret your paintings?
Sun: I personally feel a great work must tell its own story and share the emotions of that story. As a painter I feel it is my responsibility to have a clear understanding of the focus of the work and express it properly in order to lead the audience to the path of discovery for that work. The most important part of the work is not the technique or materials, but instead it is the story that is unique to that particular work.

Luo: I have noticed that your fans that are members of your Douban site have doubled to over 40,000; do you have any news you wish to share with your fans here?
Sun: I would like to thank every one of my fans for their support, I greatly appreciate it. The more fans I have on Douban the more encouraged I feel. As the interactions between my fans increase the more it grows and becomes something wonderful itself. It is not just a repository of my works it is also to follow the growth of my works. The other day a friend sent me an email on Douban and she shared that she copied my works. She asked me to look at her copies. I felt honored and touched, putting aside the question of professionalism, I saw within them her passion and style in painting presented there. It is for this reason I have made an online gallery on my Douban for my fans to present their own works.

Luo: Although the girls all share the same basic similarities, we can see how you include subtle nuances of personality and emotion how do you achieve this?
Sun: Everyone has their own personalities and there are many sides to them that others do not see. If my works are a mirror which reflects my truest self then all the girls in the paintings are just subtle aspects of me. They represent my stubbornness, my persistence, sadness and optimism… I believe I represent everyone in these paintings, and that is why many people have told me that I am painting them.

Luo: Please tell us about your aesthetic taste.
Sun: Do not completely focus on appearance of something; instead immerse yourself in the emotions that it ignites in you.

Luo: Can you please tell me how you turned an apparently sweet painting into something with considerable depth?
Sun: It is not an easy thing to explain in detail. I did not set out to add this depth intentionally. Perhaps they appeal to the audience with the serenity, warmth and honesty of my paintings.

□ The Power of Sweetness

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