The Artistic Journey from Childhood to NYC

Initiated and organized by The Bridge Arts Foundation, the 'Beyond Borders' Global Young Artist Open-Call Exhibition is currently being held at The Scholart Selection Art Space in San Gabriel, California, and will run until December 31, 2023.

Bridge Arts Foundation's Art Director, Tia Xu, engaged in a conversation about the exhibition and art with several artists participating in this exhibition. In this interview, we have the pleasure of speaking with New York-based Chinese artist Webson Ji.

 —— Q&A ——

Tia Xu: Could you please share your background and what inspired you to pursue a career in art?

Webson Ji: Thanks for having me. My name is Webson, and I am a Chinese multimedia artist residing in New York City. I am also the founder and creative director of a community for Asian creatives called Li Tang.

Growing up in a supportive family, I was lucky to have the opportunity to get access to art ever since I was a kid. My family used to take me to art events and local galleries a lot, and I have been learning some essential painting and drawing techniques from different artists since I was 8 or 9 years old. I didn't really set up my mind to pursue a professional art career until I graduated from the China Academy of Art with a bachelor's degree and moved to the US for further education. I guess all the exposure to art since childhood and the desire to express myself naturally merged my take that tunnels to where I am today.

Studies on Stop Signs, Digital, 2020, photo courtesy of artist.

Tia: What does "Beyond Borders" mean to you, and how does your work in this exhibition either reflect or challenge this concept?

Webson: I feel we talk about blurring the borders a lot nowadays, whether it is about media or principles. As a multimedia artist, it resonates to my practice as I mix media all the time to present what I have meditating in my projects. In this exhibition, I presented an early piece of mine called "Trace." The concept of my work is about showing the traces of ocean waves on the beach by placing shells and drawing with pastels. It is an exploration of replicating the sensation with completely different materials in a site-specific space, in this case, the concrete floor in a gallery. The work in the show was presented as a digital print as the documentation of the installation.

Trace, Dimensions variable, Pastel & Shell, 2018, photo courtesy of artist.

Tia: Can you tell us the story behind a specific artwork from the exhibition?

Webson: Trace is actually a series of different watermark patterns illustrated by a mixture of pastels and shells. I got the inspiration from a beach walk in Florida, and it suddenly came to me that the ocean waves leave various patterns at different shore sections. I took photos to document the variety of it and put them into my drawing just to see how playful it can be.

The other pattern in the Trace series looks just like ripples. It sometimes reminds the audience of our galaxy, a totally different setup, which I also find interesting. I guess no matter what they perceive from my work, whether the different imagery or interpretations, people can sense an intimate relationship between nature and ourselves in my work.

How to Manufacture the Rain, 24 x 24 in, 24 x 24 in, 10.75 x 33 in, 12 x 12 in, 12 x 12 in, 15 x 24 in, Plaster & Paint, 2018, photo courtesy of artist.

Tia: What materials and techniques do you prefer to use in your art, and could you explain your choices?

Webson: I tend to use industrial materials for most of the time, and I don't settle for any specific ones. The machine-made industrial materials are cold to me because they have no direct human touches in them. I intend to leave no imagery of human beings in my projects while metaphorically talking about the traces human beings leave behind.

Mirage - Hope and Fake Hope, Solo show at theBlanc Gallery, New York, NY, 2019, photo courtesy of artist.

Tia: How do you view the role of art in promoting cultural understanding and bridging divides, as emphasized in the exhibition's theme? 

Webson: Art is more of a universal language that we speak as artists. I have engaged with a lot of artists from different cultural backgrounds, speaking different languages, and we can always find something in common in art. We may appreciate the same value, work towards the same goal, or just enjoy the same flavor of coffee. Therefore, for those who appreciate art in general, I do believe we understand each other on a deeper level, just like what the exhibition theme "Beyond Borders" emphasized.

ABOUT OPEN CALL EXHIBITION PROGRAM

Bridge Arts Foundation's "Beyond Borders" Open Call Exhibition Installation View, Photo: © The Scholart Selection / Luna Hao

Bridge Arts Foundation's Open Call Exhibition Program is designed to provide support for early-career artists. For its inaugural edition, the "Beyond Borders" Open Call Exhibition has thoughtfully selected 18 talented artists from a pool of approximately 350 submissions, employing a selection process that involves art professionals. "Beyond Borders" opens from October 14th to December 31st, 2023.

ABOUT ARTIST

Webson Ji

Lin Ji, also known as Webson Ji, is a New York-based Chinese multimedia artist and creative director. He holds an M.A. degree in Sculpture from Savannah College of Art and Design and a B.F.A. degree in Public Art from the China Academy of Art. Webson Ji is a member of the International Sculpture Center, a member of the New England Sculptors Association and an associate member of the National Sculpture Society. Ji’s practice focuses on the presentation of water, combining it with various industrial materials to present the viewer with a unique interpretation of his meditation.

Webson Ji's works have been widely exhibited nationally and internationally. His most recent solo exhibition was held at Obition, Seoul, South Korea 2020. Other exhibitions include solo exhibitions at theBlanc Gallery in Manhattan, NY 2019; Besharat Museum Gallery, Atlanta, GA 2019; Garcia Wilburn Gallery, Atlanta, GA 2018, as well as group shows at the High Line Nine Gallery, Manhattan NY, etc.

In July 2018, Webson Ji was honored as the Best Young Artist of the Year of 2018 GAMMA Young Artist Competition in Tokyo, Japan, out of 226 participants from over 26 different countries. In February 2019, Webson Ji exhibited his work in a group art exhibition curated by the Asian Cultural Center at New York City's landmark, the Oculus World Trade Center. He was a recipient of the 2021 AACYF Top 30 Under 30 list by the All America Chinese Youth Federation. His works and practice were covered by media and press like Art China, Sina, Sohu, Ifeng, Chinaweekly, The China Press, VoyageATL, China Underground, as well as magazines and catalogs like Aesthetica Magazine, Creative Quarterly, Al-Tiba9 Art Magazine, APERO catalogue, ArtAscent.