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Katie Robinson from Pink Noise chats with artist Lei Wen about inspirational family, developing her creative career in a foreign land and how a generous 18th birthday present changed her life.

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I come from a family with a long history of artistic tradition. For generations, most of the members of my family were either designers or artists, including my parents of course. When I was really young, my father took me to classes in an art academy where he was teaching, so I could learn alongside the adult students.

In 2003, when it was my 18th birthday, my parents said to me that I could choose one present and one only, but it could be whatever I wanted. So I chose to come to New Zealand, to continue my study as an artist. 3 months later, here I was!

There's no doubt in my mind that I want to do arts, no matter if it's design or visual art, so after I graduated, I couldn't wait to start! Lucky for me, I found my first full-time job as a designer right after the graduation ceremony.

It has been years since then, but my excitement has never faded. But design itself is not enough for me, I need to paint and draw, just like I need to eat vegetables and meat, I can't get satisfied without either one. Therefore, I started to be an illustrator and painter as well as my full-time designer job. If I said my father had a great impact on me on my artistic side, then my Mom is then the one who made me, ME, when it comes to personality and hobbies etc. She has been a very active animal protector fighting for animal rights since I can remember.

When I was born, she couldn't wait to get me my first pet, so she got me a kitten, bunnies and goldfish all in the first week I was born. I cannot imagine my home without less than 2-3 different species, my home is like a small petting zoo all the time, you can imagine how proud I was when I was little, because my home was truly "The Fun House" amongst all my friends.

But unfortunately since I coming to New Zealand, I could no longer afford a big and comfortable environment for pets.
So instead I decided to paint some! I find pet portraits are the perfect choice for me, as I can be involved with with the animals I love, plus it can aid me financially too.

If I had to choose the most memorable painting I've ever done, that would be hard for me. If there's a painting I don't love 100%, I won't put my name on it, and most of the time it'll get painted back to blank canvas or go into the fire. If I don't feel a connection with a subject, I won't be able to paint it.

So every piece is my favorite piece, and all memorable. So if I had to choose one among them, hm...I'd have to say it's my next painting!

My hometown is a big industrial city that makes big machines. It's very cold in the winter, but too hot in summer too. There are no big mountains or rivers, so it's quite boring in comparison with all the other cities in China. But that's the place I was born and brought up, and there's nowhere better than home!

Works - as pictured above (mouse over for captions) 

The City of Clouds: This is my impression of Auckland - as a new multi-cultural city on an ancient land. This piece is now part of the Wallace Art Trust collection.

Of the Night: One time, for some odd reason I suddenly woke up in the middle of a cold winter night, and wanted to paint a peacock! So I started that night, slept during the next day, and continued again after the sun went down, continuing until it was completed. Thank god that was during my annual leave! So I named her "Of the Night"

My Dad: My dad is my hero. He's funny, so talented, and good tempered, but he always got headaches. Here's a watercolor painting I did one New Years Eve. Yes that's right, he's someone who can even get a headache like this on News Years Eve!

My Partner: God sent everyone a guardian angel, and I know he's the one for me.

My Friend: Without my friends, I could never be what I am now. Here's one of my dear friends, but I thank you all for believing in me, and supporting me along the way.

Don't Look at Me: This is a very early piece I did when I was a 14 or 15-year-old angry teenager. It's also my first ever oil painting. In the following few years, I got hooked on oil painting, and spent all my pocket money on buying the paints.

The Beginning of the World: There are two layers of meaning in this piece. First of all, which is the core meaning, I was inspired by an old asian legend about how the world is created by a giant who sacrificed his own body and soul, and was transformed into sky and earth, animals and humans. Also because the model is my partner, and that was the time I went through quite serious depression. He has always been the one pulling me out of the dark, and kept me going, so I call it "The Beginning of the World".

Courtesy of Pink Noise Art Zine #4 / a multi-leveled artist promotional project