Interview with Jason Lu
Interview with Jason Lu Artist of the Art of 4 Elements Book (AoL Mindfulness Training #1) BooksAoL Interviews
Art of 4 Elements: Discover Alchemy through Poetry (AoL Mindfulness Training Book #1)
Art of 4 Elements is a Spiritual Poetry and Art Book published by Artof4elements in 2014.
The poetry, written by Nataša, acted as an inspiration for the work of other artists. The poetry represents the element of Earth, that is the Mother of all consciousness we know and experience, that within its womb carries Spirit going forth into the magic of manifestation. Jason's paintings represent the element of Air, that has no shape and is incapable of a fixed form. It is a symbol of thoughts. Christine's element is Fire that is boundless and invisible, and is a parching heat that consumes all. Within its highest manifestation Fire becomes Divine Love. Jeni's element is Water that carries within: a Rhythm of Creation, and a strength of Tantric flow. Water symbolizes the world of emotions.
Interview with Jason Lu by Lily Agius
EXPERIENCE WITH ART
Back in Taiwan, I never did much art; I never had the chance to, except doodling. However, I moved to America when I was 15 and that is when I started learning a little bit here and there. When I was about 16, I was introduced to watercolour and the colour pencil, among other mediums, at school, but High School offered art programmes, teaching two and three-dimensional art including bronze casting, pottery, enamelling and oil painting. These are basic things that I still use to today. Painting, however, is a skill that I studied in Florence. I started painting from scratch in Florence, going back to basics in drawing, from academic drawing at the most basic level right up to oil painting, at the same time as doing academic sculpture. I then jumped back to The States and did my major in computer arts, which was mostly web design, graphic design and computer animation. I have not touched any of these programmes in about 12 years or so now. Computer arts are, of course, a real art, but it depends on your own personality and I prefer to get my hands dirty.
Art is an extension of me, and that’s part of why I became an artist. When I was in The States I couldn’t really speak English and actually, somehow, I communicated through drawing for the first two years, so I really discovered the power of art as communication. Since I couldn’t do much else, I focused on art, and it helped me grow very quickly with different mediums.
STYLE, SUBJECT MATTER AND MEDIUMS
Maybe, since I was first trained in The States, I don’t really attach myself to any medium. Perhaps if you study in Italy you specialise in one field, but in The States they teach you to be more open and to do more experimental things. This could be why I have ideas that are sparked by different mediums and why I change styles so often – styles can be very dangerous. For me, style is a comfort zone. I feel that if you stick to one style, you fail to grow. What is fun about true art is that you are not responsible to anyone. It is more about yourself and the artwork, and I think your art grows with you like an extension of your mentality.
“For me, what is more important is expressing what is inside, and making sure that it is expressed properly. It can be expressed through a computer, a painting, a sculpture, a performance or installation art... It is not about the final product but the message and the process. If I want to survive as a professional artist, sometimes I do need to have something to say in the end, but in terms of creativity, a lot of things actually disintegrate in time anyway and you should be free to express yourself.
MALTA AND LIFE
Over the last eight years, Malta has really helped me realise who I am. The pace here is slow, and it has allowed me to isolate myself with my work, and to think about what I do in my life that has, in turn, helped me grow... The climate and energy in Malta is quite special and has also helped me get through very difficult periods of my psychological layers... Every moment is changing me, but at this moment I feel pretty balanced, grateful and happy, and I love my life and appreciate everything that is coming to me. The most important thing in my life is to search – what is my responsibility as a human being at this period of time while I live on earth? And through this searching period, art is the medium through which I express myself as a person – a reflection of my personal growth.
A husband – eventually I could be a father – I am a son, a friend... I am a regular human-being like everyone else. We all try to do our best. We need to be true to ourselves inside – if you are not true to yourself then you will not be happy and won’t be able to love the things you do or those around you. Love ourselves, love others and do the things that we love.
Jason Lu is one of four authors taking part in the Art of 4 Elements exhibition and a spiritual poetry book publishing in Malta based on what is felt through Art of 4 Elements poetry by Natasa Pantovic Nuit.
Jason has illustrated his feelings in small canvasses inspired by 40 poems, but he tells me that he doesn’t remember any of the poems, instead he feels them, having used the right side of his brain – the creative side.
He continued to explain that his work is somewhat primitive and childlike, but this is how he wanted it to be – capable of reaching out to anyone of any age, from a three-year-old who can pick up the colours, to an adult who can perhaps read the hidden message behind it.
'Poetry is an emotion, and you can see how powerfully it inspired me'
Tantric Light NEXT POEM
We became one body, one aura
growing immeasurably
We stayed within the spectrum
that melted borders and thoughts
that opened horizons
unknown to the human mind
and we were not alone
all the sentient beings joined us
in this cosmic dance
We were all One
immersed within the Tantric Light
Interview with Christine Cutajar: Artist of Art of 4 Elements
Interview by LJILJANA SAMARDŽIĆ
Although coming from absolutely different backgrounds, destiny decided to cross their roads due to unique artistic creation. Concentrated over the poems of Nataša Pantović, three artists let themselves go in search for mysteries of life and their meanings
Art of 4 elements and why 4 elements
A very unusual exhibition had been opened in Malta on April 27th. Visitors could see the art crafts which were made as inspiration of four elements - fire, water, air and earth. Those are the same basic elements which Empedocles considered as four basic beings of nature. The Earth has been presented through poems of Natas a Pantović (Serbia), Fire, which Heraclites thought of as the most unstable element, belonged to Christine Cutajar(Malta), photographer. Jason Lu's (China) paintings described his view and presentation of Air and Jeni Caruana (UK) painted Water, which she considers an almost uncontrollable element.
See also Art of 4 Elements Book Launch Interview with Authors
A long, beautiful, red skirt caught Jeni Caruana’s eye from a multitude of people walking down Republic Street, Valletta, Malta. Less than an hour later she met Jason Lu and the girl in the red skirt – Christine Cutajar – while they were discussing the Art of 4 Elements project. Nataša was here too and she asked Jeni if she too wanted to take part in this artistic expression. When things are presented to you in a way that feels right, I go with the flow. These were one of the first steps of a multimedia project called The Art of 4 Elements– the project where 4 artists got together to create a book, an exhibition, a spiritual journey...
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