Article by: Rens.Eno

Danni Shinya Luo dribbles watercolor and ink as her medium, where contradiction and conflicts flow out endlessly through water mark bearings of gently painted strokes. Where a powerful magnitude of feminism meets the juxtaposition of human fears, obsessions, and desires with hidden conflicts and symbolic elements.

Born in Shanghai, China, she moved to California in 1995. Growing up, she fell in love with the culture of the artistic world, studying as an apprenticeship with Chinese watercolor master, Ding Ha. She majored in Illustration and graduated with honors from Art Center College of Design in 2006. Following her first exhibit at Gallery Nucleus, she later found herself immersed in other art galleries throughout North America, magazines, books, as well as doing designs for Nickelodeon’s Neopets.

How much would you say Art Center refined your style and skill from the time before you went to school till now?

Based on my own experience, I would say that attending and graduating from Art Center has helped my tremendously in establishing my skills and style. I received outstanding foundation trainings while I was in school, a few of my instructors also really inspired my work ethics. My current art style was slowly formed after I graduated from the school, but being there definitely helped me realized my strength and weakness, which gave me a better idea of what direction I want to head towards later on.

You’ve been involved with the art scene for a few years. How did you get discovered, and what was your first show?

My first group show was in the Power In Numbers show at Gallery Nucleus, my first featured show was at the Grind Gallery. When I first graduated from art school, I visited a lot of galleries, sent out my portfolio packets, and email a lot of places. So out of those places I got a few replies back, and things took off from there.

How important is it to you that your subjects show such a feminine passionate romance yet you paint them because you want to show psychological flaws? Do you ever feel that they contradict one another or a complete balance?

Contradiction and conflicts are actually what I look for in my paintings; the more serene the surface image is the more intense the hidden conflict needs to be. I love to show the duality of things. It exists in nature, it exists within us, and it should be portrayed in art. Personally I don’t think there are any psychological flaws, minds come in all shape and sizes, everyone has a different one. There are always areas we can improve upon, but I embrace any and all “flaws”. I think those quirks are what make the person unique, they make a person interesting.

You just had an exhibit La Luz de Jesus with a Tarot Card theme. How did you manifest to combine the attributes of your familiar characteristics to something that involves the universe, space and the alignment of the stars vs. fortune telling?

I did some research on what the card means. Then based on those meanings, I found symbols that represents those things in both the eastern and western cultures. From those symbols I sorted out the ones that would work well together in a painting.

I noticed that you have some fixation on some animals. Any reason why you fuse them into your paintings?

Almost all the animals in my paintings are symbols for psychological fears or one’s inner conflicts. That’s why they exist in my paintings.

Psychological fears? If you did a self-portrait of yourself, what animal would you use and why?

I think I would be a tropical song bird. To me birds are the symbol of freedom; birds represent a lot of my life style choices. They are colorful creatures dancing around in the limitless sky, singing alluring songs to the world. But they cannot be captured; they lose their luster in captivity. So one can only observe what a bird offers, to enjoy it is to share it with the world.

I’m taking it that if you were to be given superpowers you would want to fly?

Yes, who wouldn’t want to be able to fly! I would also like the power to read minds.

How are your days like when you’re not creating art?

I try to be productive as much as I can, so when I’m not working I run errands, go to the gym, and or cook.

What do you do when you feel like you have a creative block?

I take some days off, look at art books from other great artists, watch some good films, or go do something fun outdoors.

Are there any artists you would love to work with one day?

Oh definitely, there are many! Such as Clair Wendling, Iain McCaig, Katsuya Terada, James Jean…..and more others.