2025年春起，“先锋艺术项目”推出《状态访问：当代女性艺术家连续访谈》系列，与在艺术道路上不断沉淀、进取的本土或海外女性艺术家灵机触碰，通过5个开放的问题，捕捉女性艺术家们丰富的、各具特色的生活和创作状态，遇见一些有趣的灵魂和艺术作品。2025年11月18日，我们访问了艺术家林苒。

最近在忙什么艺术项目或作品？或有什么思考？大概是一个什么艺术状态？

    我从2020年疫情后回到厦门工作室，开始沉淀下来探索一种新的绘画方式和新材料的研究来创作我的架上综合材料绘画《桃花源》系列作品，近期我也开始做自己的自媒体微信视频号和小红书。目前桃花源系列绘画已经进行到5个主题260多张绘画作品，分别是粉山、蓝汐、绿野虫洞、时间之船和感知乐园。

    《桃花源》系列作品是在全球被席卷进巨大的痛苦灾难的疫情中诞生的，我希望用这种方式来疗愈自己和他人。所以它更像是我在画布上的寻觅一个世外仙境，一个理想国，一片诗意的山水，我在画面里不再现某个具体的风景，而是描绘一种山水的“意象”与呼吸，我试图去撷取生活中的爱与美好，用艺术去抵挡生命中那些黑暗与孤独，不解与愤怒。

    《桃花源》系列作品最初的想法源起我的恩师黄永砯2019年10月突然离世后的几个月，全球大疫，我收到一位友人发给我的一张照片，是黄老师在福州闽侯工作室里生前未完成的一件作品《21世纪骑士标本》。照片中，他用雕塑翻模了一个自己的骑士形象，骑乘着一头雄狮，手中捧着一本《理想国》。对这件作品的思考，促使我重新翻开了柏拉图的《理想国》，思考书中乌托邦的构建和我们自己中国文化里的远离战乱和压迫的陶渊明的《桃花源记》。如果理想国有一种颜色的话，我觉得它会是桃花源的浪漫桃花粉红色。于是我开始从中国山水画的角度来建构我自己的桃花源世界。

    欧洲古典油画里画了多少天堂风景，中国古人就画了多少山水画。欧洲人对极致美好的憧憬是天堂，画出来的是欧洲宫廷建筑和风景样式，而我们中国人则是游玩山水之间。从这个角度看，中国的山水画是具备神性的。我认为中国的山水画中的山水，从来都没有去真正写实描绘过大自然，与目力所及的现实风景存在着巨大差异，呈现出一种画家观察视角下的唯一性。所以中国山水画一直都是画家的情感和思想的外化。它是比西方的表现主义更早的表现主义。它立足于观察自然，但却一直表达着天人合一，与自然的和谐共生，时光流逝与空间变化，从而呈现出一种独特的宇宙观和天地观。这就是中国的智慧与哲学。所以中国山水画常常富于抽象性、表达性。他常常以文人画家作者本人的心性为基础。中国山水画要表现的是画家自己的“人性”，是人在自然的中的“道”，是一种画家对乌托邦的想象。“山水”的概念中，包含了天道、人道、世界观、梦想、信仰、归属感等诸多含义。而我的粉色桃花源，想做的，就是用现代材料与色彩，用现代人世界观和角度，去续写这场山水与心灵的对话。

    一开始我用一幅幅旖旎绚丽的粉色描绘山峦与溪水，试图去打破传统的审美边界和对粉色的刻板印象。我觉得在桃花源里的粉色山水，是温暖，是梦幻，也是对美好乌托邦的向往。我希望在画布上构建一个属于我们这个时代的桃花源，一个既承载千年文化，又带有现代情感的精神家园。 后来渐渐地又生长出画水分子、分形几何和神经网络的第二个系列《蓝汐》和第三个系列《绿野虫洞》。第四个系列 《时间之船》则是对神话中花果山水帘洞的山水想象，像孙悟空的童年时期那样无拘无束自由欢乐，我想在画面里去打捞那些被自己都遗忘了的童年快乐时间。今年，我的《桃花源》系列作品进行到第五个系列，它叫《感知乐园》peception paridise。这个系列我作了一个很自在的转变，放下了以往熟悉的画材和学院派的建构与推进画面的方式，第一次用最简单最直接的纸本油画棒。这种画法让笔触跟着直觉走，让绘画变得非常自由，更像是一种诚实的情绪和胡思乱想的记录，无拘无束。《感知乐园》里的画面，都来自日常，却又像轻轻托起了日常，形成一个长久安宁的桃花源。它其实也是我的绘画日记，用最简单轻便的方式，随时捕捉那些一闪而过的念头。一开始我只是想用它来给大画做色彩小稿，但画着画着，我发现自己深深爱上了油画棒本身的表现力，它能那么快、那么直接地，把我心里想说的，呈现在纸上。这个系列从开始到现在，已经积攒了198张了。而且还在一天天生长。它就像我这段时光里的情感碎片收纳袋，装着关于亲密关系、女性自我探索、自我成长的点滴……这些看似微小却真实的思考，慢慢填满桃花源时间里的缝隙。

 什么在激励着或给你的创作带来灵感？

    这五年的架上绘画创作，让我经历了一次深刻的自我转变。我的MBTI人格从INFJ演变为INTJ，变得更加柔和、沉静，也更加自足。过去，我的创作多以装置、影像和行为艺术为主，这些形式需要频繁的展览和与众多观众的互动，充满了外向的交流与碰撞。然而，当我转向绘画后，我发现自己真正找到了属于自己的天地。如今，我每天沉浸在工作室里，面对着画布、颜料和画笔，那种纯粹的满足感是我从未有过的。生活中的每一处细节，每一个瞬间，都能成为我灵感的源泉。灵感的火花不断闪耀，有时甚至让我夜不能寐。在创作“桃花源”的第五个系列“感知乐园”时，我必须强迫自己停下手中的画笔，否则我会像着了魔一样，沉浸在创作的狂热之中。绘画对我来说，已经不再是一种单纯的艺术表达，而是一种来自内心深处的生理渴望。我希望自己活得更久一些，以便能创作出更多作品。这些渴望，让我在艺术的道路上，越走越坚定，越走越自由。

请介绍你生活的城市和地方，如果有朋自远方来，会带朋友去干什么？

    我生活在美丽的海岛城市厦门，这里阳光明媚，沙滩细腻，海岸线蜿蜒曲折，充满了悠闲与慢节奏的生活气息。如果朋友从远方来访，我可能不会带他们去那些旅游景点。我会邀请他们来我的工作室，一起喝喝茶，聊聊天，分享一些艺术创作思路和欣赏我的作品。我可能也会带他们去海边散步或跑步。厦门的海边总是那么迷人，我们可以沿着海岸线慢慢走，感受脚下的细沙，聆听海浪的声音，让身心完全放松。如果运气好，还能看到一些海鸟在天空中翱翔，白海豚在海中雀跃，或者渔民在海边劳作，这才是最真实的厦门慢生活。厦门，真正的魅力不在于那些被游客挤满的景点，而在于这些简单而平凡的日常。

 

没有创作作品的时候，你的生活是什么样子的？

    我的生活其实也特别规律和充实。我的另一个身份是大学教师，这让我平时的生活格外简单，基本上就是“三点一线”：家、学校和工作室。除了教学和创作，我还是一名潜水运动爱好者。我热爱那种在水下世界探索未知的感觉。因此，我平时会刻意进行体能训练，比如健身和游泳，以保持良好的身体状态，这样我就能自由地前往世界各地潜水。我的下一个目标是升级我的潜水证，然后去毛里求斯自由潜追寻抹香鲸。我期待着在水下与这些巨大的生物近距离接触。随着年龄的增长，我越来越觉得幸运，能够在有生之年做自己喜欢的事情，好好地爱自己。无论是教学、创作，还是潜水，这些都让我感到无比充实和快乐。我珍惜每一个能够追求自己热爱的时刻，也期待着未来能有更多这样的机会。

 

回顾现有的艺术生涯，最难忘的某个时刻或感到满意的作品是什么？期望自己实现什么艺术目标？

    从艺多年，我有很多自己满意的作品。在《桃花源》绘画系列作品之前，我有一个艺术项目名字叫做“人类情感研究所SensLAB”，它是一个关于艺术、疗愈和情感连接的研究项目。在这个研究所里，收藏着几件对我而言意义很深的作品。第一件叫《一立方米的信任》，从2012年到现在13年里，我收集了688件来自陌生人的“信任礼物”，每一个小物件背后，都承载着一段人与人之间的珍贵关系。另一件作品，《身体剧场》，是一个有两万多张照片的摄影档案。我邀请了许多非专业的素人朋友，包括我在美院摄影课堂里学生，通过身体进行表演和表达，在镜头前释放最真实的情绪。还有一件名为《我想给他一张可以安睡的床》的装置。它源于一段持续了三年的，我的真实经历。那时，我家附近的小公园里，每天都坐着一位流浪汉先生。我路过时，会悄悄拍下一张他的照片，就这样持续了三年。这些照片发到朋友圈后，意外地引发了大量朋友的关注和讨论，甚至有好心人想去救助他。但故事的结局是，在厦门遭遇“莫兰蒂”特大台风之后，他就彻底消失了，再无踪影。这些都被我纳入“人类情感研究所”。它们共同的核心，是关于“看见”——看见一份信任，看见一种情绪，也看见一个容易被忽略的生命。艺术在这里，不仅仅是为了表达，它更是一个温暖的容器，承载着我们共同的情感与记忆，也尝试在无声中，完成某种疗愈与安放。

 

    艺术圈是一个复杂而多元的领域，它可以是一个充满名与利的竞技场，也可以是一片修心的修行之地。前一阵子，有个朋友问我：“你们艺术家的终极目标是不是为自己建造一个个人美术馆，里面满满都是自己的作品？”我回答说，其实对我来说，这并不是我的追求。

    对我而言，当代艺术品一旦进入那种被永久陈列、被标签化的状态，就仿佛变成了一件真正的标本，失去了它原本的鲜活与灵动。艺术的生命力在于它的流动性和与观众的互动，而不是被固定在一个空间里，成为一种展示的符号。

我更享受创作过程中的那份满足感。每一次笔触的挥洒，每一次色彩的交融，都是我与内心对话的方式。在这个过程中，我能够感受到自己的情感和思想在作品中流动，这种过程本身就是一种修行，一种自我探索和表达。

如果有人能够喜欢我的作品，对我来说，那就是一种难得的缘分，一种觅得知音的喜悦。艺术的魅力在于它能够跨越语言和文化的障碍，触动人心。当我的作品能够与观众产生共鸣，那种感觉是无法用言语来形容的。它让我相信，艺术不仅仅是个人的表达，更是一种能够连接人与人之间的桥梁。

    我希望我的作品能够在不同的空间和时间里流动，与更多的人相遇，而不是被永久地固定在一个地方。这样，它们才能保持那份鲜活，继续传递它们所承载的情感和思想。

Using art to resist darkness

- Lin Ran's research institute on human emotions explores the Peach Blossom Spring

 

  

  I returned to my studio in Xiamen after the 2020 pandemic and began to explore a new painting style and new materials to create my series of mixed media paintings on canvas, "Tao Huayuan". Recently, I have also started my own WeChat video account and Xiaohongshu. Currently, the "Tao Huayuan" series has reached five themes and over 260 paintings, including "Pink Mountain", "Blue Tide", "Green Field Wormhole", "Time Ship", and "Perception Paradise".

 

  The "Tao Huayuan" series was born during the global pandemic that brought immense pain and disaster. I hope to heal myself and others through this way. So it is more like my search for a utopian paradise, an ideal country, and a poetic landscape on the canvas. I no longer depict a specific landscape in the paintings but rather the "image" and "breath" of the mountains and waters. I try to capture the love and beauty in life and use art to resist the darkness and loneliness, confusion and anger in life.

  

  The initial idea for the "Tao Huayuan" series originated from the months after my mentor Huang Yongping's sudden passing in October 2019. During the global pandemic, I received a photo from a friend of an unfinished work by Huang, "21st Century Knight Specimen", in his studio in Minhou, Fuzhou. In the photo, he had sculpted a knight figure of himself, riding a lion and holding a copy of "The Republic". The contemplation of this work prompted me to revisit Plato's "The Republic" and think about the construction of the utopia in the book and the "Tao Huayuan Ji" by Tao Yuanming, which describes a place free from war and oppression in our Chinese culture. If the ideal country had a color, I think it would be the romantic pink of the peach blossoms in Tao Huayuan. So I began to construct my own Tao Huayuan world from the perspective of Chinese landscape painting.

 

   In European classical oil paintings, there are countless depictions of paradise landscapes, just as there are countless landscape paintings in Chinese ancient art. The Europeans' yearning for ultimate beauty is the heaven, and what they paint are European palace architecture and landscapes. However, the Chinese have always been wandering in the mountains and waters. From this perspective, Chinese landscape paintings possess a kind of divinity. I believe that the mountains and waters in Chinese landscape paintings have never truly depicted nature realistically and have a significant difference from the actual scenery visible to the naked eye. They present a uniqueness from the painter's perspective. Therefore, Chinese landscape paintings have always been the externalization of the painter's emotions and thoughts. It is an earlier form of expressionism than that of the West. It is based on observing nature but always expresses the harmony between man and nature, the passage of time and the changes in space, thus presenting a unique worldview and perspective on the universe. This is the wisdom and philosophy of China. Therefore, Chinese landscape paintings are often abstract and expressive. They are often based on the painter's own temperament. What Chinese landscape paintings aim to express is the "humanity" of the painter, the "way" of man in nature, and an artist's imagination of utopia. The concept of "mountains and waters" encompasses many meanings such as the way of heaven, the way of man, worldview, dreams, beliefs, and a sense of belonging. And my pink Tao Huayuan aims to continue this dialogue between mountains and waters and the soul using modern materials and colors, as well as a modern worldview and perspective.

   

   At first, I used a series of charming and brilliant pink colors to depict mountains and streams, attempting to break the traditional aesthetic boundaries and the stereotypical impression of pink. I believe that the pink mountains and waters in Tao Huayuan are warm, dreamy, and a yearning for a beautiful utopia. I hope to build a Tao Huayuan for our era on the canvas, a spiritual home that carries a thousand years of culture and modern emotions. Later, the second series "Blue Tide" and the third series "Green Field Wormhole", which depict water molecules, fractal geometry, and neural networks, gradually emerged. The fourth series, "Time Ship", is an imaginative depiction of the mountain and water of the Water Curtain Cave in the Flower and Fruit Mountain from mythology. It is as unrestrained and joyous as the childhood of Sun Wukong. I want to retrieve those forgotten happy moments of my childhood through the paintings. This year, my "Taoist Paradise" series has reached its fifth installment, titled "Perception Paradise". In this series, I made a very natural transition, setting aside the familiar painting materials and the academic way of constructing and advancing the composition. For the first time, I used the simplest and most direct oil pastels on paper. This method allows the brushstrokes to follow the intuition, making the painting very free, more like an honest record of emotions and random thoughts, unrestrained. The scenes in "Perception Paradise" all come from daily life, yet they seem to gently lift it up, forming a long-lasting and peaceful Taoist paradise. It is actually my painting diary, capturing those fleeting thoughts in the simplest and most convenient way at any time. At first, I just wanted to use it to make small color drafts for large paintings, but as I kept drawing, I found myself deeply in love with the expressiveness of oil pastels. They can so quickly and directly present what I want to say on the paper. From the beginning to now, this series has accumulated 198 pieces and is still growing day by day. It is like a bag for collecting emotional fragments during this period of time, containing bits and pieces about intimate relationships, female self-exploration, and self-growth... These seemingly small but real thoughts gradually fill the gaps in the time of the Taoist paradise.

 

 

  The five years of my easel painting creation have led me through a profound self-transformation. My MBTI personality has evolved from INFJ to INTJ, becoming more gentle, calm and self-sufficient. In the past, my creations were mainly in the forms of installations, videos and performance art, which required frequent exhibitions and interactions with a large number of audiences, full of extroverted exchanges and collisions. However, when I turned to painting, I found my true calling. Now, I immerse myself in the studio every day, facing the canvas, paints and brushes, experiencing a pure satisfaction that I have never had before. Every detail and every moment in life can be a source of inspiration for me. The sparks of inspiration keep flashing, sometimes even keeping me awake at night. When creating the fifth series of "Taoist Paradise", "Perception Paradise", I had to force myself to put down the brush, otherwise I would be like a possessed person, lost in the frenzy of creation. For me, painting is no longer just a simple artistic expression, but a physiological craving from the depths of my heart. I hope I can live longer so that I can create more works. These desires make me more and more determined and free on the path of art. 

I live in the beautiful island city of Xiamen, where the sun is always shining, the beaches are fine and the coastline is winding and full of a laid-back and slow-paced atmosphere. If a friend comes from afar, I probably won't take them to the tourist attractions. I would invite them to my studio, have some tea together, chat and share some ideas about art creation and appreciate my works. I might also take them for a walk or run along the beach. The beach in Xiamen is always so charming. We can walk slowly along the coastline, feel the fine sand under our feet, listen to the sound of the waves and completely relax our body and mind. If we are lucky, we might also see some seabirds soaring in the sky, white dolphins leaping in the sea or fishermen working on the beach. This is the true slow life of Xiamen. The real charm of Xiamen does not lie in those crowded tourist spots, but in these simple and ordinary daily life.

 

   My life is actually quite regular and fulfilling. I have another identity as a university teacher, which makes my daily life particularly simple. It's basically a "three-point line": home, school and studio. Besides teaching and creating, I'm also a diving enthusiast. I love the feeling of exploring the unknown in the underwater world. Therefore, I deliberately do physical training, such as fitness and swimming, to keep in good shape so that I can freely go diving around the world. My next goal is to upgrade my diving certificate and then go to Mauritius for free diving to chase sperm whales. I'm looking forward to getting close to these huge creatures underwater. As I grow older, I feel increasingly lucky to be able to do what I love in my lifetime and love myself well. Whether it's teaching, creating or diving, all of these make me feel extremely fulfilled and happy. I cherish every moment I can pursue my passion and look forward to having more such opportunities in the future. 

Looking back on my artistic career, what is the most memorable moment or the work that I am most satisfied with? What artistic goals do I expect to achieve?

 

   Over the years, I have many works that I am satisfied with. Before the "Tao Huayuan" painting series, I had an art project called "SensLAB - Institute of Human Emotions", which was a research project about art, healing and emotional connection. In this institute, there are several works that are very meaningful to me. The first one is called "One Cubic Meter of Trust". Over the past 13 years since 2012, I have collected 688 "trust gifts" from strangers. Each small object behind it carries a precious relationship between people. Another work, "Body Theatre", is a photographic archive with over 20,000 photos. I invited many non-professional friends, including my students in the photography class at the art academy, to perform and express themselves through their bodies in front of the camera, releasing their most genuine emotions. There is also an installation called "I Want to Give Him a Bed to Sleep Peacefully". It originated from a real experience that lasted for three years. At that time, there was a homeless man sitting in the small park near my home every day. When I passed by, I would secretly take a photo of him, and this continued for three years. After posting these photos on my social media, they unexpectedly attracted a lot of attention and discussions from my friends, and even some kind-hearted people wanted to help him. But the ending of the story was that after the "Meranti" super typhoon hit Xiamen, he completely disappeared and was never seen again. All of these were included in "SensLAB". The common core of them is about "seeing" - seeing a trust, seeing an emotion, and seeing a life that is easily overlooked. Art here is not only for expression, but also a warm container that carries our shared emotions and memories, and attempts to complete some healing and placement in silence. 

The art world is a complex and diverse field. It can be a competitive arena filled with fame and fortune, or a place for spiritual cultivation. Recently, a friend asked me, "Is the ultimate goal of artists to build a personal art gallery filled with their own works?" I replied that, for me, this is not my pursuit.

For me, once contemporary artworks enter a state of permanent display and are labeled, they seem to become true specimens, losing their original vitality and flexibility. The vitality of art lies in its fluidity and interaction with the audience, rather than being fixed in a space and becoming a symbol of display.

  

   I enjoy the sense of satisfaction during the creative process more. Every stroke of the brush, every blend of colors, is a way for me to communicate with my inner self. In this process, I can feel my emotions and thoughts flowing in the works. This process itself is a kind of practice, a form of self-exploration and expression.

If someone can like my works, for me, that is a rare connection, a joy of finding a kindred spirit. The charm of art lies in its ability to transcend language and cultural barriers and touch people's hearts. When my works can resonate with the audience, that feeling is indescribable. It makes me believe that art is not only a form of personal expression, but also a bridge that connects people.

 

  I hope my works can flow in different spaces and times, meet more people, rather than being permanently fixed in one place. Only in this way can they maintain their vitality and continue to convey the emotions and thoughts they carry.

 

艺术家简介：

林苒，生于中国福州，任教于厦门集美大学美术与设计学院，院士专家工作站成员，福建省美术家协会综合材料绘画艺委会副秘书长。在法国留学和工作 8 年，先后毕业于法国巴黎国立高等美术学院当代造型艺术专业与法国鲁昂国立高等美院新媒体艺术专业双硕士。厦门大学人文学院新媒体艺术方向博士。林苒的作品以叙事性、故事性、社会学和文本性的方法论，探索和讨论现代社会的空间与剧场，女性主义以及超性别艺术，群体心理学以及集体记忆。作品常常以社会学文化研究与田野调查为基础，运用多重媒材影像（Photography and video）、动画、实验绘画、装置、表演等艺术方式融通互鉴，探索自身的生活经验以及当下社会现实。作为在国内接受基础艺术教育，又旅法多年接受系统欧洲哲学思考与美学训练的艺术家林苒，其自身经历、地域身份和价值认同确定了其创作的风格和主题，但是其复杂而多元的经历和身份，也让她的创作难以用简单符号来概括。

林苒 2019 年受邀澳大利亚悉尼 Budanon 艺术中心驻留，并举办个展，参加过美国密歇根州布罗德美术馆《内燃》女性艺术展览，第一届与第五届集美. 阿尔勒国际摄影节，法国巴黎国际超短片节，法国克莱蒙费朗国际短片节金奖与特别邀请展，地中海国际电影节短片单元，中国马来西亚建交40周年展，北京树美术馆国家艺术基金全球多城巡展项目，福建省美术馆、广东省美术馆等中国和国际大型展览。

 林苒参加展览共计 140 场，8 场个人展。艺术作品被诸多重要的国内外公共艺术机构、高奢品牌以及私人藏家收藏。

Lin Ran was born in Fuzhou, China. She teaches at the School of Fine Arts and Design of Xiamen Jimei University and is a member of the Expert Workstation. She is also the deputy secretary-general of the Comprehensive Materials Painting Committee of the Fujian Artists Association. She studied in France for 8 years and graduated with double master's degrees from the Contemporary Art Design Department of the Paris National Fine Arts College and the New Media Art Department of the Rouen National Fine Arts College. She also holds a doctoral degree in New Media Art from Xiamen University's College of Humanities. Lin Ran's works explore and discuss the space and theater of modern society, feminism, and trans-gender art, group psychology, and collective memory through narrative, storytelling, sociological and textual methodologies. Her works are often based on sociological cultural research and field investigations, and integrate and exchange through multiple media art forms such as photography and video, animation, experimental painting, installation, and performance, to explore her own life experiences and the current social reality. As an artist who received basic art education in China and spent many years in France receiving systematic European philosophical thinking and aesthetic training, Lin Ran's own experiences, regional identity, and value recognition have determined her creative style and themes. However, her complex and diverse experiences and identities also make her creations difficult to be summarized with simple symbols.

In 2019, Lin Ran was invited to the Budanon Art Center in Sydney, Australia for a residency and held an individual exhibition. She participated in the "Internal Combustion" Women's Art Exhibition at the Broad Museum in Michigan, the First and Fifth Jimei. Arles International Photography Festival, the Golden and Special Invitation Exhibition of the International Short Film Festival in Paris, the Special Short Film Festival of the International Short Film Festival in Clermont-Ferrand, the Short Film Unit of the Mediterranean International Film Festival, the China-Malaysia Friendship Exhibition on the 40th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations, the National Art Fund Global Multi-City Exhibition Project in Beijing, and large-scale exhibitions in Fujian Provincial Art Museum, Guangdong Provincial Art Museum, and other Chinese and international institutions. 

Lin Ran participated in a total of 140 exhibitions, including 8 solo exhibitions. Her artworks have been collected by numerous important domestic and international public art institutions, luxury brands, and private collectors.

 

《状态访问：当代女性艺术家连续访谈》系列由”先锋艺术项目”艺术家蒋贞蕾策划，艺术家陈琪欣特约主理。“先锋艺术项目”和专访艺术家版权所有。