Artist Spotlight: Zi Ling RI

Please could you introduce yourself? 

I am originally from Yellow Mountain in China, a mountainous historical spa city. My father is an artist and a pioneer of the 85 New Wave Art Movement, and my mother, a Chinese teacher. I was raised by my grandparents until the age of four. They lived on a very famous high street named Bai Shu in the old town, which was once a merchant quarter occupied by artists, craftsmen, antique dealers and collectors, writers, and the most illustrious arithmetician Cheng Dawei. My grandma was the only tailor on the street and very well-known for his Cheongsam for posh ladies. When I was little, I was influenced a lot by my colourful neighbourhood. Now I am based in Bath, also a historical city with a spa, infused by history, culture, creativity and diverse lifestyles. 

Watercolour is a key medium in your work. Have you always worked in watercolour? What drew you to watercolours specifically? 

I started to explore watercolour in my first degree at uni. I love the feeling of both 'water' and 'colour'. The most exciting way to express myself is to use watercolour or water-based mediums on handmade paper. The whole painting process is quite spiritual. It always starts with a leap of faith, and then just following the flow, allowing marks, water, the texture of paints and mistakes to lead the way into the unknown. Because sometimes mistakes transform into such a surprise. I love the sensitivity and flexibility of this medium. 

You mention that colour represents different personalities and realities. How do you choose your colour palette for each portrait, and what does a specific colour evoke for you? 

Using colour is my way of seeing. My colour palette is my thinking process. I didn't choose my colour palette, they chose me. Building a good relationship with colour requires trust and attention, not knowledge. Colour speaks when you humble yourself and really see. Shades of yellow always inspire me in different ways. 

You have spoken previously about your early years being immersed in etching, where you developed a fascination with abstract mark-making. Can you tell us a little about how that early practice informs your current work in portraiture?

Etching provides me many possibilities for experimenting with different materials. Etching taught me a very important lesson that all techniques are self-technique. There is no wrong way, only the best expression of self. My early practice of etching for abstract and figurative really opened my mind to mark-making. I have my own way of mixing any kind of colour I feel right about and do not think about the logic behind it, and it works most of the time. 

Many of your works are inspired by real-life people or emotional moments captured in photography. How do you approach translating these into portraiture, and how important is it for you to capture both the physical likeness and emotional depth of the subject?

For me, colours, marks and movements are the same thing. I am an intuitive artist. Dancers are one of my favourite subjects, the spirit of a dancer lies in their movements and rhythm. Sometimes I cannot express my feelings through words, but through movements. I found a way out, a real freedom within. My brushes dance with them in harmony. 

For the portraiture, I'm fascinated by the narratives and emotions hidden beneath the person's appearance. Sometimes photography could immediately connect with me and I just 'knew' it would be a good work before I started. Everyone has stories. And I am the kind of person who likes digging deep. I simply listen. Some 'talk' to me with their eyes and others with the tiny movement of their hands. My portraits are in no way traditional. My technique is very personal and organic.

Are you able to tell us a little about the influence your father, HuiTao Lin, has had on your artistic practice and career?

My father was my first teacher in art. My father's early paintings are full of absurdity. One of his early oil paintings named 'Which Comes First, the Chicken or the Egg?' represents his intriguing view of life. In my upbringing, my living space was surrounded by paintings of my father, which consciously or unconsciously influenced my worldview. At the age of one, one day, when my father took a tea break from his painting and went to the kitchen, I picked up a large brush, actually bigger than my face, and started to paint passionately on his unfinished canvas. A lot of colours with such a mess, Pollock style. And my father's painting was utterly ruined, unfortunately. But the truth is, I actually quite enjoyed the whole process. That was the beginning of my art journey. I started my professional training with him at the age of four. Sketching real people became my daily routine. He brought me from village to village, drawing farmers in the fields, workers from the factory, and the elderly sitting in the sun. My childhood was all about travel, sketching and listening to people's conversations while I was drawing them. During that time, I sketched more than a thousand people. 

Do you have a favourite piece you're exhibiting at the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours Annual Exhibition? 

The answer is absolutely yes, and not only one favourite actually. The portraits 'Charlotte under the Mistletoe' and 'Peter and his New Italy Expresso Cup' are two of my favourites. I love the city of Bath. There is a hidden gem on Walcot Street called Upstairs at Landrace. This is my local treasure, and they have the best coffee. When I first heard my 'Capchocho' (a [nickname] for cappuccino) was ready, I knew I was in the right place. Pete, who works there as a coffee barista, is very stylish, especially with his fine-trimmed Dali style moustache and looks very thoughtful. When I first saw him, the idea of portraying him was born. Charlotte has a completely different character. Her lovely smile caught my very attention. The first conversation between us was,

"Hi, could I have a soya latte please?" 

"Sweet latte?"

We both laughed. Then this way of ordering becomes our codeword. On a sunny afternoon, I took some photos of both of them and then the paintings came out naturally. I paint them in a very relaxed way and colours just pour into my heart effortlessly. They inspired me by simply being who they are.