MODA
ARTIST SPOTLIGHT
NIOHURU X
Interviewed by Mila Phelps Friedl* Could you provide a bit of background of yourself as an artist, your influences and inspirations? *
* I would love to hear about your process with creating, any projects you're excited about and what you're currently working on. *
* Any thoughts on the NFT world? Your experience in it, what it does for artists? Pros? Cons? *
My name is Niohuru X. I’m a Chinese Makeup artist living in Brooklyn, New York. I came to The US two years ago for college and started doing makeup one and half years ago. My makeup/visual art are very inspired by my culture background being Chinese Manchu, wildlife/nature in my hometown [and] also my journey of discovering my own identity being queer.
My signature style is creating physical “real” 3D makeup that looks like digital art. I love tricking people’s eyes & brain and blurring the line between physical and digital art. My works are all very personal and contain a lot of raw emotions. I believe that people looking at my works can feel the vibration and energy that I transformed through my brushes. I want people to feel scared and uncomfortable when they look at my makeup (most of my looks are empowered by my trauma and pain.)
“ Painful but beautiful, I always try to channel my dark past into beauty and brightness.”
One of the projects that I have been working on is about my identity as a young Queer Asian immigrant “ fresh off the boat.” Coming from another country I knew nothing about what it meant and felt like being Asian & queer in the states. I plan to put my understanding towards Asian stereotypes into this visual series. Stereotypes can be toxic and ugly but they can also be a source of great, great power. I plan to channel all the negative energy into something empowering and beautiful.
At the moment, women POC and queer people only [make up] a very, very small part of the NFT world. In 2022 I would love to see more diversity... With more diversity , new artists can bring new aesthetics, new vibration[s].. Really looking forward to seeing “ trendy “ “popular” projects that actually are “good art.”
kiss kiss,
Niohuru X
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