ARTIST INTERVIEW: LEHO

LeHo is a contemporary artist currently residing in Taiwan. The subject matter of LeHo’s work centres around animals, whether they be real or fictional, they have become a means of emotional expression and escapism.

Leho states “Though our world is crowded with frustrations, people still deserve to have dreams. A dream is how I describe my art, wishing it would cast light on even the most hopeless folks. Through the ubiquity of street art, I know I can transfer the spirit of a dream to my spectators.”

LeHo’s first encounter with street art was made during his college years. After years of research, exploration and participation in the realm of public art, he has since participated in the International Warrior Street Art Festival for three consecutive sessions since 2016.

We are delighted to feature his work in Curatorial Volume.1, Leaders in Contemporary Art, out now.

“Love your audience, listen to their constructive criticism but pay no attention to criticism without construction”

Hello LeHo! Please could you introduce yourself, and tell us how your relationship with art began?

Hi! I'm LeHo, Leho means "Hello" in Taiwanese. I'd like my art to greet all of theuniverse. Before I start my art career, I majored in industrial design in college.

My relationship with art could be traced back to my family. As a child, my mom would give me a lot of papers to draw on. When I ran out of papers, she’d bring more. Frankly speaking, I just think art likes me and I liked as well. That's how it began, thanks to my mom.

We featured your artwork in Curatorial Volume.1, Leaders in Contemporary Art. Please can you tell us about the work you included, and why you selected those pieces?

Coral Deer: The concept of it is about "help." This is my emotional projection of how I think a relationship between true friends should be, also a representation on an ideal friendship I wish to have.

Calling: Have you ever feel like you really connect with a friend you just met for the first time and you have a lot of in common? This work is how I want to describe the experience I had when I met a friend while traveling. We found out that we have the same goals, value, faith.... Though we came from different countries, speak different languages, have different skin colors and different jobs. It's like we've been calling each other for a long time and finally we met.

Kaohsiung: Kaohsiung is a city in Taiwan where I most often create and paint. Siung sounds the same way as the word “bear” in Chinese. This piece is to share the beauty of the city.

The reason why I chose them is because they represent my stories. It was the best way to explain who I am.

“...to blend the lion’s body with the dancers’ postures of lion dance, I studied the muscle anatomy of lions and produced a lot of sketches. ”

We love your latest piece, can you talk us through the process you went through to create it, from inception to realisation? How do you translate your sketches onto the building? How long would a work like that take?

The concept is inspired by a folk art from Chinese culture, the lion dance. I want to make this spirit concrete and make it a real creature. But there are many movements in lion dance that are not what real lions could do. In order to blend the lion's body with the dancers’ postures of lion dance, I studied the muscle anatomy of lions and produced a lot of sketches. This part actually took me a lot of time.

To translate the sketch onto the building, I have to draw reference lines on the wall. And then overlap the sketch and the photo of the wall with these lines in Photoshop, so that I can use these lines to accurately capture the outline during the process. The draft can be completed in less than a day.

© LeHo - Sketch 1,2,3

Rewinding a little bit, can you explain how you got your start in street art, and how your progressed your career into the major large scale pieces you create today?

When I was in college, I painted the first wall and then shared it on social media. Fortunately, some people liked it and I was invited to participate in a graffiti event. Therefore, there were more opportunities and bigger walls for me to paint on.

“ I wish my works will make people believe in the essence of life and see how beautiful it is”

The subject of your work is often beautiful animals, can you share what it is about the natural world inspires you, and what the significance is of the animals you feature?

I am very fond of animals, I have a lot of affinity with them and they seem to like me too. Seeing an animal's pure vitality really attracts me. Observing animals gives me a lot of inspiration and I feel that there is another world in their eyes. I wish my works will make people believe in the essence of life and see how beautiful it is.

My favorite animal is deer. There’s a legend from Taiwan's aborigines about when a person sees a white deer, "It's a message that you are on a path of growth and expansion that will lead you on a path beyond your wildest dreams." It is a beautiful symbol. Not just because deer are gorgeous creatures, but also because people give it a beautiful meaning. Also, it represents the expectation I have for myself.

© LeHo - As long as I Thrive, I Survived 1

What tools and paints do you use in your work? Have your methods changed throughout the course of your creative practice?

Before I started painting murals, I mainly focused on using watercolor as the media for my work. On the first mural I tried to use paint brushes to recreate the atmosphere of a watercolor piece. Later I got to learn about street graffiti and spray cans. Now I use both of these two media in my works. Because using spray cans has its advantages and using brushes has its strengths, so this is a good combination for me.

“I challenge myself all the time, I can only improve if I keep breaking through my comfort zone.”

In your opinion, what do you think the biggest challenge is about being an artist in 2019, and how do you overcome it?

I challenge myself all the time, I can only improve if I keep breaking through my comfort zone. Uncomfortable as it is, it always feels great to have the sense of achievement and to see the progress I am making.

In the present, I think that the challenge is not with the creation process. As an independent creator, I have to deal with business, marketing, cross-domain cooperation and many other skills and situations outside of art that I have not encountered before. It is the biggest challenge of the present in my opinion, learning the necessary skills to connect with the industry and audience, which is a very different experience from creating art.

© LeHo - As long as I Thrive, I Survived 2

“First of all, believe in yourself. Start by understanding what you are doing and what impact it has. ”

Can you share three top tips for an aspiring street artist?

First of all, believe in yourself. Start by understanding what you are doing and what impact it has. If it’s positive, identify your own goals, then observe the environment and make enough plans to integrate all the resources around you.

Love your audience, listen to their constructive criticism but pay no attention to criticism without construction. Because there are people who appreciates your art, that is your true audience. Accepting their applause and encouragement will make you genuinely happy.

Be kind, but also alert at the same time. Watch the company you keep, hang out with positive and true friends. Do not stunt your growth by hanging out with the wrong crowd. The negative mindset will drag you down.

© LeHo - As long as I Thrive, I Survive 3

“In fact, I think the most beautiful art in Taiwan is the natural landscape.”

You currently reside in Taiwan, can you tell us about the local art scene and share some artists we should check out?

In fact, I think the most beautiful art in Taiwan is the natural landscape. Although Taiwan is just a small island, we do have beautiful seas, mountains, rivers, forests, deserts, beaches, wetlands, corals, rocks. You must come and see, there are a lot of inspirational wonders.

My favorite local artist is " Zishi 只是" His work combines elements of art and design and fully demonstrates Taiwanese culture and its ancient flavors.

“I hope I can bring inspiration to others and create a positive effect on the world through my art.”

Your work is featured prominently in public places, what do you want your audience to think or feel when they see your artwork?

I want people to feel freedom and serenity. I hope I can bring inspiration to others and create a positive effect on the world through my art.

We would love to hear about your future plans, what’s coming up next for you in 2020?

In addition to painting murals, I will also move towards different interdisciplinary directions. I am very excited about this and can't wait to share it with you! Just stay tuned.