Senkaku islands , vector, 2014
Briefly describe the work you do.
I’m a political satirical artist. I try to make people think out of the voting box. I like to call what I do: Unpopular art, coz I’m definitely not wanting to be a pop artist.
Tell us a little about your background and how that influences you as an artist.
I’m an Eurasian artist who loves to play with puns and who is not afraid not to play by the rules. I have been a poet since the age of 17, and decided to study art later in life, which I did by myself. Now I’m versed into graphics and I am a digital revolutionary.
The concept of the “artist studio” has a broad range of meanings, especially in contemporary practice. The idea of the artist toiling away alone in a room may not necessarily reflect what many artists do from day to day anymore. Describe your studio practice and how it differs from (or is the same as) traditional notions of “being in the studio.”
I travel when I can in South East Asia, I know all the small towns of South Thailand, Indonesia, West Malaysia. I love to discover, to feel lost. This is my studio when I travel using my laptop ! Otherwise I reside in Malaysia, I love its diversity, there are quite a few different cultures side by side. This is the background of my artistry day to day job. I love trees very much. Much of my art is made to tell the bad guys to stop being so bad. I fight for a less judgmental world, and many pieces I’ve done are anti-war satires
The Red Heifer, vector, 2014
What unique roles do you see yourself as the artist playing that you may not have envisioned yourself in when you first started making art?
I want to save the world. But my vision is not really to tell people what to do, and give any solution to problems of our time. I have one thing that is becoming important to me though, it is “non-action”. I want for people to do less, and create less crazy technologies and modified organisms, I want people to spend less time chasing money, and sell their souls to the devil in order to making it. I would like to influence people with art, and I think I can.
Morpheus X , vector, 2014
When do you find is the best time of day to make art? Do you have time set aside every day, every week or do you just work whenever you can?
From 6PM to 2AM. But I do start at 11AM and work till 6AM. Lol.
How has your work changed in the last five years? How is it the same?
Before I made a lot of cartoons, and drew for children and teens. Now I’m all about making a change, and “neutralize” left and right. It is very different than 5 years ago.
Are there people such as family, friends, writers, philosophers or even pop icons that have had an impact on the work you do?
Women. My mom. My future ex-girlfriend. I don’t know; intelligent thinkers don’t make me want to work hard, women are the reason why I breathe (I came out from one), so they fascinate me, I want to be with the love of my life.
If you had an occupation outside of being an artist, what would that be and why?
Be an actor, a comedian, a singer.
I draw, I am a poet, a novel writer, and I’ve had some good shots with photography. I want to do everything. I want to impress someone. I’m not there for the money, I want to tell my best friend (a girl) that I want to stay with her forever and that I’m the one.
About
Kazu Livingstone is an graphic artist who has exhibited pieces in Europe, North America, South-East Asia, Eastern Europe, and South America. He has collaborated with Nike, and Kult magazine. Exhibited at group exhibitions in the ArtScience Museum in Singapore, Espace Cardin in Paris, the University Science Malaysia, the Museum of Odessa, Ukraine; in Kiev, with controversial artworks. He has made flyers and posters for different activist events, including making a poster campaign for a movie festival at the The Texas Theater, which gained historical fame in 1963, for being the place where Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested. He has collaborated with numerous artists around the world. He had worked with American hip-hop/rap artists such as Yung Nation, Yarrow Slaps, Enon Phenomenon, etc. He presented his video-portfolio to the Behance Reviews Portfolios (Penang) as an invited speaker. He is also a poet; he was published in an American poetry anthology, and was named as its favorite poet/poem by a literary critic in a Texan newspaper.
All images copyright of the artist and used with their permission.
365 Artists | 365 Days 