An interview with Luna Sue Huang
Written as part of my BA (Hons) Journalism course
The modern art world is harsh, unjust and often unforgiving. Artists need to remain extremely strong to succeed, especially those from minority backgrounds. Luna Sue Huang is an artist from China whose success is a true testament to her extraordinary resilience. Her work was recently displayed as part of an exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery, a pivotal moment in her career.
Luna moved from Wuhan to London in 2019 to study illustration and visual media at the London College of Communication. After completing her degree, Luna was forced to stay in London due to the COVID-19 pandemic but expressed gratitude for her situation. “I wasn’t going to stay here and work as an artist, I was going to go back to China. My flight was one of the first to become cancelled due to COVID-19. I started to see London as a place I was going to stay in and began to look for a job. I feel like it’s destiny that has led me to stay here and become who I am… I am so happy”.
Luna described the challenges of being a woman in the art industry. She explained that men in the industry occasionally see women like her more as “a person that they can take out on a date” rather than a serious artist. She also described how as an Asian woman, she often feels that she is infantilised and seen as “cute” and “childish” due to her accent and ethnicity. Luna pointed out the gender inequality in the art world that still exists today, as art created by women is held to a different standard, often only valued for its reflection of female identity. “Some people expect women to create art that is meaningful and related to their female identity or sex. As a male artist, you don’t need to do any of this.”
Luna described her artwork as being about the things in life that some may view as mundane, “I like to find the small, interesting, warm and sparkly moments in life that people usually ignore, and then capture them in my artwork.” Her work at the Saatchi perfectly exemplifies her approach to creating art inspired by subtle emotions and the beauty of the everyday.
Alongside working on her artwork, Luna balances working part-time at a ceramics gallery, growing her own gallery, and most recently, starting a business to help Chinese artists get recognition in the West. She opened her gallery, Huang Contemporary, to help Chinese artists who struggle to promote their work and overcome Chinese censorship. “I want people to know that there are a lot of really great young Chinese artists. You may not have seen them yet but they are there, and they are working really hard.” Her new business also aims to connect artists in China with the world by building a community, providing them with vital skills and information, and helping them get artist visas in the UK.
Luna’s advice for young foreign artists trying to find their way in the art world is to not be too self-critical. “Don’t judge yourself. You must give yourself time and space to get used to the industry until people see how you shine.”
Luna moved from Wuhan to London in 2019 to study illustration and visual media at the London College of Communication. After completing her degree, Luna was forced to stay in London due to the COVID-19 pandemic but expressed gratitude for her situation. “I wasn’t going to stay here and work as an artist, I was going to go back to China. My flight was one of the first to become cancelled due to COVID-19. I started to see London as a place I was going to stay in and began to look for a job. I feel like it’s destiny that has led me to stay here and become who I am… I am so happy”.
Luna described the challenges of being a woman in the art industry. She explained that men in the industry occasionally see women like her more as “a person that they can take out on a date” rather than a serious artist. She also described how as an Asian woman, she often feels that she is infantilised and seen as “cute” and “childish” due to her accent and ethnicity. Luna pointed out the gender inequality in the art world that still exists today, as art created by women is held to a different standard, often only valued for its reflection of female identity. “Some people expect women to create art that is meaningful and related to their female identity or sex. As a male artist, you don’t need to do any of this.”
Luna described her artwork as being about the things in life that some may view as mundane, “I like to find the small, interesting, warm and sparkly moments in life that people usually ignore, and then capture them in my artwork.” Her work at the Saatchi perfectly exemplifies her approach to creating art inspired by subtle emotions and the beauty of the everyday.
Alongside working on her artwork, Luna balances working part-time at a ceramics gallery, growing her own gallery, and most recently, starting a business to help Chinese artists get recognition in the West. She opened her gallery, Huang Contemporary, to help Chinese artists who struggle to promote their work and overcome Chinese censorship. “I want people to know that there are a lot of really great young Chinese artists. You may not have seen them yet but they are there, and they are working really hard.” Her new business also aims to connect artists in China with the world by building a community, providing them with vital skills and information, and helping them get artist visas in the UK.
Luna’s advice for young foreign artists trying to find their way in the art world is to not be too self-critical. “Don’t judge yourself. You must give yourself time and space to get used to the industry until people see how you shine.”