Life & Work with Niko Vu

Today we’d like to introduce you to Niko Vu. 

Hi Niko, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My name is Niko Vu and I am an Asian American interdisciplinary artist with a passion for creating stories and sharing personal narratives through my art. 

For most of my life, I grew up in a small, conservative town located in the Gila River Valley. It was a stifling environment–one of those places where everyone shared the same sentiment about: “If I don’t get out of here, I’m going to get stuck.” I was lucky enough to move out to the Phoenix metropolitan area in order to study the arts at Arizona State University. I think after I enrolled as a student there, I actively started my personal journey of self-discovery and growth, especially regarding my passions and my identity. 

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I like assuming an optimistic attitude, but I would be lying if I said that my life has been a smooth road. For a long time, I was stuck in a household that was barely held together by a dysfunctional family. I had to learn from a young age how to navigate through life carrying the accompanying burdens, as well as the lasting damages that follow after you leave a home like that. 

And as all artists seem to experience, I went through a career and confidence crisis over the perception of my own skills and talents, which also occurred during the time that pandemic ensued. A little bit before the pandemic, I had switched my major to printmaking, which is this beautiful and multi-faceted process that I was really interested in learning about. However, because it’s such a complex process, it’s also an extremely humbling discipline–one that consists of mistakes, failures, compromises, and lessons. I’ve learned to treat all of my life experiences as learning experiences, so this, in particular, did not bother me, but in compound with the pandemic and the cruel nature of institutions forcing students to work and continue assuming normalcy, I faced creative burnout like I had never before in my entire life. 

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m an artist studying printmaking! I like to think of myself as an art scientist because my passions lie with studying artwork and trying to understand the principles and structures of beautiful aspects that I want to recreate in my own art. I make prints, I draw, and most of all, I experiment in my creative process. I specialize in digital illustration and I am known for my exploration of texture and the art of expression. I am most proud of my ability to communicate emotion in my pieces and my ability to learn from other artists in my life. 

The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
During the Covid-19 pandemic, I have learned that it’s really important to prioritize one’s own health during a time of hardship. While the world keeps raging on, it’s always okay to give yourself a moment to reflect, dive deep into introspection, and rest. My FAVORITE thing that I’ve learned during this time is that love in its purest form is what allows for life to be worth living and experiencing when everything else around us is engulfed in chaos. At the beginning of the pandemic, I made a decision to bring together and reconnect with some of my friends through the internet (since we were all quarantining and social distancing). I had no idea at the moment that these people would end up becoming pillars of strength and support during such a strange time in my life… in all of our lives. They taught me how to love, be loved, trust, and move forward at every step of the way. 

Contact Info:

• Email: fearoffunsies@gmail.com
• Website: https://fearoffun.weebly.com/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/fearoffun

Image Credits
Karen Nazario