We had the good fortune of connecting with Alina Deng and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alina, we’d love to hear more about your end-goal, professionally.
I couldn’t find my end goal for a long time, so I started asking the same questions to the people around me. They are all intelligent, hardworking, young people and seem always to have a clear goal to fight for. I asked them if they worked so hard for money or for their dream. But I never received a definitive answer. “I’m still looking for my end goal,” but why are we putting in so much effort when we don’t have a life goal? “I am preparing, I am preparing for the day something splendid comes into my life, a project, a dream, or a lifestyle that I am eager for,” they said. “I’ll know that’s what I want. And I will have the best me to greet them when they arrive.” I think I have found my answer. I am charging myself with experience, skills, and money, anticipating the day my life goal comes to me.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
In my work, I explore the nexus between art and technology. My mother enjoys the arts, while my father is an engineer in computer science. My mother used to read me the picture books she had collected and show me her sketchbooks when I was a child, which interested me and inspired me to create my first picture books at a young age. And my father exposed me to the fascinating world of science. I read all the science publications he subscribed repeatedly out of obsession. My parents helped me develop a natural interest in art and technology as a child, which has influenced my work and career before I ever realized it.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
LACMA is definitely my favorite. I love the huge amount of diverse art works displayed there. Every time I visit there are some new findings and I think I can stay in the museum for a few days if they allow me:)

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all of my friends who have always guided, inspired, and supported me when I’ve felt lost. Living alone in a foreign country presents many challenges, and my friends here are like family to me.

Website: www.alinadeng.net

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/guoyingdeng/

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