Meet Aria Sijia Li | Artist & Creative Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Aria Sijia Li and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Aria Sijia, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
Many people have a “soul country”— a country they aren’t from, but connect deeply with.

Growing up, I thought I didn’t have one. While my mom loved all things French, and my dad felt deeply drawn to India, I always pondered what my soul country might be.

Growing up in China, I always longed to go to the US. I idolized the American lifestyle and American people I saw through movies and read through books.

When I went to America, I fell in love with the vibrancy and diversity of it’s people, and made many dear friends. However, as an international student I struggled to adjust to the local lifestyle.

When I got really sick junior year of USC, I returned to China to rest. As soon as I landed, I felt grounded and happy, as if I had roots that were deeply connected to this land. That’s when I realized that China, the land that I’m from, might be my “soul country.”

In terms of my experience with the country, I’ve lived in a few different cities, primarily Shenzhen and Shanghai.

Shenzhen is my hometown, and I saw the way it developed rapidly over 40 years, from a tiny fishing village to a buzzing metropolis. My favorite phenomenon in the city are the “urban villages”— pockets of the original fishing village nestled amongst glistening sky scrapers. When I walk among those streets, I marvel at the dichotomy and resilience of the city. I’m proud to call it home.

I also spent five years of my time in Shanghai, the most formative years of my youth— 5th-8th grade. I met Amy there, a lively, wild, and artistic fifth grader who brought out those same things in me. Shanghai, despite it’s foggy and rainy temperament, has a special allure. No wonder it has given birth to so many great poets.

The two cities are different in many ways. Shanghai, with its rich history and culture, feels artistic and layered. Shenzhen, as a young up-and-comer, is pragmatic and ambitious (the slogan of the city is “time is money, efficiency is life.”) In many ways, the two different cities represent two different sides of me. The impressionable poet-artist and the driven entrepreneur.

China has imbued me with wisdom, drive, and a sense of connection. I’m happy to have found my soul country.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Art is the medium I live and breathe. To me, art is present in every part of life, from writing to painting to dancing.

Writing is one of my biggest strengths. I’m a very inspired person, and words come intuitively to me as if water flowing down from a higher place. I love journalling and keeping a diary, and two days ago, just before I was about to fall asleep, a poem came to me in its entirety. It felt very spiritual, and these moments occur often to me, guiding my artistic journey.

Here’s a couple snippets of my poetry:

Dream-Poem

In the humidity of the summer morning,
The song birds chirped.
The blue sky broke
Over my name.

A poem that came to me just before I was about to slip into dreams 2:27AM 2024.3.11

Monologue of a Temple (excerpt)

Come, come, my child
I whisper in gravely tones

Don’t be afraid of me
Don’t live aside from me

Look me in the face-
In the eyes-
In the earthen nose-

Tell me you love me-
That you would bring hydrangeas to my floor.

That you would come sit in me for a while
Look at the altars
Look at their smiles

The idol with the 兰花指 (Lán Huā Zhì)
Her eyes half closed—
She smiles of something you don’t know.
Come discover her mystery.

2024.3.15

Painting is another one of my favorite things. My line work is flowing, branching, and almost liquid in quality. When I draw, I feel as if I’m mapping out time and space on the page. Painting is my way of introspection. Reflecting on my work is my form of meditation— I can find symbols of change or hints of transformation within the shapes and colors.

Here are two recent pieces:

As a kid in high school, my art teacher told me that I would never be a good artist. To this day, her voice still speaks to me in moments of self-doubt. My art isn’t the most mainstream or commercial, and I’ve struggled with that. However, I revel in the feeling of being a ‘pure artist’ in the sense that I create for creation’s sake.

The ‘Aria’ brand of art is unflinching, spiritual, and genuine. I want to convey a message of transformation: We go through many transformations in our life, and every time we transform, we become closer to who we’re meant to be. I hope to inspire others to pursue their own paths of transformation.

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?
In the morning, we would head to the Brentwood Farmer’s Market to look at a selection of Lionsmane mushrooms, bone broth, blue mermaid almond milk, and some beaded bangles from the handmade jewelry shops. Laden with shopping bags, we could sit on the grass nearby and open a container of organic strawberries to feast on.

Then we would head to USC, where I would give you a tour of my alma mater. Walking the halls of the film school, I would point out my favorite movie posters. At lunch, we could eat at Ramen Kenjo in the USC Village— my favorite spot as a student. Perhaps the kind owner will give us an extra dish.

In the afternoon, we can head to the Grove,to visit their Barnes and Noble. They have a great art and self-help section— two of my favorite genres. Once we’re tired, we can enjoy a plate of oysters and French onion soup from the Farmer’s Market section. In case you find my assortment a little odd (it certainly is), there are also great Mexican and Middle Eastern choices.

If we have time, we could visit my friends Cas and Joseph in the Hollywood Hills. We could all take a late afternoon hike up the hill, where you can see cool houses and the Hollywood sign.

For dinner, Aki Shabu in K-town is a great choice. I love Chinese hot pot, and this is the Japanese equivalent.

Lastly, we would go see a stand up comedy show in downtown LA. My good friend Steve performs in some shows in that area. This city is so filled with burgeoning comedic talent, and it’s great to watch all these vibrant creators perform.

I hope that through this day trip, you get to see LA through my eyes. I hope you enjoy.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?

I would like to dedicate my shoutout to my mom, Clara Li.

Five years ago, we made my USC application film together— writing, shooting, and editing it as a team. Our collaboration felt energizing and was a crucial piece to my acceptance into my dream school.

We’re partners in crime, and we have aspirations to make features films together in the future. We balance each other well: She’s more of a producer/executive, I’m more of a writer/editor. She’s more entrepreneurial, and I’m more indie/artistic. There’s a sort of natural synergy that make us a powerful mother-daughter duo.

However, it’s not a perfect relationship. My mom is very proud of her work, and pushes herself very hard because there are many people relying on her. This is something I’ve struggled with.

At the end of last year I joined the family company as a junior creative director. It was a great opportunity for me to test the creative abilities I’d developed at USC while learning the ropes of the family business.

However, freshly graduated from college, I struggled to transition into an intensive work environment. I like to move at my own pace, and explore the world with my own unique rhythm.

China’s work culture can be demanding, and I had to engage in code-switching across different branches of the company. Balancing projects across the animation, advertisement production, and creative theatre branches, I knew I needed to grow quickly.

Throughout my first year at the company, my mom mentored me on how to navigate workplace relationships and step into positions of leadership. As we worked together, I grew to appreciate her hardworking spirit and tough attitude.

Working under her wing, I’ve learned how to establish deadlines for the team and myself, set stronger boundaries, and to be results-driven.

Merging this newfound confidence with the more intuitive and process-driven artist inside me has opened a new chapter in my life.

Growing up, mom has always been a role model. She’s always guided my path, giving me tough love when I need to try harder, and reminding me to pull back when I’m overexerting myself. I feel very grateful for her presence in my life and I’m proud that she’s my mom.

Website: https://www.aoya-hk.com/index.php?m=content&c=index&a=lists&catid=59

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Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVeDdpWiISG-Gs5qjCb6Wyw