Meet Nikki Chen | Filmmaker, Animator & Designer

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

Hi Nikki, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
Part of it is because I wasn’t a very active kid when I was little. I got sick all the time, so I spent most of the time watching DVDs of animations from all over the world at home. Those heavy DVD albums are like my library. Seeing colorful and vibrant moving images on the screen brings me so much energy and joy. And just like most of the animation kids out there, studio Ghibli and especially Miyazaki’s works have a significant influence on me and my art career. I’m deeply attracted to the incredible storytelling with ordinary yet irreplaceable female protagonists. It made me realized how good stories communicate with the audiences themselves and the importance of staying true to myself when producing personal works. Animation has always been one of my greatest passions, and I’m fortunate to have the opportunity to study it and employ it as a medium to express my voice.

Please tell us more about your art. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally? Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way? What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
Both my personal and professional works are centered around animation productions. As a working professional, I’m still very early on in my career, exploring the possibilities of the animation industry and different roles and career paths I could take on. As an independent filmmaker and animation director, I try to work with topics that are true to my experience and close to my heart. The current animated short film I’m working on tells the story of one of the earliest Chinese feminists, educationists, and activists. I seek to find contemporary values in the historical tale and stir a conversation around the struggles, resistance, and pain individuals have to face in their lives.

One of the biggest challenges to me right now is finding a balance between creative constraints and freedoms. However, whenever I experience creative blocks, I take a step back and watch some animated work, new or old. It helps me to remember how much I love this form of art-making. It will be an absolute lie if I say there’s no struggle or pain out of the creative process. Still, as long as I’m working on something that I’m genuinely passionate about, it’s rewarding and satisfying on so many different levels. It is one thing that artists polish their skills and craftsmanship, another that we could genuinely have fun with what we are doing and employ those skills to express what we want to say.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
LA is the city I have spent most of my time living in for the past 5 years. The city itself is so large and diverse, and there’s still so much I haven’t explored. I’m fascinated by how different the weather can change within a day and how close we could be with nature within a big city. I’d love to live and relive those moments where we go on early morning hikes, wonder in the city for vintage stores and flea markets, and watch the sunset and play volleyball by the beach. It would be awesome to end the day with some super spicy Chinese hot pot!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
It’s been over a year since the broke out of the global pandemic. While it was undoubtedly difficult for everyone, including myself, to graduate and look for a place in the world at this particular time, I was very fortunate to have the resources I have and surrounded by so many supportive families, friends, and mentors.

Recommending by an Experimental Animation program faculty at Calarts upon graduation, I became a mentee of the Next Wave: Kidscreen’s Mentoring Program from June to August 2020. Nicole Rivera has been my mentor from the program, and together, we rebuilt my resume and cover letter for fronting my way into the animation industry. I received so much warmth and valuable experiences from Nicole, who then introduced me to RiseUp Animation, a fantastic platform for students and anyone who looks for feedback and insights on their work from the animation industry professionals. They offer monthly free feedback sessions and many other online events and animation summits. Through RiseUp, I met with Bryan Konietzko and Bobby Pontillas; both are incredibly amazing artists and mentors who gave me countless valuable feedback on my portfolio.

Another two mentorship programs currently taking place for me are the 2021 .movtogether mentorship program and Women In Animation’s mentorship circuit. The mp4 x CalArts cohort is initiated by industry professions and designed to uplift underrepresented talent during times of crisis. WIA’s mentor circuit is a short film supporting group led by Mark Osborne, an established filmmaker, and alumnus of the Experimental Animation program at CalArts. I’m able to work alongside a group of 9 other artists and filmmakers to gain supports and insights on the short film I’m currently working on.

With these incredible connections and opportunities, I truly opened up my mind to embrace whatever is coming my way and explore the unlimited possibilities and potentials ahead of me. I would never be able to move forward in the past year without the help, support, kindness, generosity, and love along the way.

Website: https://nikkimengwenchen.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/n1881x/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikki-mengwen-chen/

Image Credits
Photo: Jiayu Zhang Artwork: Nikki Chen