Meet Vivi | Artist & Actor

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

Hi Vivi, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
Life itself is a risk. You never know what might happen, even if you think you have it under control; it’s an illusion. I believe taking risks is a beautiful thing because it means you’re truly living. The only ugly risk is being a couch potato and not trying to make something out of the time you have on this earth. Any opportunity that knocks at my door, I welcome with gratitude. If they forget my address, I go search for them myself.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My art is driven by the heart, not the mind. If you need to explain your art, it’s already boring. We waste too much time dissecting life, clinging to the illusion that we can control it. But control is just that—an illusion. In my work, I shut my mind up and meditate, letting my subconscious take over and pouring raw emotion onto the canvas. My art is a mirror, reflecting the viewer’s deepest feelings, unfiltered and free from the prison of overthinking.
I do the same if front of the camera! Just being row, being real, being in the moment, being the moment itself! The way I did in Netflix original TV series Terrace House or my first solo exhibition at Rikka Gallery in Tokyo.
I believe that nothing makes an artist more powerful and unique than living a dynamic, roller-coaster life filled with both colorful and colorless emotions. It teaches you to feel deeply. Experiencing the beauty and ugliness of life to the fullest allows an artist to bring something meaningful into the world—something that can inspire and resonate with others. Here’s a brief introduction to my journey:

1. The foundation of my DNA is rooted in both science, specifically medicine, and art. That’s where I come from.
2. At 17, I moved to Japan to explore the concept of beauty in the East, expanding my inner self. The contrast between their cities and gardens, with no central focus, profoundly impressed me.
3. I studied at an art school in Russia and later at the world-renowned Bunka Fashion College in Tokyo, focusing on Fashion Technology. Although I didn’t finish either, I gained everything I sought from those experiences.
4. I touched the Hollywood scene before I was ready.
5. I experienced overnight fame after a Netflix original TV show. Suddenly, I couldn’t walk outside without covering my face.
6. I faced the public loss of a friend to suicide, someone I shared the screen with on that same show.
7. I survived three unsuccessful suicide attempts, two clinical deaths, and a three-week coma.
8. I switched residency across three countries and became fluent in three languages.
9. I healed myself after enduring a narcissistic relationship and overcoming an eating disorder.
10. I’ve been married, divorced, and remarried—first to a Japanese person, then to a Black American. These experiences taught me about cultures on a deeply intimate level.
11. Welcoming my angel daughter into this world has been the most profound experience of them all.

I’ll pause here because 11 is my lucky number, my life path number. Thank you for reading, and I’m sending you love 😘😂

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.
I’m very new in LA but so far I would definitely recommend going to The Broad Art Museum, they have beautiful Basquiat collection!
The last book store is just so much fun not only for people who love reading.
The Huntington Library. Amazing huge botanical garden!
Meditation garden of Self-realization fellowship if you want to be in silence with your thoughts for a bit and admire the beautiful view of DTLA.
When it comes to food I’m still searching for my favorite restaurant, I became pretty picky with food after living in Tokyo for so long, but I like buying my food from Erewhon, Hollywood Farmers’ Market. And I almost forgot my favorite Strawberry pistachio croissant at the Seed bakery in Pasadena!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
So many people and things to thank! But the first two that come to mind are my grandma, who was a doctor and gave me the chance to learn about the world and pursue the education I wanted, and Japan, where I spent 10 years and had the opportunity to grow as a person in so many ways.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/violapolt?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Image Credits
Ivana Micic
&
Austrasia