Lei Lei & Chai Mi
area: Media Art, Film
Key Facts
nationality
Chinaarea
Media Art, Filmresidence
Beijingrecommending institution
VIS Vienna Shortstime period
July 2015 - July 2015Lei Lei. 1985 Born in Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, An up-and-coming multimedia Chinese animation artist with his hands on graphic design, illustration, short cartoon, graffiti and music also. In 2009 He got a master's degree in animation from Tsinghua University. In 2010, his film 'This is LOVE' was shown at Ottawa International Animation Festival and awarded The 2010 Best Narrative Short. In 2013 his film 'Recycled' was selected by Annecy festival and was the Winner Grand Prix shorts - non-narrative at Holland International Animation Film Festival.
In 2014 he is the Jury of Zagreb / Holland International Animation Film Festival. and he was the winner of 2014 asian cultural council grant.
The chromatic books have enamored me at an early age. My father was an editor-publisher in Jiangxi province, China, adept in printmaking and artistic calligraphy in particular. Those 1980s characteristic illustrated prints inspired him to clip, edit, layout, and optimally realized in various cover design; thereby also incubated my passion for books with exquisite handicraft quality and a constant reference in my own practices, such as early Chinese science fiction and the Bauhaus illustrations.
Also, to maintain this creative streak of my animated films, I have been consciously building a database through collecting, scanning and categorizing pre-1980 books, mostly out of print, from online or second-hand books stores around China.
I am hoping to take up this residency for further exposure to the world second-hand book design, and would gladly introduce my collections to Vienna for broader collaborative opportunities. Regarding the final exhibition, a stereoscopic thought process shall be traced and realized in different formats like reading notes archiving, wall painting and screening, etcetera. Books enable me to reinterpret and express my sensitivity, and more importantly, to mediate possibilities for better exchanging and discovering cultural specialties.