Feliciart – Inspired by a Soul

This Chinese American is inspired by a soul that breathes music. Felicia Khong is an artist in many ways and FELICIART is an expression of her being. She’s a creator, a painter, a graphic designer, a singer, a dancer, a pianist, a drummer, a photographer and videographer. Through her music she expresses her passion through visual art and design. Felicia’s mother was a piano teacher and her father was a preacher, where Felicia and her 3 sisters grew up singing in church. Eventually, they would form the girl group, JAZMIN…. And she hasn’t stopped since.

JAZMIN recently gained nation-wide exposure appearing on MTV’s Top Pop Group as one of the finalists on the new music reality series. Each week the girls worked along veterans and received critical praise from artists like Keri Hilson, Eve, Ashanti, Omarion, Michelle Williams (Destiny’s Child), Taboo (Black Eyed Peas) and reknowned choreographer Brian Friedman (Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, N*SYNC, Prince).

Previously, JAZMIN was chosen by NBC as a finalist on America’s Got Talent. After graduating from UCLA, Felicia started a career in design, working in the Creative Department at Game Show Network (Sony), Interscope Records (Universal Music Group) and Mobile Messenger while continuing to freelance for independent companies.

Felicia’s art caught my eye. Having known her as a quarter of the girl group JAZMIN, I was curious her venture into art. Art has always been a part of her life growing up, just in various ways.

ASIANCE: How did you get into art?

Felicia: My parent’s believed in never wasting your free time. So if I wasn’t playing piano, I was drawing or painting to keep myself from being bored. I would get in trouble a lot in class too since I could never pay attention, but I would draw instead of taking notes to keep me occupied haha. For me, it was a sense of release and freedom to be able to create whatever I wanted with just a pencil and piece of paper. Like I was in my own world.

ASIANCE: What other artists’ work do you like?

Felicia: Popular artists like Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollock and Vincent Van Gogh are big influences of mine. I feel like I am a combination of all of their styles in their use of color, emotion, and overall vibe.

ASIANCE: What piece of art did you just finish?

Felicia: I recently finished a piece I painted live at an event in a nightclub with minimal light in a matter of 2 hours. (laughs) It was the craziest and best artistic experience I’ve ever had. I actually hope that this style of working might make me a better artist. I am a perfectionist and paintings can take from 8 hours straight to 2-4 weeks to complete depending on my work pace so with this piece I had to take a different approach. It gives a raw feeling that I think can translate into another aspect of my style. The subject was musical instruments of course, in the shape of a city skyline which represents the way I see my world.

ASIANCE: What is coming up for you in terms of art?

Felicia: My goal is to spread my love for music through my work with other music-lovers and passionate people whether that be in recording studios, art galleries, homes, clothing stores…etc. I also plan to introduce new series’ from time to time to keep it interesting. For the rest of the year, I have more exhibits, openings and auctions coming up so stay tuned! 🙂

ASIANCE: How do you juggle being in a girl group, art and all your other interests. Do you also work full time?

Felicia: Yes I am addicted to my crackberry and am always trying to move things along, but aside from that, I have so many supportive people around me. They are the reason I am able to keep pushing myself further. Every morning I have a mental checklist of things I need to accomplish that day in order reach my goals for the week. Post-its and reminders are also my best friends. In the end, everything I do leads back to our girl group JAZMIN. Since I have one focal point for all of my endeavors, it keeps me focused.

ASIANCE: What museums or organizations are the best at promoting art?

Felicia: I think the best way to promote your art is at events/shows since you’re able to talk to people about your pieces. Museums and galleries are great too, but having shows is more personal. It’s different when they know who’s behind the artwork and where it comes from. It definitely helps make your work more memorable.

ASIANCE: How would you recommend one to go about getting their art recognized?

Felicia: What I would recommend for someone interested in getting their work seen is to never doubt yourself. You’re given a gift and a passion for a reason. Use it to share it. You never know, you just might inspire someone or someone may inspire you. That’s the beauty of it. If you have that approach when you’re taking meetings or doing shows, then nothing will discourage you. If you keep pushing, you will get there. Choose your market and focus on one area before moving to the next. Choose wisely and go with your instincts.

ASIANCE: What other Asian artists would you recommend us seeing or would like to bring to our attention?

Felicia: I recently was introduced to Shin Tanaka’s work this past year. He is a very innovative artist and his use of color is definitely an inspiration to me!

See more on Felicia at www.feliciart.com and www.asiancemagazine.com/profile/FELICIART