INTERVIEW: “I’m Not Sorry For My Bad Handwriting” ARTIST

[ Exclusive Interview ] ARTIST Juli Baker and Summer

Artemin: How has your upbringing influenced your artistic style and choice of themes?

Juli: I grew up in a family surrounded by art and politics. My grandparents were filmmakers and dancers, and my parents were teenagers from the 70s when art and freedom were blossoming. My father has been an advocate for workers’ rights all his life, so our dinner table conversations often revolved around art, society, and people. I believe that the opportunities and privileges I had to travel frequently allowed me to experience diverse cultures and art, which have greatly influenced my approach to creating art.

Artemin: Your works are filled with bold color contrasts and strong visual effects. How did this color style develop?

Juli: I’ve loved colors since I was a child, whether in dressing up or everyday objects. I enjoy expressing my feelings or my personality through colors. However, growing up and life experiences have influenced my choice of colors, which has evolved over time. Some color palettes that I didn’t use much before have now become more prominent.

Artemin: Your artwork often reflects social issues. What is the motivation behind this approach to creation?

Juli:  I love creating work inspired by people. I’m interested in issues related to people, society, and politics because I grew up in a country that has experienced two coups during my lifetime. In my 20s, we were under a military dictatorship. It’s inevitable not to be interested or ignore the deprivation of rights. I may not have the capability to make grand movements, but I can paint, so I want to use it as a tool to express my thoughts or the thoughts of the oppressed. Actually, whether intentionally or unintentionally, I believe almost every piece of art can be viewed through a political lens. Even works that claim to be apolitical are also political choice.

Artemin: 4. Could you share one of your most representative works and talk about its creation process and the story behind it?

Juli: Sure, there’s one art and journal book that was published in 2022 called “Everywhere Girl.” It’s an archive of my writings and paintings from 2021-2022, derived from a monthly column I wrote for a day magazine,  “Nowhere Girl.” The book “Everywhere Girl” tells the story of feeling out of place in the society I live in, with semi-diary entries in my handwriting discussing Thai society at a time when the pro-democracy movement was rising. It shares personal experiences and observations through my arts, covering topics such as feminism, workers’ rights, the art world, and being a woman in Thai society. I consider it one of my rawest works.

Artemin: 5. Do you have any special rituals or habits to inspire creativity during the creation process?

Juli: Yes, I read, sketch, and write a lot before starting each piece, especially for shows like this. My process for beginning a painting isn’t very complex. I just need coffee and good speakers. I need to hear music while painting, and I listen to a wide variety of songs. The playlist I play most often in the studio is probably the “Paint and Dance and paint and dance” playlist.

[Spotify Playlist] (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6ii7iFEukVDhqQ5D1DLDoo?si=7d533608548246ce)

Artemin: 6. What do you think about the rise of digital technologies, especially AI that can generate sophisticated artworks? How do you think these new technologies will impact traditional art creation?

Juli: I may not be the best person to answer this as I am quite low-tech, but technology certainly impacts art creation. It has negative aspects, as we often hear critiques, but there are also many interesting artworks incorporating AI. Regardless of its impact, it’s something unavoidable. What interests me is why humans create technology and for whom. I saw a quote on Twitter by Joanna Maciejewska that I liked: “I want AI to do my laundry and dishes so that I can do art and writing, not for AI to do my art and writing so that I can do my laundry and dishes.” It would be great if AI were designed to make life easier for the majority, rather than just reducing costs and generating profits for a few. This also ties into the cultural value placed on art in different societies.

Artemin: 7. Have you encountered any bottlenecks or challenges during the creation process? How did you overcome these difficulties?

Juli: I do, sometimes. I like to take a break and do something else, like playing with my cat, playing the piano, or going out to eat at an izakaya with friends to vent and get advice.

Artemin: 8. Do you have plans for cross-disciplinary collaborations with artists from other fields or brands?

Juli: Yes, I enjoy collaborations a lot and do them frequently. It’s a great way to refresh my work. Recently, a friend who does ceramics and I are about to launch our collaborative project, which is one of the most fun and new experiences for me.

Artemin: 9. What is the special meaning behind the title of this exhibition, “I’m not sorry for my bad handwriting”? What kind of inspiration or feeling do you hope the audience will gain from it?

Juli: The act of writing letters is central to the show, and I believe the unique handwriting of each author is its heart. I’ve been criticized for my poor handwriting since childhood. Even as an adult writer who has published books, editors still ask me to write more legibly. I chose “I’m not sorry” to convey a sense of resistance, another core theme of the work. It also reflects on tone policing, often used to divert important issues discussed by the oppressed.

Artemin: 10. You mentioned that the inspiration for your works comes from nine letters. Did any specific emotions or memories emerge during the creation of these works? Could you share the background stories of these letters and why they are so important to you?

Juli: Sure, I reread all the letters before starting to sketch to revive the feelings I had when I first read them. There’s one piece was inspired by a letter from the activist group Guerrilla Girls, protesting for gender and racial equality in the art world in 1986. I created a piece in response, expressing gratitude for paving the way for female SEA artists like myself.     And there’s another piece was inspired by a letter I wrote to a political prisoner to support her. During the time I was painting this series, another political prisoner who fought for the same issue, freedom of expression died in prison during a hunger strike. This deeply affected me and reinforced the importance of the message I am conveying in this piece until we achieve freedom of expression.

Artemin: 11. Your statement mentions that letters carry very personal and private reflections and can also be a form of therapeutic behavior. How do you express this sense of privacy and reflect this therapeutic process in your works?

Juli: The therapeutic part happens naturally for me because both writing and painting are familiar therapeutic acts. As for expressing the sense of privacy, I often like to symbolize stories in various parts of my work. Sometimes, when it’s a painting, it inherently holds that privacy within itself. Each viewer interprets it differently, unlike written work, which often feels like standing naked in public. In painting, I feel I can layer filters in many ways.