Sung Lien Li

Student

“I have a business degree in my country, but I’d really love to do something in art. I could never do what I’m doing at SMC in Taiwan.”

Wanna know what Sung Lien Li thinks is the best thing about LA? You ready for this? “It’s not so crowded here. There’s so much open space!” she says in wide-eyed wonder. Well, you’d have to visit Sung Lien’s hometown of Taipei—where people, motorbikes, cars, and vendors jostle for every centimeter of space—to appreciate her comment about the ‘wonderland’ that is LA. Suffice it to say that she’s branching out and flourishing in the California lifestyle that she and her husband are enjoying here temporarily.

“Art schools are very difficult to get into in Taiwan, so when I first came to America—for a six-month vacation—I thought I would just learn some sculpture at SMC. But then my husband came to work and study here, so I am able to learn art for two years!” says Sung Lien with genuine glee. “I am so happy to do this, and right now, I am concentrating on ceramics. I think that I love that the most,” she says. “I have three very good teachers for ceramics and sculpture, and in my classes, I get to combine many kinds of art all together. This is amazing to me. And I also volunteer in my classes, so I get to mix glazes, fire the kiln, and help other students with their work,” she adds. “Three days a week, I’m at SMC all day long.”

When Sung Lien does manage to get a few free moments, it’s usually to plunge further into the world of art on an SMC field trip. “We very often go to see people making their art in their studios, like in the Abbott Kinney area in Venice,” says Sung Lien. “This whole city feels like a big experiment in art to me. It’s very, very good for me to see this. And when I go home to Taiwan,” she adds, “I hope I can open my own studio to teach children all that I have learned at SMC. Business is a good skill to have, but art is something I would love to give.”

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