Life & Work with Suijin Li

Today we’d like to introduce you to Suijin Li.

Hi Suijin, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
I graduated with a degree in Industrial Design in Caracas, Venezuela, and then moved to Raleigh to continue my education. It was there that I had the opportunity to meet Mary Ann Scherr, a renowned metalsmith pioneer and fellow industrial and graphic designer.

During an apprenticeship as a metalsmith under her, I fell in love with the possibility of working with metal. The knowledge and experience that I gained during those years allowed me to start my own business but life’s circumstances lead to a hiatus of almost 7 years. Five years ago, I had the time and desire to start to rethink my business.

My father had recently passed away and I wanted to create a line in homage to him called the RLV Collection (RLV are his initials for Raul Li Vasquez). My father was a civil engineer with a passion for woodworking so this line not only included hand-painted wood jewelry, but also household art like hand-painted clocks and end tables.

All of my collections have a modern look and a minimalist design but are not so minimal when it comes to color. I absolutely LOVE color and what it can add to a simple design or piece.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Moving to a new country is never smooth sailing and it took me a while to start again. This long hiatus made it difficult to return to where I was in my creative process but it is very rewarding to be in a place to create again!

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a metalsmith and an Industrial designer. The design part is what I love the most and exploring materials other than metal has been enlightening. My designs are modern with clean lines and definite symmetry.

Josef Albers’ book “Interaction of Color” fascinates me and fostered my obsession with color, how they play together and how they interact to create interesting combinations and harmonies. This obsession is what lead me to create my RLV Collection as well as a collection for the NC Museum of Art called QUADRAT (German for square).

The latter collection is made of square clocks and earrings of multiple bright colors which play with color interactions and combinations. I also teach metalsmith classes at NCSU Craft Center and in the fall I will start teaching at Sertoma Art Center.

We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
At the beginning of the pandemic, I felt that we didn’t know what we were dealing with or how and when it was going to end.

Mentally, this was tough and hard to process. When will I see my family overseas or travel again? Will my loved ones and others be safe?

In order to cancel all those questions and negative thoughts, I channeled my creative energy which greatly helped not only my mental state but my business over the following 2 years.

Contact Info:

• Email: info@suijinli.com
• Website: www.suijinli.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suijinlidesigner/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/suijinlidesigner