An Unconventional Girl with Deep Passion for Art and Nature
words by Jenny Zhuang
photos by Alice Ku & Josh
photos by Alice Ku & Josh
Do you have passion for anything that you are willing to devote your whole life to doing it? Do you ever find anything so beautiful that you feel the impulse to share it with the world? For Alice Ku, who is a 22-year-old girl with deep passion for art, the answer is definitely yes!
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With long black hair, firm eyes, an unique dressing style, and some tattoos on her arms, Alice Ku has an artistic temperament combined with elegance and rebelliousness. Indeed, with a keen eye for her surroundings, she usually notes down her observations of life through drawings, photographs, and music, and chooses an unusual path to realize her unique aesthetic.
In college, Alice majored in commercial design, but she thought the department failed to meet her expectations. “They teach many things, but the knowledge is not specific enough.” She paused for a moment and continued, “They put too much emphasis on theories for commercial purposes. That kills the joy of artmaking and smothers students’ motivation to create spontaneously in the long run.” |
In her junior year, Alice decided to drop out of college after careful consideration, and later, spent a short time in New Zealand. Despite cultural barriers and her social anxiety, she persisted to stay there and overcame her uneasiness. “The experience of travelling alone in a foreign country expands my comfort zone. I realize that many things I used to avoid are not as difficult as I thought. For example, now I feel less nervous about facing crowds. I am more comfortable while performing onstage,” said Alice.
Aside from travelling, Alice also dedicates herself to drawing. She usually portrays silhouettes of women decorated by delicate lines and flowers. Together, the compositions deliver an elegance that corresponds to the style of Art Nouveau. “I admire Alphonse Mucha and Aubrey Beardsley very much,” she admitted. “The delicately flowing lines in their works are presented in my drawings.”
Additionally, Alice also finds natural scenes to be her artistic inspiration, as flowers, trees, and ocean are common subjects recurring in her photographs. “I am always deeply moved whenever I observe Nature. I want to capture her beauty through my camera, from the totem of insects, outline of mountains, shape of trees, pattern of plants, to the flow of seas . . . to name but a few,” she enthused. “In one sentence, Mother Nature is my beloved muse!” |
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Moreover, Alice plays music and performs regularly as well. She has two one-man bands including Green Horizon and Mortfleur. From writing and singing the songs, playing the instruments, to designing the albums, she produces the music all by herself. While Green Horizon’s music is played mainly by double guitars and a keyboard, sometimes accompanied by her voice, Mortfleur’s songs are played mainly by an acoustic guitar and her vocal whispering the lyrics.
Just as Alice draws inspiration from Nature for her drawings and photos, the names of her bands originate from her pondering on natural surroundings. “‘Green Horizon’ came to existence out of my love for the color green and the sea, both of which bring a sense of serenity to me,” Alice said. “The name came to my mind while I was by the sea side, looking at the horizon of sea in the distance, feeling peaceful deep down in my heart.”
Just as Alice draws inspiration from Nature for her drawings and photos, the names of her bands originate from her pondering on natural surroundings. “‘Green Horizon’ came to existence out of my love for the color green and the sea, both of which bring a sense of serenity to me,” Alice said. “The name came to my mind while I was by the sea side, looking at the horizon of sea in the distance, feeling peaceful deep down in my heart.”
“‘Mortfleur’ is derived from French ‘fleur de la mort,’ which means the death of flower. The band was formed at the end of 2013 out of grief,” Alice continued. “To see the flower you loved falls could hurt greatly, so I turn my mourning into music. This helps me face the loss and ease the pain.”
Reflecting Nature and her life experiences, Alice’s music sounds tranquil, with a bit of sadness underlying the tunes, lyrics, and her voice. “There are no catchy lines or melodies in my music. They are just calm,” she explained.
As Green Horizon suggests, listening to Alice’s music may make you feel as if you are soaking in the sea shimmering with greenness, while the soft wind brushes your skin occasionally. As for the songs paying tribute to a dead flower, their sounds flow into your heart quietly with undercurrents, gradually bringing out the sorrow inside and healing the wounds.
Reflecting Nature and her life experiences, Alice’s music sounds tranquil, with a bit of sadness underlying the tunes, lyrics, and her voice. “There are no catchy lines or melodies in my music. They are just calm,” she explained.
As Green Horizon suggests, listening to Alice’s music may make you feel as if you are soaking in the sea shimmering with greenness, while the soft wind brushes your skin occasionally. As for the songs paying tribute to a dead flower, their sounds flow into your heart quietly with undercurrents, gradually bringing out the sorrow inside and healing the wounds.
For Alice, artistic expression is not only her favorite outlet to release emotions and thoughts, but she also hopes her work can bring people’s attention to the quiet beauty in their lives.
“I devote myself to making art because it is the meaning of my life. Without it, I would be swallowed by emptiness . . .” Alice said. “Besides, I think little beauties are usually overlooked in the hustle and bustle of modern society; hence, I expect myself to live a spiritual life and instill more meaningful contents in my work. I hope more and more people will find inspiration in my observations of ordinary but beautiful things.”
“I devote myself to making art because it is the meaning of my life. Without it, I would be swallowed by emptiness . . .” Alice said. “Besides, I think little beauties are usually overlooked in the hustle and bustle of modern society; hence, I expect myself to live a spiritual life and instill more meaningful contents in my work. I hope more and more people will find inspiration in my observations of ordinary but beautiful things.”
*To know more about her, please visit her Facebook page “Alice Ku”!