Liv Amiri
Liv Amiri’s creative process is deeply intertwined with music, spontaneity, and observation. Music plays a central role in her art-making, acting as both an emotional catalyst and a tool for quieting perfectionism. She finds that different genres evoke different moods, influencing the outcome of her work in unexpected ways. As a musician herself, she describes the act of listening to music while painting as a way to dissolve anxiety and immerse herself in the creative process. To further enhance this experience, she has curated multiple playlists for different emotional states—sometimes opting for ambient sounds, and other times favoring hard rock.
Inspiration often comes from her surroundings, but rather than simply replicating what she sees, she distills moments into imagined scenes, much like an author crafting fiction. Her paintings are visual snapshots of a larger story, allowing her to push the boundaries of reality while capturing emotional and psychological depth. One such example is her piece of three girls sitting in a bathroom, influenced by Justine Kurland’s photography. The piece was inspired by her observation of “girls talk” and the meaningful intimacy that unfolds in ordinary spaces, like school bathrooms. She sought to capture the quiet but profound moments of connection that define adolescence.
A typical day in her creative life is shaped by her responsibilities as a student, but she actively integrates creativity into her academic experience. She takes advantage of opportunities like Drawing the Human Figure, where she paints and sketches from live models, further honing her technical skills. Beyond painting, she also finds fulfillment in writing, cooking, and playing piano, seeing these activities as extensions of her artistic expression.
For Amiri, success as an artist is defined not by technical perfection but by originality and surprise. When a viewer tells her they have never seen something like her work before, she feels a deep sense of accomplishment, knowing she has created something unique and authentic rather than a recreation of existing ideas. Moving forward, she aspires to challenge the self-imposed constraints that come with perfectionism. She acknowledges that her most exciting and dynamic pieces emerge when she allows herself to paint freely, without rigidly policing the outcome. By embracing spontaneity and flexibility, she discovers compositions that feel more alive and unconstrained.
Her personal life and the turbulent era she has grown up in have inevitably shaped her artistic perspective. At 18, she sees her art as a way to process the complexities of coming of age in a world that is both chaotic and full of possibility. Her work reflects her evolving understanding of the world and her place in it, serving as both a form of self-reflection and a means of external dialogue.
Balancing art with other aspects of life comes naturally to her. She describes herself as someone who is always thinking creatively, constantly generating ideas for poetry, art, and other projects from her daily experiences. Rather than compartmentalizing her artistic and practical life, she integrates the two, allowing her creativity to inform her experiences and vice versa.
As a final thought, Amiri encourages aspiring artists to let go of self-inflicted shame. She believes that one of the biggest barriers to “good art” is the judgment artists place on themselves. True artistic expression, she says, comes from allowing oneself to create freely, without being weighed down by doubts about whether the work is “good enough.” When an artist can fully devote themselves to their craft without distraction, they create something that is not just a skillful composition but an honest extension of their true self.
