Artist dad Johannes Nielsen is originally from Sweden and has lived in Beijing for over ten years. He spends his days creating art and playing games with his five-year-old daughter Shiloh along with their dog Luna and cat T-Rex.
Does art play a large part in your life?
Yes, I was born into an artistic home and grew up with paint and clay in the living room. As a teenager I hated art but now it’s my passion, my language, my joy… and now it’s me bringing clay and paint to the living room and probably sometimes traumatizing my daughter with an overwhelming passion for art.
Were you encouraged to explore the arts as a child?
Yes, in fact, it was the only thing I was really encouraged to do. Looking back I sometimes wished they had encouraged me to also take other things more seriously, like school. I learned to be a great dreamer but the journey to make my dreams real and pay tax has been a long and crooked journey. It was also that journey that took me to China.
Do you (or will you) encourage your children to explore the arts in or outside of school?
Yes, but I will also be careful not to overwhelm her or put any expectations on her. Also, in some way, I don’t think I know more about art than my daughter. She has shown me how playful it can be. She has in that way helped me to reconnect with something I had lost on the way as an artist, and maybe take it a little too seriously and to focus on the result. This lead me to create a drawing workshop for adults titled Rediscover Drawing.
Do you think it’s important for schools to offer kids a wide variety of arts programs? Why or why not?
I think for some kids it’s more important, almost essential. I was a kid like that myself, I did not feel like I fit into the school system, and had difficulties in following directions. But I remember in the art class how I got to shine and find my strength and way of expressing myself in the class. However, for other kids, it seems to be less important. I think art should never be something that one is forced to do. I believe creativity is a very delicate and intimate space. A space that needs to be seen and acknowledged within each of us both by ourselves but also by the people around us. Therefore it needs to be guided and explored within a space without right and wrong, good or bad… and that’s very hard to create and facilitate, therefore we should do it. Especially in times like this, I believe as technology gets more advanced, creativity will be more and more valued within all fields. Not only in art but also in business and science.
Is there a form of art that your child(ren) really enjoys?
Recently acting, dancing, and singing. Often to Disney’s “Frozen” where I get the role of a prince or monster and I love it, It’s an opportunity for me to play and reconnect with the child within me. I see it as my daughter does.
Do you think it’s important for your child to at least experience every form of art?
Yes, but I also know from my own experience it’s not a straight path. You need to go back and forth, up and down a lot… never throw the baby out with the baby water just because there was no magic the first time.
Would you encourage your child to pursue a career in the arts?
Definitely, but also if she chooses to be a banker, I would encourage that too. I think it all can be creative and an expression of our inner voice.
Do you think art contributes to a child’s mental development?
I know it does, not only because I have seen it in children, I have seen it in my parents, and I have experienced it within myself. Recently I made an exhibition titled “The Quarantine Collection.” It’s the artwork I created during the time of isolation in my home/studio. These artworks I have created during this time are very special to me because they have helped me find purpose and joy in this strange time. Instead of using words to explain how we feel I believe in the power of manifesting it to a picture, form, or object. We get distance, we can see it, we can touch it, and more importantly, share it with others.
Sometimes when my daughter finds it hard to explain something, I ask if she can draw it for me instead. And I’m always surprised by what comes out.
Dad Fango Huang is an avid photographer and designer, and Mom Grass Chen is an owner of specialty homestays, who strives to bring beauty into life. She lives by the mantra “You can be slow, but you can’t stop.” Together, they have two daughters: 14-year-old Martina and nine-year-old Phoena. Martina is gentle and quiet, has tenacity, and strives for perfection. She likes to listen to music and immerse herself in a world of paintings and artwork where she can create stories one stroke at a time. Phoena is lively, energetic, and imaginative. She loves doing handiwork and collecting gemstones.
Does art play a large part in your life?
Art is all things “beautiful” for us. As a family, yes, we have an innate pursuit of “beauty.” Art is not just present in lavish palaces and buildings but rather exists all throughout our daily lives. Beauty is all around us, and as long as we are willing and able, we can explore, discover, experience, and enjoy.
Were you encouraged to explore the arts as a child?
I was born in the 1970s. When I was a child, art materials were often very scarce and hard to purchase. I vividly remember the words my mother often used to say: “Be fortunate that you can at least stay warm in the winter and have enough food to eat. Don’t even think about anything else!” so, art was a luxury when I was young, and I wasn’t really encouraged to explore the arts.
Do you (or will you) encourage your children to explore the arts in or outside of school?
Most definitely. Whether it be in or out of school, we encourage the children to explore. I remember once in their music class at school, the teachers had asked the children to try to make musical instruments from different arts and crafts objects. They tied a rubber band to a paper box to make a harp. Another one of their assignments was to design and make a dress, so they cut, glued, and sewed out a set of dresses from old curtains. Once also, the two girls had a whim and wanted to paint on one of the walls in our house. After much deliberation, I cleared a wall and let them play freely. I guess you could say I got an abstract art wall for free.
Do you think it’s important for schools to offer kids a wide variety of arts programs? Why or why not?
Our school provides Western and Eastern art courses for the children, and there are also various art clubs after class, such as theater, orchestras, choirs, oil paintings, and calligraphy. We put great importance on the art courses provided by the school because they not only improve the children’s artistic abilities and their understanding of aesthetics, but they also cultivate the children’s teamwork abilities.
Is there a form of art that your child(ren) really enjoys?
Phoena can talk for hours on end, and I found that once you give her writing utensils and a drawing book, she will immediately quiet down. When she was five and a half years old, she made a decision to draw at least one picture every day. Over 500 days later, she’s still sticking to her promise and continuing to draw. Many parents are dumbfounded when they find out, and they ask us how we kept Phoena to continue drawing. But it’s not us, it’s a matter of persistence from Phoena.
Martina likes music, and when we watch the opera, she can be moved to tears. She likes doing choir music and playing the piano. She started learning when she was less than five years old. While she found it boring at times and almost gave up on a few occasions, Martina has truly fallen in love with the piano and enjoys it. She’s been through ups and downs, but as long as you persist, you will eventually experience its beauty.
Do you think it’s important for your child to at least experience every form of art?
Absolutely. I think it’s important to let the children dabble in various art experiences. On one hand, I hope that the children can find their artistic interests. On the other, I hope they can broaden their artistic perspectives and integrate different forms of art together.
Would you encourage your child to pursue a career in the arts?
If they can turn their artistic interests into a career, I will definitely support it. Of course, if the professional pathways they choose have nothing to do with the arts, I will wholeheartedly support that as well. I believe that the experiences you have in life are never in vain, so their interactions with the arts will definitely stay with them wherever they go.
Do you think art contributes to a child’s mental development?
Learning art is not just about developing children’s drawing skills, nor is it just about being proficient in making and creating music. Art is a means of spiritual fulfillment for children and is a lens through which we can view the world and understand the dynamics of life. I feel that art is an effective means of encouraging children to understand the world.
KEEP READING: West Meets East: Two Students From Different Cultures Share Their Views on Cultural Diversity
Images: Courtesy of Grass Chen and Johannes Nielsen
This article appeared in the beijingkids 2020 October issue
