PASTEL: How do you think your work has been affected as a Photography student at UGA?

MF: The Dodd constantly expands my brain (in a good way) and this translates to the evolution of my work. Not everyone realizes the treasure that the art program is, how enriching the lessons and opportunities are culturally, historically, and philosophically. Photography specifically allows me to view the world as a constant opportunity, enabling me to appreciate the transience of experiences and beauty in banal moments transformed into otherworldly images by something as simple as light. When you open your eyes to your surroundings the world never disappoints. Photography challenged me to seek these moments and absorb every detail of the Earth until noticing the motion of leaves growing, the bristling of hair, or convergence of lines became second-hand nature.

PASTEL: What came first—your passion for illustration or your passion for photography?

MF: I'm not sure entirely; art in all forms has always been enjoyable. I used to be obsessed with taking photographs in an unhealthy way. Like, I would snap my point-n-shoot so much just because I wanted to capture every moment that I thought was "photo worthy". Once during a sunset, mid-picture, my Aunt told me that some moments didn't need to be captured—that taking a good photo also meant knowing when to not take a photo. To let the notion of capturing a moment go, allowed one to experience it fully. After that, I meditated on what photography meant as an art form and took steps to consider each frame that I shot. Becoming a photography major was a spontaneous decision and it surprisingly has turned out to be the only art form that I never tire of.

PASTEL: You've mentioned that your cultural heritage is a driving force in your work. Can you talk a bit about your background and how it influences your work aesthetically and conceptually?

MF: My mom is Okinawan, and I grew up surrounded by the culture. She is heavily involved in an association that exists around the world called Okinawa Kenjinkai, so it makes sense that I became involved as well. The association was established to help preserve Okinawan culture after many people left as a result of World War II—a time during which Okinawan culture and language was "discouraged".

Growing up, I separated this part of life from the everyday part of school and friends, became less engaged with my heritage during my early teenage years, and then began returning to it. Now I am seeking to merge my culture with my art, including: the struggle and choices many second-generation kids face with assimilation, integrating their cultural roots into every day life, and the multitude of grey areas that come with these things.

PASTEL: What mediums do you prefer to work with, and have you noticed any other overarching themes in your work? 

MF: Watercolors, pastels, and micron pens are some of my favorite, especially in combination. Lately, I've been experimenting with intermingling these mediums with photography. I find alternative processes meditative and enjoy the nuances that come with them. Trying to combine these processes with watercolors, printmaking, and other avenues always brings about an unpredictability to a piece that I find exciting.

PASTEL: I've noticed that you like to draw on random papers + items. What inspires your drawings, and do you find that it enables a different form of expression that your photography? Do you think there's any discernible overlap in these two modes of art making?

MF: Drawing is a very subconscious and essential process for me. My mind constantly goes from this idea to that—the gears are always turning, so if I'm not drawing, I can't pay attention in class or even be fully involved in a conversation sometimes. Slowly, these drawings are evolving into actual pieces, and I hope to continue down this path of developing more finished works. So while drawing is a more subconscious and steady practice for me, photography is what I get super pumped about, and my focus is 100% committed to taking a photo each time. It's mesmerizing; I adore it.

PASTEL: Can you talk a bit about what your process is like for making photographs? Do you spend a lot of time conceptualizing, or do you prefer to find the right moment as you go?

MF: Capturing in the moment is definitely fun and is what come naturally to me, but I love executing things I've mulled about conceptually.

PASTEL: Do you think that your personality is prevalent in your work? If so, how do you think personal evidences affect the quality of each piece? 

MF: That's a funny question. It would make sense that some part of an artist would be revealed or translated into their pieces, which is, perhaps, both true and untrue. As for me, I have never really taken notice of how evident my personality is in my work, but each time that I make a piece, one of my friends usually tells me that it's very "Mika".

PASTEL: Do you have a favorite work (or set of works) that resonate with you above the rest? If so, why?

MF: I couldn't say. I move on very quickly from my works. Once I finish something, I become completely unattached from it. All I'm thinking about is what I will be doing next.

PASTEL: What are the greatest challenges that you face with your work, and how do you deal with them?

MF: Decisions. Getting started. Thinking too much about an idea. A vision always exists in my mind that's very complex and concrete—so much so that I can't bring myself to execute it (a common problem amongst artists). The end product always turns out completely different from any vision that I have though, so I'm trying to embrace that and just dive into the making of art rather than fret about how or where or when I will ever be able to begin a certain project.

PASTEL: What are you currently reading, listening to, or looking at to fuel your work? Are there any artists that have inspired you?

MF: Man . . . Well, I just finished Dancer, by Colum McCann, which moved me to create. I'm always reading from Women Who Run with the Wolves. And I've just started The Second Sex and The Elegance of the Hedgehog. My roommate usually reads me poetry too (she's one of those creative writing majors), and those words paint pictures in my head that I wish to recreate often. It's lovely to be in Athens, surrounded by a creative community; the local bands and upcoming artists are also always an inspiration. My top favorites are The Rodney Kings, Mothers, Nurture and I'm super impressed by Wrenn (*Check out our artist spotlight on Wrenn below)! Also, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Fridha Kahlo, and Jim Campbell are constant favorites.

PASTEL: What's next on the agenda for Mika Fengler?! Do you have any current or upcoming projects that you are excited about?

MF: Yes! I'm currently working on an independent mini-documentary on the beginnings of the Atlanta Okinawa Kenjin Kai for their 30th anniversary in August of 2015. This is the first long-term project that I've ever done, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed, but so far the process has been extremely rewarding.

PASTEL: What do you hope that your work will accomplish? What reaction do you hope to get from your audience?

MF: There exists a certain emotion that I feel underlying everyday thoughts and happenings . . . one that is tangible, but difficult to find the right words for. I hope someday that, that sensation may leak through my work and speak to the viewer. 

PASTEL: How do you think your work has been affected as a Photography student at UGA?

MF: The Dodd constantly expands my brain (in a good way) and this translates to the evolution of my work. Not everyone realizes the treasure that the art program is, how enriching the lessons and opportunities are culturally, historically, and philosophically. Photography specifically allows me to view the world as a constant opportunity, enabling me to appreciate the transience of experiences and beauty in banal moments transformed into otherworldly images by something as simple as light. When you open your eyes to your surroundings the world never disappoints. Photography challenged me to seek these moments and absorb every detail of the Earth until noticing the motion of leaves growing, the bristling of hair, or convergence of lines became second-hand nature.

PASTEL: What came first—your passion for illustration or your passion for photography?

MF: I'm not sure entirely; art in all forms has always been enjoyable. I used to be obsessed with taking photographs in an unhealthy way. Like, I would snap my point-n-shoot so much just because I wanted to capture every moment that I thought was "photo worthy". Once during a sunset, mid-picture, my Aunt told me that some moments didn't need to be captured—that taking a good photo also meant knowing when to not take a photo. To let the notion of capturing a moment go, allowed one to experience it fully. After that, I meditated on what photography meant as an art form and took steps to consider each frame that I shot. Becoming a photography major was a spontaneous decision and it surprisingly has turned out to be the only art form that I never tire of.

PASTEL: You've mentioned that your cultural heritage is a driving force in your work. Can you talk a bit about your background and how it influences your work aesthetically and conceptually?

MF: My mom is Okinawan, and I grew up surrounded by the culture. She is heavily involved in an association that exists around the world called Okinawa Kenjinkai, so it makes sense that I became involved as well. The association was established to help preserve Okinawan culture after many people left as a result of World War II—a time during which Okinawan culture and language was "discouraged".

Growing up, I separated this part of life from the everyday part of school and friends, became less engaged with my heritage during my early teenage years, and then began returning to it. Now I am seeking to merge my culture with my art, including: the struggle and choices many second-generation kids face with assimilation, integrating their cultural roots into every day life, and the multitude of grey areas that come with these things.

PASTEL: What mediums do you prefer to work with, and have you noticed any other overarching themes in your work? 

MF: Watercolors, pastels, and micron pens are some of my favorite, especially in combination. Lately, I've been experimenting with intermingling these mediums with photography. I find alternative processes meditative and enjoy the nuances that come with them. Trying to combine these processes with watercolors, printmaking, and other avenues always brings about an unpredictability to a piece that I find exciting.

PASTEL: I've noticed that you like to draw on random papers + items. What inspires your drawings, and do you find that it enables a different form of expression that your photography? Do you think there's any discernible overlap in these two modes of art making?

MF: Drawing is a very subconscious and essential process for me. My mind constantly goes from this idea to that—the gears are always turning, so if I'm not drawing, I can't pay attention in class or even be fully involved in a conversation sometimes. Slowly, these drawings are evolving into actual pieces, and I hope to continue down this path of developing more finished works. So while drawing is a more subconscious and steady practice for me, photography is what I get super pumped about, and my focus is 100% committed to taking a photo each time. It's mesmerizing; I adore it.

PASTEL: Can you talk a bit about what your process is like for making photographs? Do you spend a lot of time conceptualizing, or do you prefer to find the right moment as you go?

MF: Capturing in the moment is definitely fun and is what come naturally to me, but I love executing things I've mulled about conceptually.

PASTEL: Do you think that your personality is prevalent in your work? If so, how do you think personal evidences affect the quality of each piece? 

MF: That's a funny question. It would make sense that some part of an artist would be revealed or translated into their pieces, which is, perhaps, both true and untrue. As for me, I have never really taken notice of how evident my personality is in my work, but each time that I make a piece, one of my friends usually tells me that it's very "Mika".

PASTEL: Do you have a favorite work (or set of works) that resonate with you above the rest? If so, why?

MF: I couldn't say. I move on very quickly from my works. Once I finish something, I become completely unattached from it. All I'm thinking about is what I will be doing next.

PASTEL: What are the greatest challenges that you face with your work, and how do you deal with them?

MF: Decisions. Getting started. Thinking too much about an idea. A vision always exists in my mind that's very complex and concrete—so much so that I can't bring myself to execute it (a common problem amongst artists). The end product always turns out completely different from any vision that I have though, so I'm trying to embrace that and just dive into the making of art rather than fret about how or where or when I will ever be able to begin a certain project.

PASTEL: What are you currently reading, listening to, or looking at to fuel your work? Are there any artists that have inspired you?

MF: Man . . . Well, I just finished Dancer, by Colum McCann, which moved me to create. I'm always reading from Women Who Run with the Wolves. And I've just started The Second Sex and The Elegance of the Hedgehog. My roommate usually reads me poetry too (she's one of those creative writing majors), and those words paint pictures in my head that I wish to recreate often. It's lovely to be in Athens, surrounded by a creative community; the local bands and upcoming artists are also always an inspiration. My top favorites are The Rodney Kings, Mothers, Nurture and I'm super impressed by Wrenn (*Check out our artist spotlight on Wrenn below)! Also, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Fridha Kahlo, and Jim Campbell are constant favorites.

PASTEL: What's next on the agenda for Mika Fengler?! Do you have any current or upcoming projects that you are excited about?

MF: Yes! I'm currently working on an independent mini-documentary on the beginnings of the Atlanta Okinawa Kenjin Kai for their 30th anniversary in August of 2015. This is the first long-term project that I've ever done, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed, but so far the process has been extremely rewarding.

PASTEL: What do you hope that your work will accomplish? What reaction do you hope to get from your audience?

MF: There exists a certain emotion that I feel underlying everyday thoughts and happenings . . . one that is tangible, but difficult to find the right words for. I hope someday that, that sensation may leak through my work and speak to the viewer.