An Interview with Anna Ling, Sculptor and Filmmaker
Anna is an adventurous spirit with a visceral desire for knowledge and experience – a true Sagittarius! Dooz caught up with Anna to talk about her travels and accomplishments.
Where are you from? Where did you study? Where do you live now?
“I’m born and raised in Japan and I studied sculpture in England and I’m here now, in New York, as a filmmaker.”
Wow, a world-traveler! What kind of films do you specialize in?
“I like making conceptual films – everything from music videos to fashion videos.”
What was studying sculpture like?
“It was like I have all the materials in the world and I get to just carve out from space and it’s actually endless. There’s a lot of possibilities, but that’s what I like about it. It’s so satisfying when you actually work on something for so many months and finally see it all come together.”
That sounds incredible and very rewarding! Did you always want to be a sculptor?
“I discovered it while doing a foundation year when you get to explore a little bit of everything, from graphic design to textiles to 3D design. And that’s when I realized that 3D is what I want to do. So, I decided to enroll in a course that was specifically for sculpture and I found a perfect place in Cardiff, Wales, in the middle of nowhere. I learned so many skills. It was great!”
Do you have a preferred sculpture of your own?
“My graduate collection was a series of nine different sculptures made out of different types of materials. It was inspired by a Japanese Zen garden; I created a contemporary geometric version of it.”
Japan is such a magical place to draw inspiration from! What about a favorite geometric shape?
“I think my forever geometric shape is the circle. Yeah. Hands down. Circle.”
Sagittarians always speak the truth as to how they see it. What are your strengths?
“I think my strength is that I like to be warm to everyone. I enjoy learning about other people a lot. Also, I’m hardworking if I want to go after something.”
Do you have any weaknesses?
“Because I’m hardworking, I put a lot of pressure on myself and neglect myself. But I’m working on it.”
How’d you transition from sculpture to film?
“I always have been interested in spatial design. When I started looking into jobs, I realized that set design was something I could do: creating composition within a frame-type-thing. Later, I realized that directing is a lot bigger of a scale that I can work towards. I like fashion films and music videos because they can get really conceptual and sculptural.”
We would love to hear you talk more about Japan! You moved here recently?
“I’m born and raised in a city called Yokohama. It’s right next to Tokyo. I went to an international school there. I left when I was 18, but I think it inspired me a lot. Being part of the international community gave me a taste of both worlds. I began to look at Japan differently, from a foreigner’s perspective. I moved to New York just over two years ago to pursue my career as a filmmaker, sculptor/artist, and it’s been great so far. Everyone’s really creative here and I love that.”
As a sculptor, what are you noticing in the Dooz handbag?
“Well, I love the circle and I love its clean lines. Minimal and simplified signs of the zodiac are amazing, so cute! Yeah, and the color. I love this color – it’s one of my favorite colors, actually. It’s kind of like this bright, primary purple-pink-fuchsia, which I think everyone could incorporate in their wardrobe if they want to have fun with it.”
Thank you so much, Anna, we really appreciate it! Coming from a sculptor, this means a lot to us. Good luck with all of your creative endeavors. You look fantastic in your Sagittarius Sweater-T coupled with Sagittarius Céleste Bag!
