Artist based in Pittsburgh, PA
Ling-lin Ku, Portrait of the Artist
Tell us about yourself, what's your background?
I was born and raised in Taiwan, a small sland so I’ve always felt a pull to explore the larger world. I think I first realized I wanted to be an artist because, for me, creativity represents freedom—the ability to construct a world entirely of my own making.
Making art feels like holding up a mirror to myself. It requires honesty, self-reflection, and sometimes vulnerability, but it’s also incredibly rewarding. Art gives me a sense of joy and fulfillment that I haven’t found elsewhere. It’s a space where I can pursue what I truly care about without worrying about others' opinions. Over time, the more I create, the more I feel art becoming inseparable from my identity—it’s how I understand myself and my place in the world.
A Fever Called Living, 2019. Mixed media with digital fabrication. 25ft x 10ft x 22ft.
“Over time, the more I create, the more I feel art becoming inseparable from my identity—it’s how I understand myself and my place in the world."
A Fever Called Living (detail) 2019.
What are you currently working on and where did the inspiration for it come from?
I am currently working on a series of sculptures inspired by cheese. For years, I’ve imagined creating an exhibition centered around cheese and cheese-related forms—it’s been a kind of whimsical dream project for me. This series isn’t about my love of eating cheese (though, honestly, who doesn’t love cheese?), but rather about using cheese as a playful visual language to explore larger ideas.
Stiletto Street Walking, 2018. MDF, bendy ply, 3D prints, wood, rubber, steel, fabric. 72"x 6"x 75"
Cheese, with its endless varieties, textures, and associations, feels like the perfect medium for experimentation. It’s both familiar and strange—something that invites humor but also curiosity. Through these sculptures, I’m delving into the concept of play and transformation. Cheese is often paired with other foods and objects, which allows me to explore unexpected combinations and interactions. For me, this series is about inviting viewers into a space where they can laugh, wonder, and maybe even rethink something as ordinary as cheese.
Lunch Break, 2022. Hardwood, plywood, bronze, milk paint. 28in x 12in x 12in.
Innovation does not only happen in the field of technology — it occurs everyday in a creative practice. What do you do for inspiration?
I believe inspiration can come from anywhere—it’s all around us. The key is being able to notice it and think deeply about it. I’ve found that when I’m relaxed, my mind is more open to seeing connections, free-associating, and letting ideas emerge naturally. It’s in these moments of ease that inspiration often strikes.
For me, preserving that creative mental space has become increasingly important. In a world full of distractions, I’ve learned to prioritize simplicity in my life. I try to limit noise and clutter—both external and internal—so my thoughts can wander freely. Walking, exercising, traveling, and reading are some of the ways I nurture this state of mind. Walking, in particular, helps me reset and observe the world around me, let my tangled ideas float above the surface.
Ultimately, I see inspiration not as something I wait for but as something I cultivate by being present, curious, and intentional about protecting my creative space.
Insight Outsight, 2024. Mixed media with digital fabrication. 34ft x 17ft x 14ft.
Describe your practice and process. Where do ideas start for you? In the studio or being in the world?
I daydream a lot—it's an essential part of my creative process. Daydreaming allows my mind to wander and free-associate, and I’ve found that some of my best ideas emerge when I feel a little bored or disengaged. It's as if my mind enters an almost autopilot mode, and that's when the unexpected connections happen. I often begin with a general idea or concept, but if certain thoughts keep resurfacing, I take that as a signal to dig deeper and explore further. The more I allow my mind to roam and make connections, the more the ideas solidify into tangible forms.
My practice thrives on the interplay between traditional, hands-on techniques and digital fabrication. I find that blending these approaches creates a dynamic space for experimentation. I often start by sketching and drawing in 3D modeling software, using it to prototype and refine ideas. This digital phase allows me to visualize and manipulate the concepts in ways that would be difficult to achieve with just traditional methods. From there, I move into the physical world, building, prototyping, and evolving the piece as it comes to life.
For me, the process is highly iterative. It’s about letting ideas evolve organically, responding to what emerges along the way, and allowing both traditional craftsmanship and modern technology to inform one another.
Insight Outsight (detail), 2024.
How do you make your work, does it start with a sketch?
People often describe my work as humorous, playful, yet layered with complexity. My creative process usually begins with a spark—an idea that intrigues me, often a blend of the familiar and the strange. From there, I let the idea evolve, developing it into uncanny sculptures that invite curiosity and multiple interpretations. Much of this evolution happens through techniques like hybridizing forms, exploring unexpected proximities, and rescaling objects to alter their context and meaning.
While I don’t always start with traditional sketches, I use 3D modeling software to visualize my ideas. I enjoy drawing shapes and forms digitally, manipulating them, and experimenting with their relationships in virtual space. This process allows me to play with the scale, texture, and interaction of elements before moving to the physical world.
Once I’ve developed a concept digitally, I create prototypes and test how they interact with other materials or objects. This hands-on phase is where things often shift or take on new directions, and I love the surprises that emerge during this stage. My style has grown from this iterative process, balancing spontaneity with intentionality, and always aiming to push the boundaries of how we perceive everyday forms and objects.
Healing, 2023. 3D scanned and CNC routed hardwood. 17in x 30in x 1in.
Many artists live by their routines, what does that look like for you?
I don’t have a strict routine in the studio, mainly because my practice involves working with a wide variety of materials and processes across different shops. My schedule tends to be irregular—no two days look the same. However, when I do start working, I often lose myself in the process, so much so that I have to set alarms to remind myself to take breaks or go for a walk.
For repetitive tasks that don’t require my full creative attention, like sanding or applying color, I enjoy listening to audiobooks or podcasts. These moments let my hands work on autopilot while my mind wanders and absorbs new ideas, which sometimes feed back into my practice in surprising ways.
I’ve found that I prefer working earlier in the day rather than at night. There’s something about the freshness and quietness of the morning that I love—it feels like a blank slate, undisturbed by the noise of the day. The absence of emails or other distractions allows me to focus more deeply on my work and sets a productive tone for the rest of the day.
Who are your biggest influences?
My biggest influence is my twin sister. Being identical twins, we’ve always shared a unique and intimate connection. Growing up, we had secret languages, invented alter egos, and even shared parts of our identities in ways that felt seamless and inseparable. For much of my life, I couldn’t fully distinguish where my identity ended and hers began.
This dynamic deeply informs my art. Even now, I sometimes wonder if my work is about myself, about her, or about the shared space between us. Her presence is woven into so much of what I create—whether it’s intentional or something that emerges naturally through the process. My art often feels like a conversation with her or an exploration of the ways we’ve influenced and mirrored each other over time.
Through this connection, I’ve come to see identity as fluid and layered, which has become a recurring but hidden message in my work.
Blocked, 2022. Copper pipes, digital prints on chiffon, MDF, digital prints on plxiglass, transducer. 34in x 26in x 6in.
Are there books or films that are an important source of inspiration?
One of the films that has had a significant impact on me is Insomnia, a Swedish murder mystery directed by Erik Skjoldbjærg, released in 1997. What I find fascinating about this film is its exploration of the metaphor of trying to hide a secret under the perpetual daylight of the Arctic Circle. The setting amplifies the tension between maintaining control and perfectionism, while constantly being on the verge of falling apart. The film’s psychological depth and its portrayal of the struggle to keep one’s self intact despite external pressure resonate deeply with me, especially in the artful visual languages and in how it relates to the human need to conceal certain truths.
Recently, I’ve been reading books that align with my ongoing research project, The Practice of Disguise, which delves into themes of visibility and concealment. One such book is The Liars of Nature and the Nature of Liars by Lixing Sun, which explores the complexities of truth and deception in the natural world. Another one is How to Disappear by Akiko Busch, which touches on the ways we hide or make ourselves invisible in everyday life. Both of these books have shaped my thinking around the themes of seeing and not seeing, revealing and concealing, which are central to my current artistic exploration.
In A Relationship (front), 2017. MDF, refabricated found objects, bronze, plaster, paint. 60”x10”96”
What is the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
Spend more time documenting your work more than you think you need to
What is the best advice you would give to other artists?
See the bigger picture
Insight Outsight (detail) 2023. Mixed media in digital fabrication. Dimension varies. Photo Courtesy of Leo Ng.
Stay up to date with Ling-lin Ku
Website linglinku.com
Instagram @linglin_ku