In Your Element
This is a special project with Photographer Jessica Foley. In Your Element is a personal dive into four different artists and their daily lives in New York. We explored when these artists feel most in their element, and found it's when they're flowing, creating, exploring, and learning.
Ziran means "natural, spontaneous, and free." To push away outside influence and embrace your own authenticity. It means truly living your way regardless of what's going on in the outside world.
When do you feel most in your element?
We hope you love this series - check out the photos, videos, and full interviews below!
LLOYD VINES
Quick background!
My name is Lloyd Elgin Vines. I’m from Virginia Beach, Virginia. I am me, L.V. I think about things before I do them, that’s what I do. I do art in many forms of self expression.
How did you get into skateboarding? Why do you love it?
I got into skateboarding in 1999, in maybe November. I was in 7th grade, 12 years old. A kid had a Flameboy industries board at the bus stop in Virginia Beach, literally a street off the shore. And I rode his board down a hill and after that… that’s my best friend. I loved it because I could learn about myself through the way I skated. And how to use my motherfucking wand, you know. Learn about my sorcery, friendships, balance. That’s why I love it.
When do you feel most In Your Element?
I feel most in my element when I can do things without overthinking it, see that’s what I do. I also feel in my element when I can do things mindfully, kind of in a spontaneous way, like freestyle. That’s my favorite - when I have the courage and confidence to just flow, and not think about what I do, or what I’m doing. To just like, do it.
Challenges you’re experiencing now as an individual and musician. How do you balance and overcome them?
Some of the challenges I experience now as an individual and as a musician are trying to be an individual musician. Trying to be true to the art that I want to make and how that affects collaboration, and by being true to what you want to do. It’s not always a negative thing if something doesn’t work out when you’re just being you as the individual that you recognize and are aware you are. Those are a lot of the challenges I face with it. For so long now, I balance them and overcome them by continuing to just do my thing.
Ziran means “natural, spontaneous, and free.” To push away outside influence and embrace your own authenticity. Does this idea of Ziran mean anything to you? Do you live Ziran?
This idea of Ziran means everything to me. That’s why I love your brand so much Kelly. Because I feel like somebody made something for somebody like me in the world. Or all the Me’s in the world. I think you made something that we can literally align with. Morally, the fashion of it, literally everything. And then I just know you as a person, so yeah, thank you for showing me the Ziran light.
Tell us about any upcoming projects you’re working on! What’s next?
I have a bunch of projects coming up. My album, “You can’t spell LOVE without L.V.” This will come out in 4 parts. Part L, part O, part V, part E. They’ll come out over the next year. Once they're all out, you know you can’t spell love without LV, so all 4 of the individual projects together will make up the whole album. I also have another project with the same producer, named Said Hughes. We have a group called Elgin Jerome and Isolated Destiny. That’s going to come out this year, probably before winter. Also some videos and maybe a tour with an awesome group of folks I met in Brooklyn. Hopefully more skating, the Vines brand, Virginia Bulls. Yeah, execution.
SHIN SAKAINO
What’s your name and what do you do?
My name is Shin Saikano and I’m a musician from Japan living in New York.
When do you feel In Your Element?
When I’m learning, practicing and trying to be better. I don’t know if I’ll ever feel free and I’ve accepted that life.
What difficulties do you experience as a musician and individual? How do you work through the difficulties?
All types of music have their own cultures, and I need to learn their history and techniques to be able to perform those different styles. Also adding your own experiences and personality. It’s the same as learning a new language and living there.
What does the idea of Ziran (自然) mean to you? Ziran means nature but it also means “natural, spontaneous, and free.” Do you live this way in your life?
The past, present, and future are all connected. We choose the things to focus on and it can be bad. But it also can be the fortunate times. I live in both. Just letting things go and picking what I feel like at the moment. This is natural for me.
MEGAN GABRIELLE HARRIS
Quick background!
My name is Megan Gabrielle Harris. I’m from Sacramento, California, and I’m an artist.
Your paintings are so striking, both in color and the imagery. How do you describe your paintings? Why do you share the Black experience through them?
My artwork currently focuses on Black women in dreamy settings, having pleasurable and peaceful experiences. Making this kind of work is a way of realizing my own personal experiences and being able to connect and validate the experiences of other Black women from all over the world.
When do you feel most In Your Element?
I feel most in my element when I’m in my studio creating. Phone is on Do Not Disturb, playlist is going, and I light some Palo Santo. It really sets the tone for me to be in a really creative space, and it’s when I’m the happiest.
Challenges you’re experiencing now as an individual, model, and artist. How do you balance?
As of recently, I have faced a few challenges between balancing painting and modeling full time, and just focusing on my personal life. I have to be pretty strict about how and where I spend my time. And create a little schedule for myself to prioritize art making on the days I have free.
I’m definitely still figuring everything out but I really look forward to the day when art making has 100% of my attention.
Ziran means “natural, spontaneous, and free.” To push away outside influence and embrace your own authenticity. Does this idea of Ziran mean anything to you? Do you live Ziran?
The idea of Ziran is something I want to fully embrace in my life. I spent so many years trying to please others, or thinking that I needed to follow this predetermined path based on what society expects. That’s never really served me. Right now I’m in a new chapter in my life and trying to fully reconnect with myself. I will do that by trying a bunch of new things, changing my routine, and kind of retreating a bit from socializing in certain spaces where I didn’t really feel my best.
What are you looking forward to? What’s next?
I’ve taken a bit of a step back from doing collaborative work, because I’m focused and looking forward to creating a really solid beautiful body of artwork to share with the world. I’m so excited to see what unfolds from that.
LUCIEN SHAPIRO
Quick background!
My name is Lucien Shapiro, and I’m an artist focused primarily on sculpture, object making, performance, and film.
Why do you collect and use found objects?
Collecting is a part of my process. I use discarded materials - some might see as trash - and turn them into treasure.
When do you feel most In Your Element?
In the studio. Building and creating gives me a window into myself. A silence to all the noise that surrounds our modern life. I can also feel this way while traveling and exploring.
Challenges you’re experiencing now as an individual and artist. How do you balance?
Challenges I experience are just problems that haven’t been solved yet. Life teaches those that are willing to learn and grow. It’s never easy, but always achievable.
Ziran means “natural, spontaneous, and free.” To push away outside influence and embrace your own authenticity. Does this idea of Ziran mean anything to you? Do you live Ziran?
This is the way I try to live my life. Easier said than done… but definitely the goal is to live natural, spontaneous, and free.
CREDITS:
Creative Director: Kelly Wang Shanahan (@theziran)
Photographer + Videographer: Jessica Foley (@fauxly)
Video Editor: Jobe Lowen (@jobetoenail)
Artists: Lloyd Vines (@even.if.ya.not.hot), Shin Saikano (@ofthenewworld), Megan Gabrielle Harris (@megangabriellle), Lucien Shapiro (@lucienshapiro)
Shot in New York City, June 2021.