Artists are often told to follow their inspiration.
But what happens when that inspiration leads to something huge? Something that could take years—or a lifetime—to fully realize?
Michelle Fung knows exactly what that feels like.
A decade ago, Michelle had a vivid dream while dozing off at a coffee whop while on vacation. She woke up, wrote it down, and unknowingly began what would become a lifelong artistic commitment: The World of 2084.
This ambitious, interdisciplinary project imagines five futuristic nations and explores the consequences of environmental and cultural decisions made today. She builds her world through woodcut prints, books, animation, installations, and most recently, a new hybrid medium she calls “woodcut painting.”
Michelle’s work is imaginative and richly researched—but what impressed me the most in this conversation is her clarity of purpose and ability to stick with her vision over time.
This episode is about more than world-building or long-term projects. It’s about trusting your instincts, organizing your creative life with intention, and making peace with the fact that some projects will earn money while others exist purely to grow your practice.
Michelle also shares:
- How she plans 10 years into the future
- Her surprising transition from printmaker to painter
- Why she’s not afraid to revisit fascinations like fairy tales
- The question she asks herself before starting every new project
Whether you’ve ever dreamed of launching a long-haul project—or just want to know how to stay creatively engaged year after year—I think you’ll love hearing from Michelle.
Listen or Watch
Michelle returned to her college fairy tale books with a new lens.
Is there a childhood fascination, past interest, or shelved idea that might be worth reintroducing into your current practice?
Michelle Fung Quotes
“I’ve been married to this project for 10 years, and I don’t see any signs of divorce.”
“I am not in art so that I can sell my works. I’m selling works so that I can make my art.”
“Every new idea I take on, I feel like I’m jumping off a cliff without wings—and somewhere in the middle of falling, I have to grow a wing so I don’t die.”
“I don’t have time to be bored.”
“Enthusiasm always sells. When you’re crazy about something, people can feel it, and they want to be a part of it.”
“If the whole world is telling you something, they’re probably pointing to your blind spot.”
“Storage became a problem—and I didn’t want to store my work indefinitely. I wanted to share it.”
“It’s that choosing and leaving out that makes us unique artists.”
Mentioned
Artica artist residency in Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway
Pro Arts in Oakland, California
Tibetan monastery in Shangri-la, Yunnan, China
Related Episodes
These episodes feature artists who have taken on big or multi-year projects.
About Michelle Fung
Hong Kong Canadian artist Michelle Fung’s lifelong interdisciplinary oeuvre revolves around a grand dystopian world-building narrative in the year 2084. In recent years, she has focused on woodcut drawings and paintings of imagined future worlds. These imagined worlds offer a glimpse of how our future would look had we continued a path of unfettered consumption.
Her works have garnered many local and international awards, including the 2024 Sovereign Asian Art Prize Vogue Hong Kong Women’s Art Prize and semifinalist for the Print Center’s 98th Annual International Competition (Philadelphia, USA).
Follow Michelle on Instagram: @michelleksfung
