Interview
Weiyi Yan
Born in Shenzhen, China, in 1999, Weiyi started her path of art at a very early age. In 2021, she earned a BFA degree from the School of Visual Arts in New York, and then began taking on the challenges of society.
Her work covers various topics, but the majority of these are based on nature, and traditional Chinese landscapes and culture. Weiyi is strongly affected by the culture and environment around her, and she believes she can interpret her visualization through a quality of uniqueness.
Now, Weiyi is working as a VI designer, a freelance illustrator, and also an art assistant in her hometown. She is continuously exploring the possibilities of her creation, and keeps her passion alive by doing editorial illustrations and long-roll story paintings.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“I started drawing at the young age of 4. At first, it was just doodling, but soon my first art tutor found my talent in sketching and coloring, so I became his student and started to learn drawing in a systematic way. I had the idea to begin my path of creation when I finished middle school, and I went to an art high school in China. Currently, I just graduated from the School of Visual Arts in New York and earned myself a BFA degree. None of my family members have ever worked in the art field, so I guess that my interest in art is a unique calling from within myself.”
What inspires you?
“I would say my culture and traveling. I gather many ideas while traveling, as well as from historical sites in China. Chinese history is mysterious and inspiring to me, allowing me to always find a brand-new perspective to start my projects.”
What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?
“Many of my topics relate to nature and history. I like story-telling. Sometimes my drawings are simple, both in colors and lines, but it will encourage viewers to imagine and create other stories based on my work. As an illustrator, I simply reveal my point of view to you, but different individuals have different ways to interpret my visual language. I find that this process is amusing and explorative to all involved.”
“I welcome viewers to create their own visual world, and set my work as a start.”
What is your creative process like?
“I will listen to music, do some life sketching, and go out for a small walk or a long journey. It's important for me to go outside rather than sit inside and do doodles on sketchbooks. I believe the best ideas and elements come from the real world. Then I will collect photos and tag them based on their themes.
Sketching is the most exciting part because I hardly revise them. I will do many layers on one sketch and gradually get the best version. Then, I will keep reworking my pieces, and intentionally keep some traces of processes in my work. I think leaving some marks of creation also makes the work more significant. Striving for perfection is not always the best option for me personally.”
How would you describe your work?
“I would say some of my art still has a work-in-process look, even when they are finished. I love line drawings and color patches. For a color drawing, normally I just do a rough sketch and then start to add color on it, without tracing the line carefully. But that's usually my own way when I do my personal series. You will see many of my personal works with bold lines and abstract colors. For commercial works, I will treat them with more attention and delicate details, but I will still keep my style. I'm still a young illustrator, so I won't say that my style will keep steady, as I am always searching for more challenging ways to improve my style.”
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“I think artists play vital roles in our current society. People are busy nowadays, and it's hard to slow down the pace and appreciate something beautiful and gentle around us. I would say art is a kind of medium that can help people calm down and enter an imaginative wonderland for a short time, and think about something positive and beautiful around themselves.
There are forms of art that also warn people about different issues, but for me, I would say art is for seeking inner freedom. Nothing can compare to one's own happiness, and I believe art can help one reach his/her inner freedom and unique wonderland.”
Which artists influence you most?
“Yoshitaka Amano, he's a really marvelous, talented Japanese illustrator, and his style of work is so flexible and mysterious. I am learning the use of color from his work. Also, James Jean, who's also a freelance illustrator - I love his patterns and the compositions. Recently, I find much inspiration from a French comic artist, Moebius. I would say many artists influence me, they all have their specialties.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“I had a co-exhibition with other talented artists in Shanghai, China. It was a series of giant art pieces. We mainly worked with themes of primitive instincts and the survival of plants. You can see more here.”
Website: weindyiyan.squarespace.com
