10 Questions with Qiyue Zhang

Qiyue Zhang is an illustrator currently living in New York. She graduated from the School of Visual Arts with a BFA in Illustration. She loves to tell stories through her pictures. She uses both analog and digital materials such as watercolor, ink, and pencil, along with Photoshop.

www.doublemooncake.com | @doublemooncake

ARTIST STATEMENT

As an Asian woman, Qiyue always feels anxious and unstable. We face some threats in society, and it is also hard for us to become confident. We have been taught to be obedient and pursue beauty constantly from childhood. However, we have never been told that we should also have power or be different. Drawing is the only way Qiyue has ever felt that she can make my voice heard and influence others. She likes to draw female subjects, including creating some drawings about herself. Way back home depicts her in New York City, living alone in a foreign country. There must be lonely moments, but she hopes to find finer things in ordinary life.

INTERVIEW

First of all, tell our readers a little bit about you. Who are you, and how did you start experimenting with images?

I've been infatuated with drawing since I was a child. Because of the picture book of Andersen's fairy tales that my mother bought me, or perhaps I've been addicted to the comic strip Dream of Red Mansions for a long time, I anticipate painting similar works in the future. Before I knew it, painting became an integral part of my life as a result of these works.

Why did you choose to pursue a career as an illustrator?  

My family encouraged me in my hobby. Since middle school, teachers in the studio have provided me with the professional guidance in preparation for future art school admission. Painting fundamentals practice is tedious and challenging. Especially as a student in Arts, the art fundamentals that I worked so hard to acquire were of immense assistance to me later on. I learned that there was a career as an illustrator when I was in high school, and it had always been my dream to illustrate the inside pages or covers of books, so I decided to study illustration.

What is your favorite experience as an artist so far? 

Illustration studies at the School of Visual Arts! I made many talented friends here and received assistance from numerous professors. My college experience has brought me many benefits, altered my worldview, and advanced me. Without these four years, it is difficult to imagine my current position.

Can you tell us about your creative process? What aspect of your work do you pay particular attention to? 

Possibly because I have been exposed to hand-drawing for so long, compared to digital works, I am more fond of hand-drawing. This step remains in my creative process to this day. I am accustomed to drawing first with a pencil. Afterward, the line art is scanned, colored, and refined in Photoshop. I was also perplexed. I also desired to abandon my original style and experiment with pure digital works in order to remain competitive. Although the final result was not terrible, it was difficult to create it without familiar painting habits and techniques. 
When I was most confused, the words of my senior-year professors, Yuko and Marcos, deeply moved me. They pushed me along to insist on my painting style. Everyone in one class presented their website to two professors. When it was their turn to view my website, Yuko directed their attention to a scanned copy of my sketchbook, "You are an excellent sketch artist. I believe that the lines are vivid ". Simultaneously, Marcos asked me, "Why don't you utilize this format? I believe this project is significantly more interesting than the ones you are currently working on "I was attempting to describe what I believed to be my style. This generation no longer finds it appealing, so I want to do something that the majority of people enjoy. However, they tell me that it is impossible to predict the next trend in illustration. Everything moves very quickly if you are unable to create something that is truly yours.

Your drawings are soft depictions of your life in New York City. Where do you find your inspiration?  

Last year, I worked in an art gallery. I was required to take the subway to work. On one occasion, almost the entire subway system was shut down due to heavy rain. I arrived at a previously unvisited location, transferred to a bus, looked up, and saw a cable car under a beautiful sunset. It is as if the day's fatigue has been cured. The original intent of this series was to capture the mood on the way back home, but as incidents of Asian Hatred increased, it became increasingly depressing.

In your statement, you quote your Asian cultural background. How does it influence your work? 

Unlike oil painting, the Asian style of painting emphasizes line expression. The time I spent studying Chinese painting had a significant impact on the development of my painting style. In addition, I resisted for a long-time drawing stories from my own culture or making my style appear predominantly Chinese. Not because I would not say I enjoy it. On the one hand, I believe that cultural barriers make many things strange and difficult to comprehend for people of other cultures. On the other hand, I do not want to be perceived as an intolerant illustrator who clings to the traditional culture of my own country and is afraid to show some negative aspects of Asian culture. Traditional Asian culture is deeply embedded with misogyny. Since childhood, we have been taught that girls should study liberal arts rather than science because endorsement is a no-brainer for girls who are less rational and logical than boys. Since I was a child, many of my teachers and relatives have told me that a woman who majors in the art should become an elementary school teacher after graduation. The job is secure, and there are ample vacation days to care for the children. I am a tool for a so-called future husband whom I do not know; he can live and work worry-free and pursue his dreams without housework or child care. Possibly, as a result of these imposed stereotypes, I am more willing to create and less hesitant to express my opinion.

Is there anything else you would like to experiment with in terms of your art career?

 I wish to collaborate with brands to design posters and packaging. Unfortunately, my style is not very modern, so I may not be considered an artist for collaboration, but I hope that a suitable opportunity will present itself one day.

What are you working on now, and what are your plans for the future? Anything exciting you can tell us about? 

I have a part-time job in a design studio as an illustrator. For work, I employ a different drawing style. Our company's primary focus is assisting numerous clients with website development. My responsibility is to collaborate with our product designers in order to produce appropriate vector illustrations for the landing page. In addition, I worked on commissions and personal projects. Recently, I've been working on an unpublished Greek mythology art book project. Concurrently, I received an email from a Taiwanese publisher expressing interest in collaborating with me on a Korean translation book project.

What is one lesson you learned from the recent Covid-19 pandemic? And how did it help you further develop your art?   

As an artist, health is incredibly essential. In addition to physical illness, spiritual healing and comfort are essential. It is commonly believed that artists are sentimental, and this trait makes us feel doubly pressured. I attempted to express some of my sufferings through art, and the appreciation I received, as a result, alleviated my sadness tremendously.

Finally, share something you would like the world to know about you? 

I am someone who enjoys retro fashion. I still keep some hand-drawn sketches despite not pursuing a comprehensive digital creation process. I've also been criticized for not following the trend of The Times, which is not a positive trait for me. The world's recognition of beauty should be diverse, and because we live in this era, I anticipate meeting more individuals who appreciate my sense of art.