10 Questions with Wenxu Zhao

Al-Tiba9 Art Magazine ISSUE12 | Featured Artist

Wenxu Zhao was born in China and currently resides in New York. Her introduction to art began in kindergarten painting class when she was five years old. Due to her unclear aspirations and the bias against art at Chinese schools, she abandoned extracurricular drawing classes in middle school. Thus she had a long journey before deciding to become an illustrator. When she moved to the United States to attend college, she enrolled in a painting class to resume her favorite interest while continuing her science studies. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a bachelor's degree in art and an additional major in mathematics. She enrolled in the MFA Illustration as Visual Essay program at the School of Visual Arts.

Her work focuses primarily on invention and fantasy. Her artwork and paintings are inspired by her daydreams, her discovery of beauty in life, her self-reflection, and her views on certain aspects of life. Her mathematical expertise also added logic to her narrative illustrations. Her digital and hand-painted works have been acknowledged by Communication Arts and Artistonish Magazine.

www.wenxuart.com | @wenxuart

ARTIST STATEMENT

Wenxu Zhao is an illustration artist. She uses several mediums, such as digital painting, oils, acrylic gouache, and watercolors. Her works typically feature flora, animals, and all other components of the natural environment. Her illustrations not only leverage her innate imagination and sensitivity for colors, but also apply rational thinking from the math background when observing life and expressing ideas via painting, which makes her illustrations form a unique storytelling logic. A Strawberry Fish Girl's Trip on a Summer Night is the title of her recent series of self-reflective artworks. This fish girl is a figure she created as her alter ego, and the images of her trip reveal her inner world. She is also working on a few children's books to share stories she developed about fantasy journeys. Her illustration reflects the innocence of a child and yet conveys her attitude and worldview as an adult. Her purpose is to express her emotions and thoughts while also bringing beauty and warmth to the rush and chaos of modern life.

The Strawberry Fish Girl's Trip on A Summer Night | Project Description

This fish girl is my alter ego. Every day when it’s getting late, she will usually come out. These animals respectively represent my mind, goals, and curiosity. These images of her trip reveal my inner world: There is a beautiful peacock in this girl’s heart. Many shining “stars” live in its eyes, and every night more “stars” fall onto the peacock; On the way to reaching the “tiger” in her mind, she is attracted by various things in the dreamy scene and gets lost; Sometimes, she just goes out and enjoys small, beautiful things in life.

INTERVIEW

First of all, let's talk about your background. Could you tell us a little more about yourself and how you began making art?

I've always been imaginative; as a child, my favorite activity was reading storybooks and doodling by myself. My grandfather handmade a blackboard for me when I was a small child. It was likely done by applying multiple coats of black paint to a discarded wooden plank. I recall the blackboard was around 20 x 18 inches, and I used white chalk to sketch or practice writing on it. At the time, this blackboard was my entire world. I became interested in collecting colored chalks later on. My drawing board grew from a small blackboard to the backyard of my grandfather's house, the ground, and the walls of the town and school. My parents enrolled me in painting classes later on. From the ages of six to twelve, I studied drawing, printmaking, acrylics, and Chinese painting. During this time, I also began to read piles and piles of storybooks, some of which were ordered by the school, some of which parents purchased for me, and some of which were left by my cousin. Children's Literature, a monthly periodical including many captivating stories and stunning graphics, most impressed me. These elements inspired me to begin creating art.

When did you decide to become an artist? And what do you wish you knew about contemporary art before you got started?

I made the decision to become an artist near the end of my college career, and it took virtually my whole academic career to reach that conclusion. When I first entered college, I wanted to resume painting, a hobby I had enjoyed since childhood, so I enrolled in some basic painting and drawing courses alongside my studies in mathematics. And I chose art as my second major when I unknowingly spent all day drawing in the studio or staying in the darkroom to develop a perfect black-and-white photograph. At that time, oil painting was the focus of the university art major. But I wasn't certain that fine painting was my career until my senior year of college when I found illustration as a profession. Drawing, telling stories, expressing thoughts and imagination, business, and aesthetics, when all of these components come together, I have a great desire to become an illustrator, which I pursue with determination. To be honest, I don't think I understand contemporary art very well; I just want to be a person who can constantly create, tell stories, feel and live life, and always be full of fantasy and childlike innocence.

You moved to the US for college and are still based in New York City. How do these two different environments influence your work? And what is home to you now?

I was born and raised in China, and I have a profound fondness for my hometown. In addition to my hometown, I consider any location I've ever lived that feels like home to be my second home. What most affects me in my own China is the intimate connection between individuals. From childhood through adulthood, the care and affection of my family, friends, teachers, and happy school days helped me develop a dreamy personality, which had a significant influence on my painting style.
Due to my lack of language proficiency and other factors, I felt lonely in the United States. This phase afforded me more opportunities to reflect on the subject of life. In addition, the welcoming artistic environment here encourages me to express my creativity and keep a portion of my clumsy innocence in my artwork.

Let's talk about your creative process. Where do you draw inspiration from nowadays?

I enjoy going out with friends to draw in locations such as parks, cafes, and roadways, and I use the brush to capture my mood and feelings at the time. Throughout my daily life, I enjoy capturing numerous emotional moments, such as a magnificent tree, the overground subway passing by slowly at dusk, and the room's illumination. All of life's particulars serve as my motivation. Emotion is crucial to my creative process. Inspiration will originate from feelings, whether they are happiness, sadness, calmness, or anxiety.
If it is a project that is far apart from my daily life, I will seek a great deal of relevant information in order to have a few concepts and distinct images in mind. Then, I will search for references associated with these topics and develop imaginative works based on the references.
In addition, I enjoy being in a daze, fantasizing, and jumping in my thoughts. Whenever I felt overwhelmed, I would typically close my eyes and begin to visualize various pictures, and the inspiration would be particularly potent just before bedtime. This method is quite effective for me.

What is your artistic routine when working? Do you have any rituals or specific practices when working on a new project? 

First, the table must be cleared. Then, I will click on my music playlist or my favorite live broadcast, which will put me in a familiar and comfortable situation, and begin to sketch. Also, before beginning a new project, it is vital to gather a lot of relevant resources and ideas.

In your work, you depict animals and fantasy creatures. What do these represent for you? And how do you choose the subject of your illustrations?

The majority of the themes in my personal work are derived from my own ideas, introspection, or pure imagination. Self-reflection is the theme of my personal drawing series "The Strawberry Fish Girl's Trip on a Summer Night". This character is my alter ego. She generally comes out every day when it gets late. These animals represent my thoughts, ambitions, and curiosity. These drawings from her journey illuminate my inner world: In this girl's heart resides a gorgeous peacock. Many dazzling "stars" reside in its eyes, and each night more "stars" fall onto the peacock. On the route to reaching the "tiger" in her head, she is captivated by various things in the dreamy picture and becomes lost. Occasionally, she simply goes out to appreciate the tiny, lovely things in life.

Let's talk about the colors you use. Your illustrations are particularly colorful, and colors seem to have a central role in your work. How do you choose your palette? 

My favorite aspect of painting is the use of color. Color is also the first thing I notice while viewing the work of others. I love bright and vibrant colors, and my favorite colors are blue, green, and purple. In general, I choose colors based on intuition. When I begin a new work, I select a few colors to serve as the painting's base tone, and then I progressively add other colors.

What is the ultimate goal of your work? What messages do you want to convey?

The ultimate purpose of my art is to make myself happy while simultaneously warming certain individuals. Whenever I was extremely depressed, I would watch Hayao Miyazaki's films. Every time the film ends, I have a tiny sense of loss, but it also warms me numerous times. Consequently, I hope that my works can evoke similar emotions in my audience and that the childish innocence and imagination that I have always sought to preserve can infect more individuals.

Let's talk about the future; what are you working on now? Do you have any new projects or series you are currently developing? 

Currently, I am illustrating an illustrated book of ancient Chinese poetry. For this project, I researched the Tang Dynasty of China's landscape, architecture, clothes, and objects, and I am attempting to demonstrate classical beauty via the use of brilliant colors and simple techniques. Additionally, I am working on two illustration projects about marine life and New York, respectively.

Finally, how was your 2022, and what do you expect from 2023?

In 2022, I finished a series of self-reflection works, experimented with various media and painting techniques, and made a minor adjustment to my painting style. I was also invited to attend a number of group exhibitions, including the book exhibition at the SVA Gramercy Gallery, the thesis exhibition at the SVA Chelsea Gallery, the "Art In the Time of Corona Vol. 3" online exhibition on Artsy presented by Dab Art Co., and the Tapirulan Illustrators Contest Exhibition. Some of my work was also chosen for publication in Artistonish Magazine's September 2022 issue and iJungle Illustration Award's social media channels. I am aware that these accomplishments are not as common among my peers, but I remain humble and ambitious. I am committed to making a greater impact in the field of illustration and shaping its future.

Artist’s Talk

Al-Tiba9 Interviews is a promotional platform for artists to articulate their vision and engage them with our diverse readership through a published art dialogue. The artists are interviewed by Mohamed Benhadj, the founder & curator of Al-Tiba9, to highlight their artistic careers and introduce them to the international contemporary art scene across our vast network of museums, galleries, art professionals, art dealers, collectors, and art lovers across the globe.