10 Questions with Kaining Wang

Kaining Wang is a concept artist based in Los Angeles, California with a passion for story-telling in animation and video games. Her works are featured in the Society of Illustrator West, Infected by Art, Ijungle, ADC award, 3x3 International Award, and Communication Arts, to name a few.

During her free time, she likes to explore new food places around the area, visit antique shops, and practice kickboxing. She also enjoys watching my two cats fighting and acting silly.

She firmly believes in the power of story-telling in art. She thinks it is how human-made art can build a connection with the audience. Her inspiration often draws from folktales or mythologies in combination with what happen in our world. In blending elements of folklore with pressing issues and current events, she wants to create art that is both timeless and timely, offering poignant reflections on our humanity.

www.kningart.com | @longneck_kai

INTERVIEW

First of all, introduce yourself to our readers. What inspired you to become an artist, and how did your journey begin?

Hello everyone, this is Kaining. I am a concept artist based in Los Angeles, currently working in the field of Virtual Reality. My working experience ranges from theme park design and TV animation to mobile games and VR games. My clients include Solar Opposites, Warner Bros Animation, Steadman Design Studio, and Meta, etc.
I have always had a passion for storytelling through world-building and character development. I grew up with Chinese animations that were based on ancient folktales, classic Disney animated movies, and Japanese anime. I have always been fascinated by the liveliness and vibrancy of the animated characters on the TV screens. I would often fantasize and draw the characters from the show and imagine a spinoff for them. The passion and the eagerness to create and express led me to create my own world and stories within it, and eventually also led me to pursue art as a career.

Scavenger Season, Digital, 2020 © Kaining Wang

Can you share any significant experiences or mentors from your studies that shaped your career?

There is always that one movie or one art piece that shaped and changed you. And to me, that is Ghost in the Shell. I remember watching it in high school and was amazed at how an intricate and philosophical story can be translated into the form of animation. And that is also when I realized that there is no limit to what media you use; what's core are emotion, story, and message.

How do you approach the creation of a new concept art piece from start to finish?

When there is a specific idea in my mind, whether it is a story, a world-building, or simply just a keyword/ image that strikes me, I will try to identify some key points and what I want to convey under this prompt. Then, I would go on extensive research and reference gathering. The research often ranges from nature and existing culture to graphic design and architecture. I also select and categorize the references into mood, color, lighting, texture, shape language, etc. After I put all of them together, I would start sketching different ideas, and they are usually intentionally loose. This is the part where I would push the range of ideas and go crazy with the experiments. And later, it is all about push and pull, testing the balance between novelty and familiarity.
The process is not always so linear; sometimes, it would be a back and forth in between, where I go back to research or go back to sketch again during the final polishing. Sometimes, there might even be no specific idea to begin with at all; it might start with some random daily doodle or even just an abstract emotion.

Are there any specific tools or techniques that you find indispensable in your work?

Due to the nature of my work, I primarily work in digital format, and in that case, a computer and a tablet are definitelythe must-have. But I would say when it comes to making art, any tools can spark imagination and creativity.

How do you blend folklore and mythology within your art? Is there any specific mythology saga or folklore story that particularly inspires you?

I really love the idea of using an alternative imaginative world to discuss a real-life topic. And folktales/mythology are usually used as a base and source of inspiration because I have always been drawn to these ever since I was a kid. I would also add a different interpretation or a twist to the folklore, if you will. For example, when I design the characters that are inspired by the Japanese folktale 'The Goblin of Adachigahara', I would put them into a completely different time periodor even a different geographic setting. To me, the most unexpected, good surprises often come from these differentgroupings.
And sometimes, I might not directly use the folktales/mythology as a base but rather the spirit of it. For example, in Chinese mythology, Nezha, who is later a deity in Chinese Buddhism, when he is a mortal, is rebellious to the suppressed authority of the Dragon King and, in the end, sacrifices himself. I am really drawn to the tragic yet heroic aspect of the story and combine these sorts of elements into many of my main characters and storytelling.

Una’s Funeral, Digital, 2020 © Kaining Wang

Can you give an example of a recent piece that reflects a pressing issue through the lens of folklore?

Gender Inequality and the situation of female livelihood have always been one of my key interests, and they are reflectedin a lot of my works. In one of my recent projects, Behemoth, the main character, is trying to get revenge for her sister, who passes away, but later on, is framed because the Behemoth that falls due to her death could not bring enough fortune to the village. The story setting is inspired by a lot of human sacrifice traditions and folktales in both Inca and Chinese culture. I want to use the falling of Behemoth and the scavenging tradition that thrives on the dead bodies of Behemoth as a metaphor for the nowadays deadly consumption of women's identities and images.

How do you hope your storytelling through art impacts your audience?

I hope I can build a connection with the audience through my works, whether it is the story, the emotion, or just a part of the image or a character that resonates with them. I want my works to be the flowers or plants that grow in between the gaps of a brick wall.

What has been the most rewarding recognition or award you've received for your work?

I was really fortunate that my art has also been recognized internationally by numerous design and art awards such as Illustration West by the Society of Illustrators LA, 3x3 international illustration show, ADC awards, Ijungle illustration, etc. I also had the honor of collaborating with many art magazines, gallery shows, and workshops. I feel truly humble about these experiences. They really pushed me further as an artist and helped me shape my art career.

Hold it up high, Digital, 2021 © Kaining Wang

Are there any upcoming projects or collaborations that you are particularly excited about?

I always have the habit of writing down my ideas at any time, so I accumulated a bunch of them. I am excited to put them on paper soon. I also would love to revisit some of the old projects and give them a little retouch.

And lastly, how do you see your work evolving in the next few years, especially in the context of animation and video games

With a lot of recent technological changes, it is very hard to predict what the future will be like. Even as an experienced artist, I am always pushing myself to learn new skills that eventually feed into my works, but ultimately, it is still an ongoing internal journey, especially for artists, to find their own language and way to communicate with the world. Overall, I am pretty excited about what stories I will come up with next and how I will execute them and share them with the world.

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.

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