We were lucky to catch up with Huixi Wu recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Huixi thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

As for me, the most meaningful project I have worked on is my graduation design. The project theme was the “Inner Garden” series of illustrations. The background and story of this project represent my insight into the inner world of modern society’s adults, and is a series of illustrations based on the idea that people in modern society have lost their desire to express themselves.

“Inner Garden” depicts a group of adults lost in city life, wrapping themselves up like mushrooms. When a shooting star streaks across the sky, they embark on a magical journey, uncovering an enchanting garden and rediscovering their childhood selves, blossoming into pure flowers.

In today’s society, adults are emotionally numb, silent, unwilling to express their inner feelings, and lacking the courage to be honest that they had as children. We often wrap ourselves up like mushrooms, enviously blossoming like children, but with just a gentle push, we can release our warmth and heal ourselves like flowers. My story has a distinct black and white contrast, encouraging the audience to openly express their happiness, even as adults.

As this was my first attempt at transitioning from black and white to color, it was a challenge for me. The color change symbolizes the gradual awakening of adults’ inner emotions, expressing their transformation and growth. In addition, through multimedia creation, I made the main characters out of clay, giving them a unique texture and vitality. My friends named them March, April, and May, representing spring. Through this project, I hope to convey a positive message to the public, encouraging them to bravely express their inner world and regain the innocence and happiness of childhood.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Huixi Wu, and I come from Beijing, China. I immigrated to Florida with my parents when I was in college. Growing up in an artistic environment with my mother, who is a Chinese ink painter, I developed a deep appreciation for the beauty of art. This influence inspired me to pursue a career in art, enabling me to express myself through painting and other creative media. Having grown up in an artistic environment, I possess a heightened sensitivity and perception of color and line. This sensitivity is reflected in my illustration work, where I like to use varying widths and rich lines to emphasize the subject. When it comes to color, I excel at using highly saturated and contrasting colors to enrich the picture and convey emotions. I employ color theory to effectively communicate the themes of my artwork.

In college, my major was graphic design, which equipped me with the skills of composition and typography. These skills enabled me to better organize and arrange picture elements, enhancing visual impact and narrative. However, since I have a preference for storytelling through pictures, I pursued illustration as my major in graduate school. Currently, I am studying for a master’s degree in illustration at the Maryland Institute of Art.

My focus now is on creating children’s picture books and designing editorial illustration . I hope to use my childhood experiences to strike a chord with both children and adults and spread happiness. My love for Disney animation since childhood has played a significant role in shaping my imagination. The fascinating stories and lively characters of Disney animation have been a source of inspiration to me. The magic of Disney animation sparked my passion to create my own fascinating universe and characters.My first picture book was based on Eugene Field’s bedtime poem, The Sugar Plum Tree. The book features three rabbits with different personalities as the main characters. It tells the adventure story of their encounter with a chocolate cat and gingerbread dog on their way to find sugar plums. The book also chronicles their fantastic journey to find sugar plums and win the Medal of Courage. My works are unique, based on the expression of color and narrative mode.

In my online store PopUniverse Studio, I create an amazing animal world. I use images of animals with sparkling eyes to bring a colorful pop world to the viewer through stickers, dragon year greeting cards, sticky notes and stone clay. I am committed to immersing consumers in the wonderful universe I have created with brilliant colors and appealing designs.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

As an artist and creative, my most rewarding aspect comes from a passion for art and creation that was inspired by my mother, who is a Chinese ink painter. I grew up surrounded by an artistic environment, instilling in me a deep appreciation for the beauty of art. This influence has led me to pursue an art career, allowing me to express myself through painting and other creative mediums.

I take great pleasure in capturing the small yet significant moments in life and immortalizing them through my art. Whether drawing with a brush or sculpting with clay, I feel that each creation is a reflection of my energy and emotions. Art is a universal language that connects people of different backgrounds and cultures. Through my work, I aim to offer a new perspective on life and inspire others to find joy in the beauty of art.

Art has brought me endless inspiration, and I look forward to continuing on this path and sharing my creative passion with more people.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on NFTs. (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice

I was introduced to NFTs when Bored Ape Yacht Club launched their ape-themed NFT avatars. These NFT characters reminded me of the dress-up games I used to play as a child. I was also inspired to create an NFT of my own, called Cool Grandma, which my grandmother inspired. Despite her advanced age, my grandma has never lost her love for beauty. She has a unique temperament and charm that comes with age. Whenever she puts on sunglasses and lipstick, she becomes my idol. My grandmother has always embraced new-age culture and seeing her mix and match clothing with old and new-age accessories inspired me to create Cool Grandma. With the Cool Grandma NFT, I want to show that fashion trends have no age limit. As long as you maintain a calm attitude, you can be the most fashionable person.

Contact Info:

• Website: huixiwu.com
• Instagram: ddyuaner
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/huixi-wu-32aaa92b1
• Youtube: https://youtu.be/4UTlwPQpAn4?feature=shared
• Other: email: [email protected] online store:https://popuniversestudio.com/

Image Credits
Huixi Wu