We recently connected with Verum (yuzhuan) Zhou and have shared our conversation below.
Verum (Yuzhuan), thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
I believe that the most meaningful work for me recently is my new comic: Mariel’s Garden. It tells the story of a little dog spending an unforgettable summer in the plant-filled, sunlit home of a woman named Mariel. The reason I am willing to mention this new work in this context is because, during the short half year creative process, I experienced the passing of my first cat, which greatly influenced my emotional expression in telling this story.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Hi!! I’m Verum Zhou, and I’m from China. I came to New York in 2019 to study illustration at an art school. I have created illustrations for novels, children’s nature education picture books, public welfare programs, etc., and have done themed illustrations for Everest Ecological Animal Protection. I’ve been involved with commercial illustration since high school. In my professional work, I feel I’m good at quickly providing clients with a variety of visual ideas and style designs. Privately, I keep exploring and learning about different fields of knowledge to meet various client needs in the future. For example, when I was creating illustrations for a children’s biology science book, I spent a lot of time talking to professional biological researchers about each animal’s habits and even went on-site to observe and record their living environments.
Recently, I’ve been learning about geography and cartography for my new personal project. This process is very meaningful and enjoyable for me.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
I feel that the most rewarding aspect of my journey is that I have continuously strived for my art career without ever questioning it. I’ve always believed that words cannot fully express or record my thoughts, and art creation has given me the opportunity to do so. I have seen many things and experienced various events. Everything I’ve been through informs my current thinking, allowing me to better incorporate these elements into my art creations or visual presentations.
After I stopped needing to focus on exam-oriented studies and devoted myself to pursuing art, I met many people worth learning from and being around. Living far from home has helped me gain a more comprehensive and professional understanding of the industry, acquire more experience, and systematically improve my technical skills and thought processes. This enables me to produce more concrete and efficient work. Compared to creating more abstract, personal emotional content, I now prefer to logically contemplate what kind of image I want to create, what story to tell, what message to convey, or what visual effect to present.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
I have always been someone who feels numb to emotions and relationships, so I used to habitually discard emotional factors when creating visual and commercial art. However, starting at the end of 2023, I began to hear about the unexpected passing of acquaintances around me. Then, in the summer of 2024, just a day before returning to my hometown, I received news of my cat’s passing. It made me realize that for an artist, what truly matters are the experiences you go through—what you’ve seen, heard, and tasted, which streets you’ve walked on, who you’ve laughed with, who you’ve been angry for, and whose departure has saddened you. These past feelings become part of your very being, and they emerge during the creative process.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.verumzhouart.com/
- Instagram: verumzhou_
- Twitter: verumzhou_
