We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Cat Huang a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Cat, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

I am currently working on my debut graphic novel, Nostalgia. It takes place in a magical antique shop where a child who doesn’t know who they are or what they look like embarks on a quest to reconstruct their identity. I have always loved interacting with mysterious antiques in shops, flea markets, and garage sales – but through working on Nostalgia, I realized that this surface level interest was symptomatic of a much deeper connection to old objects. The story uses antiques as a vehicle to explore memory and legacy, and examines themes that are allegorical for my own experiences with diaspora.

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?

I am an illustrator, educator, and art director based in Providence, Rhode Island, and am currently working on Nostalgia (Holiday House), a middle grade graphic novel set in a magical antique shop. I am also an Adjunct Professor in the Illustration Department at RISD, my alma mater, where I earned a BFA in Illustration. Previously, I was an Associate Art Director at Airbnb.

As an educator, my teaching philosophy involves facilitating spaces where diverse students can amplify their voices and express individuality as an artist. I teach students how to be the authors of their own stories. This is particularly exemplified by my work as a teacher for artprof.org, an online platform that provides 100% free, accessible, and comprehensive arts education globally.

As an illustrator and art director, I find inspiration for my stories everywhere – from odd trinkets in antique shops to how peaceful I feel by a lakeside under an open midday sky. I am most drawn to stories about people – I believe it is a blessing, out of all the people in the world, to meet one person and to learn their story.

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

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist/creative is bearing witness to the creative process, whether it be my own process, a peer’s process, or one of my students’ processes. It’s incredible to see the diversities of each person’s tendencies, journeys, and conclusions.

Have you ever had to pivot?

My previous job as an art director in tech was professionally fulfilling, but I realized that doing that kind of work prevented me from providing power and time towards to my own studio work, which led me to be personally unfulfilled. This realization made me pivot into dedicating my free time towards my book deal with Holiday House for my graphic novel, Nostalgia. Working on Nostalgia has made me a more introspective person – rather than focusing on the storytelling needs of others, I was able to explore a story that could only have come from myself.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://cathuangart.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cathuangart/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cat-huang/
• Twitter: https://x.com/cathuangart?lang=en

Image Credits

Photo of Cat Huang giving a presentation taken by Jay Ruzicka.