We were lucky to catch up with Dawn Xintong Yang recently and have shared our conversation below.

Dawn Xintong, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

When I was five years old, my family moved from the northern part of China to the southern part. At that time, the South and North were quite different in terms of culture, habits, cuisine, and even language (in the South, most people speak Cantonese, while Mandarin is more prevalent in the North). As a young child, I experienced a cultural shock and couldn’t make friends because of the language barrier. So, for a long time, I found solace in picture books, animations, and drawing. Art saved my childhood, and it was probably during this time that I developed a desire to pursue art.

I believe that no matter what difficulties I encounter in life, art will always be my lifeline.

Dawn Xintong, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Xintong Yang. You can just call me Dawn. I originally came from a small city called Zhuhai, in the south of China, near Hong Kong and Macau. In 2018, I went to the Minneapolis College of Art and Design for my Master of Fine Arts Degree. After graduation, I became an illustrator, animator, and art educator based in Brooklyn, NY.

Most of my inspiration comes from my life experience, song lyrics, and books. It is important for me to find balance in life, such as between my logical and emotional sides. Therefore, I like to express this understanding of balance in a lot of my illustrations.

At the beginning of my career after graduation, I struggled to find a job for a long time. Fortunately, François Chaperon, the Creative Director of GQ France at that time, extended an opportunity to me, and that’s when I embarked on my path as a freelance illustrator. The main themes of my commercial illustrations revolve around lifestyle and technology in editorial contexts. Lately, I have also been taking on projects related to advertisements and product illustrations. Simultaneously, I continue to work on personal pieces and engage in various artistic experiments, hoping to achieve new breakthroughs.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

It is a dedication to art and illustration, I firmly believe that art is the most powerful battery in the world, giving people energy and hope. Illustration, on the other hand, it is one of the most powerful forms of expression. If my emotionally charged and detailed illustrations can bring joy and evoke a sense of beauty in people, recharging their spirits, then I consider it truly worthwhile.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I believe it is “You should fully comply with the client’s requirements.”

When I first started as a freelance illustrator, I would comply with any request from clients, regardless of its magnitude. However, as I gained more experience, I realized that being an illustrator is not just about completing a drawing. It also involves having my own insights and providing clients with better solutions to visual problems. At the same time, I need to maintain the style and integrity of my work and have confidence in my decisions. A good client and illustrator relationship should be based on cooperation and respect rather than a simple client & service provider.

Otherwise, what’s the difference between artists and AI?

Contact Info:

• Website: https://dawnyangart.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dawn_xt_yang/?hl=en
• Behance: https://www.behance.net/dawnyang

Image Credits
Personal Photo credit: Ceci Han