Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Fangyu Ma. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Fangyu, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

The first time I decided to become an illustrator and embark on a career path was in the summer of my junior year, but the story starts when I first enrolled in the program. My undergraduate major was interior design under the Department of Architecture, but I didn’t have any concept or idea about architecture before I enrolled, so I didn’t have any sense of belonging during the first two years of my professional foundation study, and I always watched my classmates talking enthusiastically about their designs and ideas during every presentation. I like drawing since I was young, and I often bought magazines with nice illustrations on the cover when I was young. However, no one could help me to realize my dream, and I even suffered from the impact on my academic performance. My grandparents loved to draw, my grandfather was good at calligraphy and ink painting, and my grandmother was good at sketching plants and animals, they were the ones who encouraged me the most. Nevertheless, painting was only a hobby in the eyes of my family and could not be a job that made life stable. The word artist does not exist in life, it either gives the impression of poverty, or exists in distant history in textbooks, or he is something that only the rich can enjoy, but whatever it is, it has no relevance to me as a child and the environment I grew up in. Due to persistence and love all year round, and some luck, I still got into the best art school, but chose a major that I didn’t really like. Therefore, I still insisted on drawing and painting after school, wanting to do something I like. Until my junior year, all my friends were facing the choice of graduation again, whether to continue to study in China or work, or study abroad, everyone had their own ideas. This was also the time when I decided once again that I wanted to be an illustrator afterwards. Unlike the situation when I was a child, this was the moment when I knew what I should do to make it possible. I mentioned this to my parents and they supported my idea of studying illustration abroad despite my repeated insistence, and although the process didn’t go smoothly, at least it ended well. So to be able to study illustration in the U.S. I think it still comes from an instinctive passion to take this path, and I never changed that seemingly unrealistic idea I had as a child. I consider myself lucky that my persistence and my parents’ financial help made this possible. I am so grateful for that.

Fangyu, 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?

I just graduated from Savannah College of Art this year as a graduate student in Illustration. I specialize in colorful, decorative illustration and am exploring some painterly works of self-expression. During school I was confused and struggling with my painting style. So I started to follow stillherestilllife’s account to do weekly challenge. The result is that I received a lot of love for my still life practice work. This style has been extended to packaging design, advertising, book illustration and other fields. About the illustration of pinterly style, I like to create animal theme illustration, I always feel a kind of sadness and death atmosphere in the animals. I also want to talk about my graduation work. It is a subtle and personal work. Its theme is about child molestation, and its basis comes from my personal experience growing up. It has no obvious narrative structure, and it is hard to see at a glance what the author wants to convey. But it is also the feelings and sensations that I have always buried in my heart to express. It is also one of the motivations for me to keep drawing. Niki St. Phalle has given me a lot of strength and inspiration. Before I met her, I couldn’t imagine that the work of someone who had a tragic childhood could be so happy. Her work is so light and bright that it transforms into another kind of power that completely infects me. She has created a world in her own way, and with similar experiences I feel like I can dive into her work for warmth every time I see it. We cannot replicate great creations, but we can perpetuate that spirit through our own strength.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

To be able to persist in creating and expressing is the most important thing. Because some times persistence does not yield good results, and this kind of continuous effort without seeing the return is very sapping of one’s will and enthusiasm. It takes a lot of courage to move forward in the dark tunnel. So the most rewarding aspect is to be able to persist in the premise of knowing yourself.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

To be honest, finding a job to support my life is my biggest motivation at the moment.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.matuart.net/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/m_matu_/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fangyu-ma-5a6b98210/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@m_matu_4548

Image Credits
Fangyu Ma