We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jingyang Zhou (Yala Zhou) a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Jingyang, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

The most important project that I made, was a visual essay project called “Bleed or Bleed?”

“Bleed or Bleed?” is a collective visual essay about periods. It is made with cardboard, cotton pads, thread, and tissues. In this project, I interviewed and collected stories from women of different ages and cultural backgrounds. I hope that through this project people can have a deeper and more novel understanding of what women go through every month. This project was exhibited at the “flip it” group exhibition of the first-year illustration graduate students at Syracuse University.

I choose this project is not because of how good this project is, to be honest, I have always been worried about it is not good enough while I keep receiving compliments about it. I was always worried that it was welcomed only because I took advantage of the topic, which is very popularly discussed in recent days. What matters the most, is how this work served as a milestone in my creative process approaching.

It all started when our professor asked us to create a visual thesis upon a topic we cared about, I thought of “period”, a topic that resonates with all women. What’s unique is that I initially didn’t have a specific angle to discuss it because, despite my confusion and frustration with some dilemma that showed online, I didn’t really have particularly strong feelings about my own menstrual cycle, apart from irregularities. This work can be seen as observational and developmental. There was no clear plan or expected answers at the beginning, most of the responses were unexpected, and that’s why I found the interview format meaningful because I learned a lot from every conversation, and felt really strong connection with each one of them’s stories.

When I started interviewing people around me, I discovered that they were all experiencing varying degrees of inconvenience or pain, from minor inconveniences to conditions like endometriosis. In fact, out of the first four people I interviewed, two had endometriosis. Their experiences and feelings made me realize that the number of women suffer from the pain of menstruation is more than I thought before. This inspired me to want to do this project well, with the goal of letting everyone know loudly: “bleed or bleed, we never have a choice!” Women should not have to suffer so much. This artwork is meant to let girls know that they are not alone in enduring these experiences and that they deserve to be understood and respected. It’s also to inform those who don’t understand menstruation that it’s not such a simple matter.

This project mainly involved interviewing, research, sketching, and finishing. Initially, my professor gave us only one week, so I hastily interviewed female classmates around me and created digital sketches. Later, the professor suggested me to interview women of different age groups and turning it into a physical book and integrating it with menstrual products. With the deadline got extented, I interviewed my mother and our church’s pastor, and I found that their perspectives were different from the earlier interviewees.

I used questions as the titles for the themes in the work. I prefer questions over statements because I believe questions can stimulate thinking, and everyone can interprets it in his/hers one ways.

Through summarizing the interview content, I identified seven topics and presented them in the form of questions:

– Prepared or disaster? – Are you always prepared, or do disasters strike?
– Enjoy now or Maybe next time? – Do you enjoy the present or postpone?
– Roller coaster or Carousel? – Is it like a roller coaster or a carousel?
– Hygiene or Make-do? – Do you choose hygiene or make-do?
– Pills or Pains? – Do you take pills or endure pain?
– Sweet burden or heavy freedom? – Is it a sweet burden or restrictive freedom?
– Be afraid or be brave? – Are you afraid or brave?

In the end, I designed the cover to resemble a sanitary pad, attached bits of cotton pads to the cardboard to simulate texture, and used red thread for binding, connecting the content of each theme. The cover also incorporated red thread elements, not just for visual effect but also to keep the entire booklet together without falling apart. Finally, for the exhibition, I roughly created a box resembling a “napkin disposal” box to collect and distribute survey questionnaires.

The responses collected from the questionnaires were very touching. I could feel the stories, pain, and emotions behind those few words. One particularly memorable question was: “If you have a choice, do you want to have a period?” Many people answered “no.” One girl said, “but I don’t.” Another 66-year-old woman said, “Having a period meant I could get pregnant and have my daughter – so yes!” This reflects the uniqueness and depth of the experience of motherhood.

One major regret of this work is the limited range of interview subjects. The interviewees had monotonous backgrounds and economic statuses, but I saw online that many women in various regions still cannot afford branded sanitary pads. Many people buy cheap sanitary pads in bulk, and there are also those with inadequate s*x education, among other groups I couldn’t cover, and their perspectives are missing in the overall work.

After this projects, not only I received some positive feedback sand exhibiting opertunities for the fist time, I realized that I am so intrigued by the magic of storytelling, I felt strong connection with people who I interviewd, who participated in the survey during my exhibition, who gave me feedback after seeing my work, and I felt what I did seems meaningful to some extent. Therefore, this project encouraged me to decide to dedicate myself to something like storytelling therapy. This means that through the narration in my artwork, it can console me during the creative process and possibly help people relate to the work and find comfort in some way.

Jingyang, 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?

Hi, I’am an illustrator from China, currently studying for a master’s degree in illustration at Syracuse University in the United States. Coming from a graphic design background, I have always been fascinated by imaginative compositions and unique perspectives. As an empathetic person, my passion is also reflected in my illustrations. For instance, I like to play with metaphors, and using humor as a medium to express my concerns and attitudes. My creative motivation is the hope that people can see a part of themselves in my work. Consistent exploration and curiosity drive me to continue to grow and develop in this field.

I grew up in a middle-class family in Beijing, China. At that time, my parents were both from rural backgrounds and were hardworking laborers who had recently arrived in the city to make a living. When I was in kindergarten, my mother took me to a private atelier in our neighborhood. The portraits on the wall quickly caught my attention, and I told my mom that I wanted to do that right away. This marked the beginning of my journey with traditional art classes. It was my mother who continuously encouraged me to progress in this field, urging me to attend an artistic middle school and apply for art classes in a prestigious high school——Tsinghua University High School. Although I consistently performed well in my classes, the focus was mainly on still life and plaster statues, and I was often told that I was not creative but hardworking. This made me reflect deeply, especially during my high school years. Many of my classmates in high school came from artistic family backgrounds and displayed more diverse interests, enjoying drawing their own ideas, which was a completely new world for me. My lack of confidence and confusion deepened when I prepared for the art admission exams, which were the only means to enter art majors in those universities in China. For the exams, everyone was drawing the same things in the same style. I felt lost and questioned if that was what artists were supposed to be like. I passed the exams for several schools, but they only accepted applications from first-choice schools, and my first-choice school application was rejected. This meant I could no longer apply for any art majors in college.

At that time, my mind was blank, and I felt like a robot. I felt nothing, no sadness, no anger, just a sense of unreality. Once again, my mother knew me better than I did. After extensive online research, she discovered two programs in Italy, Project Turandot and Marco Polo Project, which worked with the Italian government to encourage international students to apply to Italian universities with low tuition fees. Project Turandot was for artistic colleges, and Marco Polo Project was for other universities. My mother wanted me to continue studying art. However, I didn’t share the same enthusiasm. I lacked confidence and thought that maybe I wasn’t well-suited for art, after all, “I am not creative but just hardworking.” In the end, we settled on a conservative plan: to apply for the design major at Politecnico di Milano, as we believed it had some commonality with art. Among the design options, we chose Product Design simply because it seemed easier to get into. After a year of language study and preparation for the admission test, I successfully enrolled at Polimi.

During my years in Italy, the lifestyle was vastly different from that in China. It was slower and more enjoyable. As an independent person, I finally started to contemplate what I truly wanted, what I wanted to do. After my freshman year in the Product Design major, I realized that I had no interest in making products and couldn’t envision a future in that field. I found myself still drawn to graphic design. I switched my major to Communication Design, which allowed me to incorporate my thinking and passion into my studies. However, a part of me still felt constrained. In my third year at school, my mother asked me to consider applying for a master’s degree. I had always been afraid to tell her that I had longed to study in the United States because of the significant financial burden it would place on my family. If I were to have the opportunity, I wanted it to be worthwhile. One day, while walking by Academia di Brera, I saw art major students hanging out by the main entrance. They were sitting on the ground drawing, laughing, and listening to music. At that moment, I missed drawing immensely. Actually, I didn’t really stopped drawing, just never do the staff that we did in our traditional class and those for the exam-preparations. In my free time, I enjoyed drawing my favorite singers, scenes from my favorite movies, my friend’s cat, and various aspects of life in Italy. So I made my mind, told my mom that for my master’s degree, I wanted to study in the United States and study drawing. If I truly lacked creativity, I would return home to avoid further financial losses.

During the pandemic, I began my illustration studies with an institution that could help me prepare a portfolio for my application. I kept drawing and drawing, never feeling as satisfied and certain about my direction. Even though I encountered obstacles along the way, I remained happy because I eagerly looked forward to my future studies in an art major. Eventually, I received an offer from Syracuse University, and now I am here!

My journey at Syracuse University hasn’t been as tumultuous as before. I cherish every moment here and consider myself lucky to have discovered my true passion. My family has been incredibly supportive, allowing me to have this experience. With my own exploration and guidance from my professors, I have found a passion for storytelling, especially in the formats of editorial and comics. Last year, I had the opportunity to attend the Mocca Art Festival and Aaaah Weekend Art Market in New York. The face-to-face interaction was incredibly valuable. People stopped by my table, observed my work, and shared their opinions with me. I could truly feel how art and creativity were treasured and flourished in the city’s air.

I am currently developing my artistic voice, conducting experiments in my studies, and I am excited about the future of my career, where I am working on both editorial and comics, incorporating observations from daily life and stories derived from my interests and concerns. The future holds great promise, and I am enthusiastic about what lies ahead.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

Personally speaking, curiosity is what drives me to keep moving. I’d like to explore my limits in each piece of work, as this can give me confidence and strength and help me understand myself better. Additionally, because I am not good at expressing myself in words but am better with drawings, the creative process is somewhat like a form of mental solace for me. It allows me to express my negative thoughts and share the joy. Furthermore, I possess a strong sense of empathy and a desire to hear about others’ thoughts. Therefore, I want to use this as a skill in my work, and I hope that people can resonate with it and gain emotional strength from my creations.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

There is no specific definition of art, and there are no limits to it. Just keep an open mind, and you can consider yourself a creative artist at times as well. Some non-creative individuals might think that a background in knowledge or rules is necessary to understand art. I believe they don’t need to worry too much because those concerns can also deter them from exploring their interests in art. If they are interested, they can try some creative activities, not necessarily something serious, but simply enjoy the process; it will be a pleasant surprise.

Contact Info:

• Website: yalazhou.wordpress.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yalazhou/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yala-zhou-132495292?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app