We recently connected with Kefan Shi and have shared our conversation below.

Kefan, appreciate you joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

I want to share one of my most meaningful pieces, the drawing I created for WWF, named Garden. I love this piece so much. This piece was an commission work from WWF to depict the birds in the river basins of China, hoping that people would be more aware of the protection of birds.

I was happy when I received this invitation because I love to draw birds. To me, they are a symbol of freedom and beauty. I like watching them flapping their wings and grouping together. This piece allows me to depict them in a delicate and detailed way with my pen. At the same time, it can also urge everyone to join us in protecting and caring about the animals around us. Animals are living with us, and they are interwoven with our human culture. We seek the ideal coexistence and balance with them. But the truth is that animals are constantly adapted to our existence.

This work has won Excellent Award from Communication Arts and Highly commended from World Illustration AwardsI. The work is also selected in Annual Books of SOI and 3×3 mag. As an illustrator, I feel honored and happy to be recognized for my work. I hope I can do more different and meaningful work in the future.

Kefan, 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, so let me quickly introduce myself. My name is Kefan Shi, and I come from Shanghai, China, a lovely city. Currently, I’m based in Baltimore, Maryland, and undertaking my final year of graduate study. I am an illustrator as well as a visual artist. I love telling people about my career and hobbies because I really enjoy it. I have always felt that being an illustrator is a profession full of fantasy and magic. Illustrators can draw unrealistic or unimaginable things with various media and hands. This process is like performing magic and special effects, displayed on paper or on the screen.

So I started my art path during my studies at the art university, from undergraduate to freelance for two years. Now, I am continuing my graduate studies. It was a valuable experience for me when I went through some work experiences to return and continue my studies. I’m grateful that these experiences have allowed me to think a certain way and understand what I need in my current studies. And thank my department chair, Whitney, and my advisor, Mai Ly, for their help and generosity throughout my graduate studies.

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

Drawing has always been a passion and a respectful skill for me. I am grateful that I could convey my ideas through the pen. If you ask me what is the most rewarding gift that drawing gives me as an art creator? I would answer that I like connecting my work with different people or objects. I wish the reader would feel a slight emotion from my pictures, I wish the image would make products more interesting, and I wish my works could convey some thinking. These connections are a delightful return for me, a positive mutual relationship.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

One thing I’ve been doing is relieving my anxiety through drawing. I rarely paid attention to my mental health before, until I experienced the panic disorder. That was the hardest time for me, and my life was badly affected. Then, I realized how important my mental health was and how serious I needed to be in adjusting my mood. Since then, I talked to a counselor regularly to find out what things in my life could help me maintain a good mental balance. I have found some hobbies I like but never tried, such as baking and hiking.

Meanwhile, I have been experimenting and exploring drawing to relax my body and mind. I do this by breaking away from my routine drawing mode and experimenting with different materials or methods to explore the artwork during my rest time. Currently, I’m studying experimental drawing with my teacher, Michelle La Perrière, which gives me rewards and inspiration.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.kefanshi.com
• Instagram: langshiart
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kefanshi/