We were lucky to catch up with Meina Zhang recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Meina thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

In my visual thesis, “Stitches of Time’, I further explored the practicality of mixed media. I created six embroidered artworks based on my family’s story, incorporating materials such as clay and wool felt. The artworks depict my parents leaving the countryside to seek a better life in the city, followed by the passing of my father. Despite that, my mother continued to raise my three sisters and me with great care. For the main characters in the artworks, I mainly used clay, while wool felt was used to create trees and flowers. I aimed to convey a rustic and warm atmosphere through my artwork.

To bring my family’s story to life, I use a range of materials and techniques, starting with dyeing the canvas with watercolor paints, serving as a vibrant and dynamic backdrop for the embroidery thread and wool felt. I carefully select and combine these materials to create a tactile, textured surface that reflects the complexity and depth of our family’s journey.

Apart from mixed media, I tend to use traditional media such as watercolors, crayons, and the like for my daily artwork. After creating the pieces, I scan them and make further modifications using a computer. I enjoy the unique texture and feel that traditional media offers while also appreciating the convenience and speed of digital painting. Therefore, in my daily art practice, I often combine both traditional and digital methods.

Meina, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I come from Tianjin, China, and I am currently a freelance illustrator based in New York. I started drawing because of my sisters. When I was young, I often read comic books with them and imitated their drawings. This habit continued into my adulthood. Despite not having received formal art education, I still wanted to pursue my passion. Therefore, during my undergraduate years, I chose to study architecture design at Newcastle University in the United Kingdom. After a few years of studying, I realized that I still wanted to focus on drawing. As a result, I enrolled in the MFA program of the Fashion Institute of Technology, hoping to receive systematic training in drawing. I find it fascinating to create my own artwork, and during my studies, I have experimented with various styles and materials. I enjoy traditional and rustic styles and have a passion for combining different traditional materials in my creations.

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

I believe the most valuable thing as an artist is that I can convey my thoughts and the images in my mind to people of different ages using 3D or 2D methods. Apart from language and words, I have another channel of communication with people. We communicate with the world through our creations, conveying our perspectives. Moreover, the thought that my work could potentially evoke different ideas in the audience further excites and energizes me. Besides, I think we can also communicate various forms of beauty to the audience. I hope that people’s perceptions of beauty can become more diverse and inclusive.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

One aspect is the emphasis on personal achievement, expression, and impact over monetary gain. This might leave some non-creative individuals who are more focused on investment and returns calculations feeling perplexed. On the other hand, the concept that a piece of art can be interpreted in multiple ways might be difficult for non-creative individuals to appreciate. The depth and complexity of these interpretations can be intriguing, but without a deep understanding of the creative background, they can be hard to comprehend. Lastly, non-creative individuals might struggle to grasp the profound emotions artists have for their work. For those who haven’t experienced it, the close connection between the creative process and the artwork might be challenging to understand.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://meinazhang.com/
• Instagram: nina_littlebell