We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ruby Yang a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Ruby, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
One of my most meaningful projects actually came together by accident— I called
At the time, I often stayed out late drinking with friends (for the record, the area I lived in was very safe!), and I’d walk home slowly by myself afterward. I loved those quiet, empty streets—the shadows of trees under the streetlights, the soft breeze whispering through the leaves. I imagined myself as a ghost—free, unbound, drifting through the midnight woods with nocturnal creatures as my only companions.
What started as a single standalone illustration eventually became a series of six looping animations. Creating this project was incredibly soothing and joyful for me. I’ve always disliked the noise and crowds of the daytime. At night, I could dance and spin freely on the empty roads, letting the sound of wind in the trees, the chirping of insects, and the occasional drip of water become my favorite kind of music. The bushes in the dark, the unnoticed piles of leaves—they became my greatest source of inspiration.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Four years ago, I never imagined I’d end up on the path of illustration. At the time, I didn’t have a single illustration piece and honestly didn’t even know what illustration really was.
In early 2019, I had just graduated from university and returned to China, originally planning to go back to Sydney to work on animation projects. But then the pandemic hit, and everything came to a halt. During lockdown, I started following a number of independent illustrators on Chinese social media. For someone like me who had only been exposed to animation and anime-related work, their creations felt incredibly fresh and inspiring. Influenced by those artists, I slowly began making illustrations that focused more on self-expression and storytelling.
After the lockdown ended, I had the chance to attend an art festival in Guangzhou called Singularity Plan, where I met many of the artists I admired in person. That experience lit a spark—it made me realize that pursuing illustration seriously was something I could actually do.
Over the next few years, I worked full-time as a graphic designer while continuing to create personal work. I’ve always had a strong desire to share, but I used to struggle with expressing my inner thoughts and emotions. Illustration became a new language for me—one that allowed me to connect with others in a more honest and intuitive way.
Gradually, more and more people who resonated with my work started following me online. At one art festival, someone even wrote me a letter saying my illustrations reminded her of the beauty of her childhood memories. That kind of connection felt truly magical.
About a year ago, I decided to apply to illustration graduate programs in the U.S., hoping to study commercial illustration more systematically and deepen my creative practice.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
The main goal behind my creative journey is to communicate through images. Illustration has become my primary language—a way for me to connect with others and the world around me. I’ve never been confident expressing emotions or telling stories through spoken or written language, whether in my native tongue or in English. I naturally think in visuals. Since childhood, I’ve experienced strong synaesthesia—words, sounds, and even scents instantly become images in my mind. For me, drawing is not just art—it’s conversation. Each piece I create is an attempt to connect with someone, somewhere, whether they see my work online or in person
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
During one of the darkest and most confusing periods of my life, I turned to art as a way to calm myself and heal. I began creating a wordless picture book to have a silent conversation with the most painful part of my inner self. I wanted to express emotions I couldn’t put into words—only through images.
This process forced me to revisit deeply buried memories and emotions, and to translate them into visuals and characters. It wasn’t easy—it meant confronting a part of myself I had long tried to avoid. But through making this story, I gradually learned how to face and accept that darkness.
The story is short, but it became a personal turning point. I read it over and over—not to judge whether it was ‘good’ or not, but because it represented a moment of reconciliation. I made peace with a version of myself I used to fear, and that part of me has since become a quiet companion on my creative journey. That, to me, is resilience.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://waiwiaart.com/
- Instagram: waiw_y
Image Credits
Ruby Yang