We were lucky to catch up with Xinyi Yang recently and have shared our conversation below.

Xinyi, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

“Strange Hill” is a risograph-printed comic that tells a true story about how I got lost on the hill behind our home—and how my dog, Toto, found me and brought me back safely. I spent a year collaborating with Lucky Risograph to create and print the story. Toto is the first dog in our family. He was born inside a cave on the back hill, my dad brought him to our home. He is the eldest among his siblings. My dad wanted him to guard the house in the country because there were mice, weasels, and even snakes at night. Apart from his night duties, Toto has his own schedule during the day. He sleeps in the morning, goes out to have fun with other wild dogs in the afternoon, and sometimes learns to climb over the wall with the neighbor’s cat. It can be said that Toto is free and knows many places that we cannot determine or reach. That is why Toto could found me in these strange places and brought me home safely.

Xinyi, 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 went to New York since 2019 and currently studies at MFA in Illustration as Visual Essay from the School of Visual Arts. I capture and magnify the moments of beauty and warmth that exist in common life. The context of my illustrations much like a soft meringue melting on the tongue enables the audience to make sense of it slowly. I highlight the eclecticism in 19th and 20th-century architecture and decorative arts as my influence. These forms are seeds for the mundane when architecture serves as a space, a scene, and an atmosphere. In my works, their presence is interdependent with characters. My work also has been recognized by American Illustration, Society of Illustrators, 3×3, World Illustration, and Communication Arts.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Building your own website is a great way for people to get to know you. On social media, I like to share progress updates, like sketches or videos. It doesn’t matter if you have only a few followers—what really matters is your portfolio. That’s what draws people in. You can also create accounts on different social media platforms because they’re all connected.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Yes, I have. My goal is to make sure my style stays consistent, no matter what materials I use. The chemistry that happens when mixing different traditional and digital tools always excites me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.xinyiyangart.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yangxinyii_/

Image Credits

Xinyi Yang