We recently connected with Yang Zhou and have shared our conversation below.

Yang , appreciate you joining us today. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?

I am proud and happy to be an artist, although in China, where the art market is not yet formalized, artists may not always be able to find work, and many of them may not even be able to sustain their daily lives with their artwork alone. But the process of creating art gives me a deep sense of value and intellectual fulfillment. If I hadn’t become an artist, the most likely regular job for me would have been a college, high school, or middle school teacher. Working in China’s stable education system is a common expectation of Chinese parents for their children’s future careers. If I were to become a college teacher, teaching, attending classes, grading students’ work, managing classroom discipline, commuting, going home, eating, sleeping, and having fun would be my daily routine, and I suspect that this schedule would be repeated for a long time, and even take up a large part of my life. However, if art-making is part of this never-ending regular schedule, I think it can prevent me from becoming a part of a social machine that is always in regular motion; in other words, if I have the potential to become a rule-following robot that always does the same thing, then art can allow for the expression of self-consciousness and emotion to be present in the robot’s behaviors that are likely to repeat themselves over and over again forever.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am an illustration artist. The themes that attract me most are illustration, fashion, costume design, cultural anthropology, folklore, tarot cards, meditation, astrology, magic and occult, film, and jewelry. The above keywords often appear in my illustration work, which results in a mystical or romantic atmosphere in most of my work. Entering the illustration program was a satisfying artistic choice for me. In the field of illustration, which is very inclusive, I can develop my artistic style freely and without restriction, and experiment with the fusion of different artistic styles. The systematic basic art education I received in China is strong support for my drawing skills. I am grateful for the fact that this training, with a strong test-oriented approach, has largely improved my proficiency in painting. However, the decade-long exam-based art education did not show me the way in the direction of artistic creativity and even made the love and motivation for painting in the four years of my undergraduate studies go away, which is a fatal aftermath of the exam-based education for those who want to become artists. I used to think that I was the only one who had such a negative experience, but as I talked to other artists studying at the Savannah College of Art and Design, I was surprised to find that many of them felt the same way I did. After a long period of teaching to the test – they lost their passion and love for painting, stopped painting for a long time, and suffered from severe self-defeat that led them to give up painting. Fortunately, four years after I passed the Chinese National University Entrance Examination, I rediscovered my interest in art and started to draw again. Illustration was then the field I chose to study after re-entering the art world. Fashion illustration as fashion advertising is a category that I am currently interested in and exploring, and I have about five works on the subject at the moment. Previously I have done surface design, editorial illustration, poster design, and ceramic painting. I have created a series of illustrations based on Chinese folklore and cultural anthropology of magic and sorcery, such as the Nishan Shaman and the Artist’s Tarot.

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

I’m happy and grateful when my work is liked, and retweeted, and someone expresses love and appreciation for my work. Likes from viewers are a testament to the time, patience, and creativity I put into my art. Who wouldn’t be thrilled to be recognized for their efforts? I feel seen and recognized every time my work receives likes on social media, whether they come from the creative industry or not. Recently, I was encouraged when my prints inspired by and referencing the fashion jewelry of the fashion house Maison Schiaparelli were liked on Schiaparelli’s official Instagram account. Also this year, my work has been selected for exhibitions organized by the London Gallery in various capitals such as Paris, Milan, New York, Athens, Amsterdam, London, and Brussels, and these artworks created by me have traveled to more countries instead of me. When I tell my family about this information, the affirmation from them also makes me feel confident and supported. Two years ago, I was even more excited when my fashion illustrations of Alexander McQueen’s fashion designs and lookbook were liked by Alexander McQueen’s official Ins account, only six months after I purchased my iPad and learned how to use Procreate to create illustrations. Can you imagine how thrilled and proud I was to have my fashion illustrations liked by my favorite fashion house when I was the newest illustrator? So, in my personal experience, being recognized by artists or art groups that are better than me, likes on social media, winning awards, participating in art exhibitions in various capitals, and recognition from my family is the most fulfilling thing for me.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

In my point of view, to best support artists, creatives, and a thriving creative ecosystem, society can invest in arts education by integrating creative subjects into school curriculums and providing resources for aspiring artists to develop their skills. Then, I believe that ensures fair compensation for artists by supporting policies that protect intellectual property rights and promote equitable pay for their work. Promoting cultural diversity and inclusivity in creative industries, and encouraging a variety of perspectives and experiences can be a good way as well.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://yangzhouart.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunmoonstarwitch/?hl=zh-cn

Image Credits
Alexander McQueen