We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Yi Lin Zhao. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Yi Lin below.

Hi Yi Lin, thanks for joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I’ve always been creative since a young age. Growing up in an Asian household, I was enrolled in many hobby classes to explore my potential and interests that might be turned into a specialty skill for the future. I took classes in piano, ballet, and tennis, but I showed the most promise in classical fine art. The other classes were dropped to make way for weekend art classes, a commitment that continued until high school.

Despite being directed toward fine arts and into a career in the design field so that I don’t become a starving fine artist, I remained interested in other artistic mediums such as music and writing. I didn’t want to limit myself to a single art form – I wished to be a multidisciplinary artist and storyteller.

I was fortunate to grow up during a time when I had exposure to a wide range of media from all over the world, and when I was around 11 years old, I discovered Broadway and German musicals. I had never seen anything like it at the time, this blend of music, performance art, and grand design for a world on stage fascinated me. I didn’t want to just be merely an audience, I wanted to be a part of the creation process. When it came time to select a major for college, despite having no prior theater experience at all, I was determined to pursue scenic design for theater, which brought me here to Los Angeles.

I attended UCLA’s School of Theater, Film, and Television, where I obtained both a BA in Theater and a MFA in Scenic and Production Design. During my studies, I also discovered costume design and design for the world of cinema, which is only natural when located in Hollywood. I recently graduated with my MFA in June 2023 and proudly became Art Directors Guild Local 800.

Currently, I’m working as a freelance production designer for independent film productions. My career, like many others in the industry, has been affected by the ongoing strike. We all stand in solidarity, eagerly awaiting its resolution so we can return to the creative work we love.

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?

Hello lovely readers, my name is Yi Lin Zhao. I’m a fine artist and designer for theater and film.

My journey began at a young age with fine art training. Not wanting me to become a starving artist, the plan was for me to enter the field of design, perhaps industrial or garden design. The plan pivoted when I became obsessed with musicals in my teenage years, that fascination led me to choosing scenic design for theater as my area of study for university, which also brought me to Los Angeles. During my study at UCLA’s School of Theater, Film, and Television, my passion extended to costume design and into the world of cinema.

At the moment, I’m based in Los Angeles, focused on working as a freelance production designer for film. Production design, a part of the art department, is the overall visual design of a movie production. Once I’ve settled down, I wish to return to creating for the stage and to embrace any creative opportunity that comes my way.

During the ongoing industry strike, I’m seeking work in independent film productions. I also find it to be an opportunity to revisit my fine art roots, participating in art shows at local galleries. If you have any creative needs, please don’t hesitate to reach out. While I don’t have a formal business right now, my dream is to one day establish a studio for creative work of all kinds.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I would love to one day tell my own story. As a designer, my work has always been derived from the text I was given, and my way of storytelling has always been building the look of the world and the character for the text. My goal is to, even for once, be at the beginning of that process and create a narrative that inspires the visual. To tell a story that is personal but resonates with others, a story that I like, and hope others will find it intriguing too.

To achieve that goal, I need to keep improving myself, acquiring more skills, connecting with individuals from different disciplines, and collaborating to create works that are more elaborate and impactful than I could ever accomplish alone.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

This might sound vain, but showcasing my work, especially to my family, is the most rewarding.

Neither of my parents is in the creative field, yet they have shaped my artistic journey. One introduced me to the world of classical cinema and musicals, and the other supported me through my art education and my obsession for theater, even if they do not fully comprehend what I do –- which is why I’ve always wished to show and tell my passion and profession.

While art pieces are easy to exhibit, the ephemeral nature of theater means one has to be then and there to witness the production on stage, oftentimes only snapshots remain to convey our work. My family has yet to have the opportunity to see any theater productions I have worked on in person, except for my cousin who’s living in LA, thank you cousin.

On the other hand, film, television, and other digital media are much more accessible and familiar to everyone. When I worked on Launchpad Season 2 for Disney+ in the summer of 2022, even my 90+-year-old grandmother, who has never left the country, recognized the company’s name, because she remembered that I grew up watching their movies, which made working in film truly gratifying for me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.yilinzhao.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yi_lin_zhao_/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yi-lin-zhao-b6846a183/