Meet Yi Sora Zhan

We were lucky to catch up with Yi Sora Zhan recently and have shared our conversation below.

Yi Sora, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.

Before embarking on my entrepreneurial journey, I focused on my art career. I explored my research interests through various mediums, including oil painting, performance art, and multimedia art. One of my wood-panel oil painting series, Enveloped Realm, uses ambiguous gray tones to blur the traditional expression of landscape painting. In fact, both the themes and tones of this series reflect the influence of many artists I admire, such as Albert Pinkham Ryder, David Grossmann, and even more influential artists from different stages of art history. There’s a saying, “Good artists copy. Great artists steal.” I believe this is the key to keeping creativity alive.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

While being an artist, I also currently own a jewelry brand, YUAN FIELD, where I serve as the jewelry designer and creative director. Recently, Yuan Field launched the 2024 Fall/Winter Sea Island Collection. In this season’s concept, I crafted a free, solitary yet abundant body of water through jewelry. I designed various natural forms like small fish, starfish, dust, rocks, and wool, each invoking the breeze and waves of the sea, reimagining the world’s romance through nature’s elements. What excites me most is the process of creation, from bringing ideas to life—from sketches to physical pieces—and even the series of illustrations I created for this collection. It fulfills my most primal creative desires as an artist.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I believe resilience is one of the most important qualities. During my undergraduate years, I often had to critique others’ works, or have my own works critiqued by classmates and professors. Even in the early stages of founding my brand and up to now, I continue to face a variety of opinions when making decisions. It’s important to stick to your own goals and ideas because only what endures can be validated. Another key quality is sincerity—not necessarily towards everyone, but towards yourself. It’s crucial to understand what you truly want and don’t want, so that you can move through life with a clearer sense of purpose.

When it comes to areas of knowledge, I believe art is something I will explore for the rest of my life. It goes far beyond the literal meaning of art; it’s a multidimensional field. However, everyone has different areas of knowledge or skills they want to explore. As long as it sparks your interest, I encourage you to dive in and pursue it with persistence.

Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?

My greatest growth has been evolving from someone who was relatively self-centered into a person who can approach things with a more inclusive perspective. Throughout my entrepreneurial journey, the various people and experiences I’ve encountered have helped reshape my outlook to some extent. This shift has allowed me to be more adaptable in handling relationships and work, while also helping me feel more at ease personally.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://yuanfieldofficial.com

Image Credits

YUAN FIELD