yanjun chen shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
yanjun, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What battle are you avoiding?
Marriage, childbirth, and the subsequent upbringing of children are issues that women in their mid-twenties to early thirties in East Asian societies find difficult to avoid.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Yann Chen is a freelance illustrator born in China and currently based in Shanghai. She has a BFA degree in Illustration and Comics from the China Academy of Art and recently graduated from UAL’s MA in Illustration and Visual Media. She has years of experience in editorial and marketing illustration for magazines and brands. Yann’s sights always land on the narrative approach to illustration. Through her illustrations, she hopes to break down the language and culture barrier. Yann is continuously inspired by Eastern art, culture, philosophy, occultism, and humanity’s emotions. She likes to draw illustrations that are sensitive and strong, with stable and calm shapes.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
I was born and raised in Wuxi, in eastern China. Perhaps influenced by this small city’s perpetually damp and rainy climate, I find that both the figures and still lifes in my paintings possess a softness reminiscent of ink wash. As a child, due to societal and family pressures, I valued order, balance, and decorum. I loved books and painting, accustomed from an early age to rigid rules. Yet as an adult, I experiment with painting using bold, untamed strokes. Occasionally, I let go and find myself covered in mud and grime. This stems from my fear of boundaries and my anxiety about losing control. Naming this issue has brought clarity to it.
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
The fear of regret is, in essence, the fear that time will never come again. I hope that in every present moment, I can live without reproach.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Is the public version of you the real you?
No, my true self is rather dull and lazy, unwilling to make an effort, always battling against my own inertia.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. When do you feel most at peace?
Perhaps at the very moment when life reaches its end.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.yannsalt.com/
- Instagram: yannjun_chen
Image Credits
personal work
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
