Meet Cyan Lin

We recently connected with Cyan Lin and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Cyan, thank you so much for joining us today. There are so many topics we could discuss, but perhaps one of the most relevant is empathy because it’s at the core of great leadership and so we’d love to hear about how you developed your empathy?

The conditions that allowed me to develop empathy mainly came from my work as an illustrator. Since many of my works support written articles, I need to think about how readers will feel and find ways to connect with them. Sometimes I use metaphors to express the ideas behind the text, and I also share my sketches with friends to see if my message comes across clearly. These practices helped me put myself in other people’s shoes and gradually strengthened my empathy.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I’m Cyan Lin, an illustrator with a background in printmaking, now primarily working in digital painting for magazines, brands, and personal projects. My work often weaves together Eastern aesthetics, female imagery, and everyday emotions, using subtle details and metaphors to tell stories that invite viewers to step into a certain mood or narrative. What excites me most about my practice is blending the compositional thinking of traditional printmaking with the flexibility of digital techniques — I enjoy creating visuals that appear gentle on the surface but carry deeper layers of emotion and social observation. This balance of softness and strength makes my work versatile across editorial storytelling and commercial contexts.

At the end of this year, I will be holding a small solo exhibition in Songjiang, Shanghai, which I am currently preparing. The show will present a selection of my recent works and provide visitors with a chance to connect with the narratives behind my illustrations in a more direct way. For updates and new work, you can find me on Instagram @cyan_cha and on REDnote as @Cyan Lin.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Looking back, I’d say three things have been most important in my journey: aesthetic accumulation, analytical thinking, and empathy.Aesthetic accumulation comes from seeing and experiencing as much as you can — exhibitions, books, travel, even everyday moments. All of that quietly feeds into your work and gives it depth.Analytical thinking is what helps me turn abstract ideas into images that communicate clearly. It’s been especially valuable when working with publishers or brands, where the goal is to connect a story with an audience. And empathy is what makes the work resonate. If you can really feel and understand people’s emotions, that comes through in the art and makes it more than just visual.

For anyone starting out, my advice is simple: go experience more. See shows, watch plays, travel, talk to people. Those experiences eventually become the fuel for your creativity.

How would you describe your ideal client?

As an illustrator, I see myself as both an artist and a designer. As a designer, I need to respond to various needs and find breakthroughs within certain constraints — which is part of what makes the work interesting. That’s why I’m not particularly selective about clients. As an artist, however, I hope to express my own ideas through my work. So my ideal client is someone who can convey their own vision while respecting my creative expression.

Specifically, I’m drawn to working with well-known magazines and brands, as these collaborations bring challenges and offer valuable opportunities for growth. For example, I’ve always regarded The New Yorker covers as my “final boss.” Beyond its prestige, what fascinates me most is how each cover precisely captures the spirit of a certain period — a delicate yet powerful form of expression that I deeply admire. I also appreciate projects that have stories, warmth, and a strong visual identity, because they allow my illustrations to become a meaningful dialogue between art and design.

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