Meet Rasato Ma

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Rasato Ma. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Rasato, so good to have you with us today. We’ve got so much planned, so let’s jump right into it. We live in such a diverse world, and in many ways the world is getting better and more understanding but it’s far from perfect. There are so many times where folks find themselves in rooms or situations where they are the only ones that look like them – that might mean being the only woman of color in the room or the only person who grew up in a certain environment etc. Can you talk to us about how you’ve managed to thrive even in situations where you were the only one in the room?

I am not a successful or famous illustrator yet, and I also have persistence and difficulties that need to be constantly experienced and overcome. Success seems to be a fleeting joy in my life. I wish I could hold on to it tightly and even keep it with me, but it is impossible.

During my graduate studies, I lived alone in the studio. So since then, I have begun to get used to how to communicate and get along with myself better. When the winter in England quietly comes, swallowing up all the colours or the summer solstice sweeps in and continues to illuminate the entire sky, I still stay alone in the studio, drinking coffee and drawing. No matter whether the whole world is noisy or silent, what I have been doing all the time is to continue my illustrations. That feeling is wonderful – I will forget my emotions and even the surrounding environment, and all my thoughts are focused on my illustrations.

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?

Hello, it’s Rasato, an emerging Shanghai-based illustrator with an MA in Illustration from Arts University Bournemouth. I committed myself to editorial illustration to deliver impressive stories and push further into the narrative aspects of my work after experimenting with diverse visual approaches such as life drawing, printmaking, sketching, etc. during my postgraduate degree. I am keen on capturing the neglected or ‘trivial’ facets of our experiences and highlighting emotions, both positive and negative so that audiences can see reflections of their own lives by considering narratives and utilising sharp lines, a vibrant colour palette, and intriguing textures. In this way, illustration is a powerful tool in increasing our mutual understanding of one another.

Along the path of editorial illustrations, I spent a lot of effort and time practising and struggling with making my visual style consistent. More significantly, I gradually began to understand the differences between illustration and art, or how to maintain a balance between the both of them to better connect them with commercials. I have collaborated with clients such as LA Times, Medicinal Media, Glug Magazine, Counting Coral, etc. so far.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

I would say the continuous passion for creation, perseverance in creation and trying to connect with the community and the world.

Passion is the cornerstone that makes me invest in the field of illustration, stimulating curiosity and the ability and desire to explore. Then on this basis, what I will do next is to persist in creation. Honestly, this is harsh, which means that I have to ‘sacrifice’ a lot of time and energy to keep trying. I can’t express in words the difficulties and bottlenecks I have encountered so far, which sometimes even made me lose colour, confidence and even hope in creation. But I still experienced those setbacks and survived.

The last thing I would like to talk about is learning to connect with the community and the world. If I hadn’t lived and worked in London for a year, I wouldn’t have realised the importance of networking. How to understand this sentence? For example, I made amazing works but no one knows about it. Isn’t it a pity? Whether it is art or illustration, they are not self-admiration but need to interact and connect with people and communities to produce more innovative value and significance. So, from now on, let more and more people know who you are and your work.

Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?

They are my friends, Hsiang from Taiwan and Simon from Nepal. Rather than helping me develop more mature skills and become a more well-known and prosperous illustrator, what I learned from them is the attitude towards life and how to live my own life.

Illustration is a part of my life, but it is not all of my life. Illustration lives based on life, and life is more complex and profound than illustration. I have always been thinking about who is my benefactor to help me achieve success and prestige over the past two years. But they have already appeared in my life, providing advice and solving problems for the difficulties I encountered. For me, it is more valuable to have close friends than to have mature skills and a massive reputation.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://rasato.me
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rasato3240/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rasato-ma-931b67224/