Meet Zhigang Zhang

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Zhigang Zhang a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Zhigang, 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.

My inspiration is from my life, I observe people around me, so I think I would love to walk around my place and to travel other places in order to keep my creativity alive, for instance, Train railway station, supermarket, they are full of crowded people. I also like to travel to get inspiration. Besides, I would like to browse some art platforms and to read a load of artist related articles they publish everyday like It`s Nice That, Creative Boom, and Creative Review etc.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

As an illustrator, I mainly provide editorial illustrations for Magazines and Newspapers. I like use illustration to tell a story as I think the function of illustration is to narrate a story, in particular my own stories, I would like to read different articles to make illustrations and to publish and I regard it as the best job that I have ever done, full of achievement, my work can be seen by a load of readers, it is amazing. I also love to work with book cover, commercial advertisement, and pattern design in the future. Oh the other hand, I work with different agencies to sell my prints, it is good to see my work hanging at their home around the world.

I have worked with Giant Robot R2 Gallery to exhibit my work with hundred of artists around the work in LA, the annual exhibition will be exhibiting from last Dec 7th until Dec 21st, it is the first time that I have had a group show with a load of artists in America, I was excited and honoured to be a part of PostInShow20, some artists I have been following for a while, every art is affordable as every art is $30, I saw some customers buying my art, it means a lot to me. Therefore, the founder likes my work, he invited me to have another show, I was so so thrilled to have another exhibition in their gallery.

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?

Persistence, happiness, and follow your heart are the most impactful in my journey. If you like your job as an illustrator, just keep making art all the time, do whatever you like, follow your heart until you can realize your dream. It is a long and risky journey to be an illustrator but as long as you enjoy doing illustration, you will be becoming a successful illustrator in the future, it is just a matter of time, persistence is the most important thing if you want to be successful. Do not stop learning from other excellent illustrators as they might be able to experience the problem what you are facing.

Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?

I would like to go outside and talk to my friends when I feel overwhelmed. I think the most effective way is to communicate with someone, they may give me some practical advice to deal with it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.zhigangart.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/z_zhigang/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zhang-zhigang-95b457155/

Image Credits

Life is still Autumn series
Life is still Autumn series
Life is still Christmas
Durian`s Fans
Malatang series
Reading Time
The Colour of Spring series
The Kitchen