Li Zhang

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Architecture

Conceptual

Editorial

Infographic

Maps

People

Illustration of the map of the City of Weihai

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Cover art for a book about the Chinese Zodiac, illustrated by Li Zhang

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Two individuals with VR headsets and digital sound wave between them.

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Between Hockney and Chinese painting: Li Zhang's very distinctive style.

Perspective, geometry, symbolism: Li Zhang translates complex briefings into vivid visual narratives.

Originally from Jiangsu Province in China, today Li is based in New York. Drawing on a whole range of influences from pop artists like David Hockney through to traditional Chinese painting, she has forged her own individual approach to painting and loves experimenting with perspective and geometry. Li enjoys a challenging brief with unexpected elements to it. With a degree in Illustration from the Fashion Institute of Technology, before devoting herself to illustration Li also trained as an engineer. Other influences include poetry, science fiction and architecture.

Approach

Using her own custom brushes as well as traditional ones, Li paints her visual elements and textures for her illustrations by hand. Then she switches to Photoshop to bring together the composition and execute the finer details.

Styles

With their grainy textures and her unique hand, Li’s artworks have a classic illustration feel to them. Her images are free-spirited and colourful with symbolism often driving the visual narrative.

Awards

2019 – Graphic Matters Poster Competition – Infographics – Winner 2019 – iJungle Awards – Self-promotion – Merit 2020 - American Illustration Annual 39 2020 - Communication Arts Illustration Shortlister

Languages

Fluent in English and Mandarin

Impressions

Interview

Website

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Interview

What led you to become an illustrator? I used to be a car engineer and I put my love about art deep in my heart until one day I saw an interview with Victo Ngai, one of the Forbes 30 Under artists and learned about the illustration industry. Like her, I am passionate about painting. Without any hesitation, I cut off all my retreats and applied directly to the American art school illustration major. With my efforts, my parents gradually changed their minds and became very supportive and proud of me.Did you study illustration in college? Yes, I studied illustration in FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology) in New York City, NY.Where did you grow up? I grew up in Xuzhou Jiangsu Province, China.Where do you live now and what drew you there? Currently, I live in Queens, New York City. There are lots of Asian food restaurants and supermarkets in this area. It’s very convenient for me to buy fresh stuff to cook… I love cooking.Do you have a studio pet?No, I don’t have one but I wish I could own a cute cat in the near future.Who or What is your biggest inspiration? I get a lot of my inspiration from traditional Chinese painting, such as cavalier perspective and the beauty of artistic conception, to be more specific, I think it's very interesting that Chinese traditional painting "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" and David Hockney use the same cavalier perspective in the painting and photography. The same way that I can use this in illustration because illustration doesn't need to be very realistic. I also like Wu Guanzhong's paintings which combined the East and West. I can relate to his works a lot, maybe our hometowns are both in Jiangnan.How do you get your ideas? I kick-start my ideas by taking my time to make sure that I fully understand the needs of the client, and then do the research on the topic and summarize the topic into 3-5 key words, so that I can focus my mind during the brainstorming.What are your interests outside of illustration? I am the kind of person who has lots of interests. I love all kinds of sports, especially yoga, basketball, and swimming. I also like to visit many galleries and museums in NY to gather inspirations. Recently because of quarantine, I realize cooking is also another kind of art.What would be your dream commission?My dream commission would include a combination of passion, creativity and marketing prospects. First of all, take the theme I am interested in such as fashion, culture or some creative projects and then combine it with AI technology, I’d love to explore more possibilities combining art and technology.How much of your work is hand drawn?Most of my artworks are finished by the digital tool "Photoshop". For the textures in the images, I use special brushes I made and sometimes I will create the illustration using traditional painting and then do the digital collage on Photoshop. I’d love to explore more ways to combine traditional painting with digital tools, I love the vivid sense of traditional painting and also love the convenience of digital painting. If you were not an illustrator, what would you be?I think I would be a hostess or an actress, which is also on my bucket list. I enjoy the feeling of being alone at my studio, but I also love the feeling of standing in the centre of the stage facing a crowd of people…my personality is complicated.What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given? “It's not about destination; it's about the journey.” and “It’s never too late to start.”Have you any hidden talents? I can easily remember people’s faces at first sight, so I think I might be a good candidate for being a courtroom sketch artist.What do you listen to when you’re illustrating?Meditation music and classical piano songs, light music etc. Those kinds of songs can make me focus on my work, with my mind flowing like meditation.What was the last exhibition you saw and loved?The last exhibition I saw was Walead Beshty exhibition in Petzel gallery, NY. The full name of the exhibition is quite long” A Partial Disassembling of an Invention without a Future: Helter-Skelter and Random Notes in which the Pulleys and Cogwheels are Lying around at Random All over the Workbench.” It was just breath-taking when I first saw the installation view. Very impressive!Which languages can you speak?I can speak Mandarin (mother language), English, a little Korean and French since my previous company provided French classes.What is your favourite quote?“It’s not how good you are, it’s how good you want to be.” - Paul Arden