@mich_un

Instagram: @mich_un Facebook: www.facebook.com/michun2010 Behance: www.behance.net/michun

1. What's your story? Where are you from?

My name is Yeh Yi-Jou and I use “michun” as my artist name. Born in Taiwan in 1983, I grew up with my grandparents in the countryside of south Taiwan and Yunlin county due to my parents’ divorce. My father was used to returning home to visit me routinely on the weekend, and during the summer/ winter vacations, I visited my maternal grandmom’s house in Taipei to stay with my mother. The time I stayed either of the two places in one year was about half and half.I liked to draw since I was little and learned all the way till I grew up.Now I’ve worked as a freelance illustrator for more than 4 years. 葉依柔，使用michun作為藝術家名字。1983在台灣出生，因父母離異與祖父母一起生活，在雲林以及台灣南部鄉下長大。父親週末會回老家看我，寒暑假則換我到台北外婆家陪母親，一年當中兩地待的時間大概是各一半。從小就喜歡畫圖，一路學習畫畫長大。目前以插畫家身分獨立接案已經有四年多的時間。

2. Tell us about your aesthetic.

I like those illustrations on second-hand books, such as some old magazines or movie posters. I like pigment marks and creases. 我喜歡二手書上的插圖，像是一些老雜誌、電影海報…等。喜歡顏料痕跡和皺褶。

3. What is your favourite medium and why?

Recently I like acrylic pigment, the quick dry character can keep up with the flowing images of my brain. But it fails often, and I am always needing to draw plenty of them, and then select some successful works from them. I’m used to retaining lots of strokes and marks when I’m practicing the way of light coating. 最近喜歡壓克力顏料，很快乾，作畫速度可以跟上我腦中畫面的片段流動。不過很常失敗，所以常常要多畫幾張圖，再從中挑選一些成功的。薄塗時習慣保留很多筆觸、痕跡。

4. What is your artistic process like?

Travel is the source of my muse. It can jump off the current life as playing another role and can observe everything from another angle. I use the receipts, tickets or garbage on the ground to be my drawing papers, scribble with a ball-point pen, which helps me to fast catch and collect the moments of everything. After coming home and marinating, I will remake a new image through the documents. Although I use acrylic a lot presently, I still like to play with different media such as collage and watercolor. 旅行是我的靈感來源，它可以跳脫目前生活，像是在扮演另一個角色，更可以從別種角度觀察一切。我會用收到的單據、票卡、地上的垃圾直接當作圖紙，用原子筆塗鴉，這樣可以快速自由地捕捉、蒐集當下的一切。回來沉澱後，用當時紀錄下的照片、圖紙為基礎再製畫面。拼貼、水彩、都做，雖然目前最習慣用壓克力作畫，但還是很喜歡翻玩不同媒材。

5. Who and/or what inspires your work?

All aspects of my life. Collecting second-hand books, watching movies and exhibitions, or taking a walk, or staying home alone…There are always a lot of images that I would like to preserve in my life.The artists who I like and aspire are Luc Tuymans, Jockum Nordström and Firenze Lai. 我從生活中各方面擷取靈感，蒐集二手書、電影、展覽或只是散步，一個人溺在家裡…等，生活中總是有很多畫面是我想封存下來的。喜歡與嚮往的藝術家有Luc Tuymans、Jockum Nordström、黎清妍(Firenze LAI)

6. What role does art play in your life? How does it change the way you view the world?

When I was younger, I thought making art is like digging my inside world out, and letting other people watch me. In one period, I doubted the meaning of the way and thought I just threw lots of junk out and made lots of garbage. But that time is already passed. Now, art transforms into the way of self-healing for me. Sometimes I think it’s really a blessing I can draw, or I might become depressive and irritated. Now my feeling about my life and work is----those things some people think useless, others treasure, and vice versa. So don’t let other people shake your values, and don’t let other people decide your worth. If there is something you treasure, let them be more valuable. 比較年輕的時候，我覺得創作是挖掘出自己內心世界，並且還要攤開來給別人觀賞。有一段時間我很質疑這樣做的意義，覺得自己只是一直拋出廢物，製造很多垃圾。但那段時間已經過去了。現在，藝術對我來說轉變一種自我療癒的方法。甚至心裡常常會想，幸好自己會畫圖，否則我可能會變得憂鬱、暴躁。現在我對自己作品和生命的感想是：有人認為是無用的，就是有人視為珍品，反之，你認為是寶物的，別人也可能當做是垃圾。所以，不要讓別人動搖你的價值觀，也不要讓別人決定你的價值，如果是你珍惜的事物，就要讓他更有價值。

7. Where did you study?

I majored in oil painting in Taipei National University of the Arts before. 學生時代在台北藝術大學( Taipei National University of the Arts，TNUA )主修油畫。

8. Where do you see yourself in five years?

I feel now I’m having the life that I want. It doesn’t mean perfect, sometimes I still have struggles between reality and dream, but who isn’t like this? I guess it will be a real blessing if I still can be a freelance illustrator after 5 years. My personality is loving to do challenging things and going to various places! It is my style! 我覺得現在已經算是在過自己想要的生活了，不能說完美，還是有一些現實和內心的拉扯，但誰不是這樣呢?我想再過五年，我若還是能作為一個自由接案的插畫家工作著，就會是非常幸福的事了。我的個性就是喜歡挑戰不同的事情、去不同的地方啊!很適合呢!

9. What about in ten?

I wish I could have a dog, it’s always been my childhood dream. But now I still have no ability to take responsibility for a life, though I hope I can do it in 10 years.And, I wish I can go to different countries to have exhibitions or travel during the next 10 years. 我自己的理想是養一隻狗，那是我從小到大都嚮往的事，但現在仍沒有能力對一個生命負責，希望十年後可以。再來是希望在這十年內我可以去到更多不同的國家展覽、旅行。

10. What do you hope to achieve with your art?

I wish my own work could comfort other people the way they comfort me, that’s enough. 我希望自己的作品可以療癒別人，就像療癒我自己一樣，這樣就夠了。

11. Now, tell us a little more about you as a person: what is your favourite food?

Like many girls, I like sweets. When I coat very thick acrylic pigment on the canvas, it just looks like sugar icing or ice cream, especially the color white. Perhaps it’s the reason why I’m used to painting with acrylic pigment?! Ha ha…. 跟很多女孩一樣，我喜歡甜食。當我用很厚的壓克力顏料抹上畫面時，很像糖霜或冰淇淋的感覺，尤其是白色，這可能也是我習慣用壓克力顏料的原因吧!哈哈。

12. Favourite book?

I have no favorite book, just according to the different period and mood. Some of the books I can only read half of. But I have a favorite movie. Sometimes I played Jacques Demy’s musical film while I was drawing. Very beautiful color. 沒有最喜歡的書，都是依那時期的心情看不同的書，有些看一半就不看了。 倒是有喜歡的電影，畫畫的有時會放Jacques Demy的歌舞片來看，顏色很美。

13. Favourite genre of music?

Recently I listen to the bands ”The Dø” and the Taiwanese band “No Party For Cao Dong”. I’m not sure about the music style. 最近常聽的是樂團”The Dø”和台灣的樂團”草東沒有派對”，不確定是什麼類型的音樂。

14. What are your hobbies?

I watch all kinds of movies, travel, take walks, and make handcrafts. 看各種類型的電影、旅行、散步、做手工藝品。

15. If you weren't an artist, what would you be?

There was a period I wanted to quit making art, but later in my life, art still slowly came back to me. I think I can’t choose what I want! It’s the only thing I can do. 曾經有一段時間不想創作，但後來還是慢慢回到創作的生活，我想這可能不是我能選擇的吧!我也只能做這個了。