Instagram: @xiaome1 Etsy: www.etsy.com/shop/LittleP1um Website: www.xiaochanmei.com
1. What's your story? Where are you from?My name is Xiao Mei, a Brooklyn based illustrator. I grew up in a little town in the Canton region of China and moved to the United States when I was twelve years old. I was the quiet girl that love to doodle instead of going out when I was little. After I moved to the US and settled in New York, my cousin brought me to the MET, which was the first time I had ever been to an art museum. I still remember how powerful it was at the time and it was the point where I gained my interest in art and dreams of being an artist. 我的名字叫梅小婵,来自布鲁克林的插画家。我出生在中国广东地区,12岁的时候跟随父母来到美国。小时候我就是一个很安静的人,相对于出去外面玩我比较喜欢呆在家里乱涂乱画。当我来到美国后,我很记得我的表姐带我去了大都会博物馆,那是我第一次进入美术博物馆,当时真的被震撼到了,一直记得里面的画作跟雕塑,也是那时候萌生出以后想要当艺术家的念头。![]() 2. Tell us about your aesthetic.My works are graphic and vibrant. I love colors and often use limited color palettes in creative ways. I love looking at retro Japanese and Chinese posters and I think this reflects in my works. 我的作品比较平面跟鲜艳。我非常喜欢颜色,一般会限制自己用几种色,然后通过叠色还有其他不同的方法去使画面变得丰富,平时我爱看昭和时代的日本海报还有民国时期的包装跟广告,我觉得这从我的画里也能看出来。3. What is your favourite medium and why?My favorite medium currently is risograph. I love the unexpected element and the printing quality it provides. Risograph is a process similar to silkscreen but in a modern printing machine, the printer makes masters for each layer and print one or two colors at a time. I done most of my works digitally in photoshop. 现在最喜欢的媒介是孔版印刷,我很喜欢当中不可预计的元素还有它打印出来的效果。孔版印刷的原理比较像普通打印机跟丝网印刷结合生的孩子一样,每次在墨桶里做一个模版,滚动打印。除了草稿外我的作品都在photoshop上完成。4. What is your artistic process like?Normally I would start with rough thumbnails or go over my sketchbook and see what interests me during my free time. After a rough thumbnail sketch I will scan it into photoshop, decide the color palette, and work digitally until satisfied with my work. 平时我会先翻翻素描本,在纸上比较随意的打很多小草稿。确定大概构图后我会把他扫描到电脑里,决定一下我将会用到的颜色,之后一直在电脑上画到完成作品。5. Who and/or what inspires your work?Anything really. People on the train, conversation I overhear, my dreams, /r/nosleep, etc,. I am trying not to look at illustration as much and let myself be influenced by the real world, things that I experience, and feel strongly about. 我的灵感比较多来自我身边的事情,比如说地铁上的人,别人讨论的话题,我所做的梦等等。现在的我比较限制自己少看一些插画作品,让自己多从生活上找灵感,比如自己所感受的,一些让我有强烈反应的东西。6. What role does art play in your life? How does it change the way you view the world?It is hard to separate art and life, to me they belongs together. Art changes the way I view the world by appreciating things I interact with everyday, whether is an art piece in an museum, street signs that inform people, or the train I took in my commute. Art can serve as a way to communicate and a conversation starter. 我觉得很难把艺术跟生活分开,对于我来说他们永远都是一起的。艺术改变了我观察世界的方式,让我开始欣赏我每天接触的东西,无论是在博物馆里面的艺术品,在街边的路牌,还是通勤所坐的地铁。艺术也可以是一个很好让人们开始讨论不同的话题。![]() 7. Where did you study?I am currently finishing my BFA in illustration at the School of Visual arts in New York. 我现在在美国纽约的视觉艺术学院准备完成我的插画本科课程。8. Where do you see yourself in five years?In five years, I see myself still doing things I do now, being a freelance illustrator and managing an online shop at the same time. I see myself attending more events and meeting other creative minds. Start art directing and having a cat and dog. The last thing I want to do is stop creating. 5年后,我想象着自己依旧坐着现在所做的事,成为一名自由插画家的同时管理着自己的网店。我想象着自己多去参加一些活动还有认识其他创作者。或许我会开始艺术指导,养只猫还有狗啥的。做什么都好不要停止创作。9. What about in ten?In ten years, I hope to be an art director possibly in publishing. And still doing things above, in my own art studio. 10年后,我想象着自己成为出版物的艺术指导,当然还有在自己的艺术工作室里做着5年时做的事。10. What do you hope to achieve with your art?I want to create works that make me happy. I hope my art can inspire everyone, especially women to express their own identities and not be afraid to be ordinary or to standout. It's okay to be the person you want to be. 我想要创作一些让我感到开心的作品。我希望自己的作品可以启发所有人,特别是女性,去表达属于自己的特性,不要害怕自己的想法很平凡还是过于出彩,所有人都可以当自己想成为的人。![]() 11. Now, tell us a little more about you as a person: what is your favourite food?I love noodles, any shape and size of noodle! I eat A LOT and am not a picky eater. (except for tomatoes) 我爱所有的面条!!平时的我吃很多,基本上什么都吃什么都喜欢!(除了番茄)12. Favourite book?Favorite book since I was a teenager is The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera. The book was rather depress and contradicted, it really challenge me into think deeply about who am I and the relationships I have with others. 最喜欢的书是米兰昆德拉所写的不能承受的生命之轻。13. Favourite genre of music?I don't have a favorite, it really depends on what mood or vibe I am having that day. I like 80s pop music from Japan, Songs by Sheena Ringo, Yaeji, Higher Brothers, BO EN, etc,. (Just to name a few) 自己没有喜欢的音乐类型,平时比较看当天想要听什么。我喜欢80年代的日本音乐,还有椎名林檎,yaeji,嗨尔兄弟,等等。14. What are your hobbies?I like to visit museums and galleries, watch documentaries, and try new recipes. 我喜欢去画廊还有博物馆,看看纪录片,跟试试新的菜谱。15. If you weren't an artist, what would you be?Owner of a silkscreen and risograph printing lab that offers affordable services for established and emerging artist. As I found it hard to have access to those services other than in art college and university. 如果我不是艺术家的话,我会是丝网印刷还有孔版印刷工作室的老板。![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Comments are closed.
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