Today we’d like to introduce you to Joanna Shen.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I’ve always loved drawing since I was a child. My mom would laugh whenever she mentions my first day at kindergarten. Since I was super shy and didn’t talk much, I drew pictures and showed them to my teacher and peers to talk to them. Drawing was my way of communicating with the people around me.
As I grew up, I took art classes learning to handle traditional media such as charcoal, acrylic, and watercolor. I went into and never came out of an anime phase where I drew all kinds of characters from shows or my own imagination. Around this time, my love for the environment developed alongside my passion to draw. My interests made it hard for me to choose a career path. Hence, I started my undergraduate education at UCLA as an undeclared major.
Though I knew I would always do something with art in my career, I was also fascinated with learning biology, political science, humanities, engineering, public policy (i.e. everything) in the context of the environment we live in. So, at the end of my second year, I decided to pursue Environmental Science for my bachelor’s degree. I enjoyed my classes a lot, especially the Marine Biology classes in the fourth year. I remember a class where I had to collect 20 different specimens of algae, identify them using a giant catalogue, press and dry them, and prepare a portfolio. When my academics got stressful with assignments and finals, I often found myself going back to drawing. As I was finishing up the last quarter of my undergraduate education, I started to wonder – “Could I pursue a career that combined my passion for art, and my love for the environment?”
I’m very fortunate to have a family that always supported, encouraged, and challenged me to pursue what I love. They pushed me to put my best efforts in all my endeavors. After graduating from UCLA, I tried going into Animation. I took classes from Gnomon School of Visual Effects and Concept Design Academy where I learned modelling and animation classes using Autodesk Maya, human and animal anatomy, figure drawing, concept design, and environment design. As I was taking these classes, I also wanted to prepare myself for the next steps in my career, so I took a portfolio prep class. This was where I met my mentor.
Despite the concrete steps I was taking towards my career, I still felt lost. I was pushing myself to draw every day, taking art and 3D design classes, and putting my work out on Instagram on a regular basis. I also applied to two animation programs but was rejected from them. With no concrete recognition for my work, I felt like I wasn’t making progress and became stressed about my career.
Luckily, my mentor guided me through all the chaos in my mind. She understood me very well to know that I enjoyed and thrived in a classroom and peer environment. As I had a background studying science in my undergraduate education, my mentor believed that I would be able to pick up the technical skills required to pursue game design. Therefore, I was working on two fronts in advancing my career – picking up technical skills and refining my art.
My family continued to support me through this time. I also had my two dogs keep me company through the long nights of drawing and programming I had to work on. Based on my mentor’s suggestion, I applied to graduate school to gain a formal education and a deeper understanding of the field I was passionate about. This time I was accepted into all three programs I targeted! In the end, I made the decision to go to the Game Design Program at the University of Southern California.
Since then for the last two years, I’ve been working hard in the intensive program. I learned programming, game design and development, and how to become a game director. I was always inclined towards unusual ideas and subject matter. I love imagining weird fantastical worlds and creating unique characters to inhabit them. I love embedding environmental awareness into meaningful narratives that relate to people. I also love media that represents Asian culture and the LGBTQ community. The time I spent in graduate school allowed me to embrace these ideas and experiment with various media and topics. I want to be a voice for my interests and passions by incorporating them into interactive experiences that inspire people.
Please tell us about your art.
When I create art, I often find myself thinking, “What if I can combine two things that aren’t usually combined?” Why should anything be exclusive of each other? My craft encompasses my numerous and diverse interests. They embody my thoughts at the time to convey the story I want viewers and players to understand. As my art is a culmination of different elements, the messages and inspirations vary from piece to piece. However, at the very core of my creations, I strive to make people happy with my art, share beautiful and unique designs, and design engaging games focused on social connections, community-building, and empathy. By fusing seemingly unrelated themes together, I create unique experiences people never imagined.
What do you think about conditions for artists today? Has life become easier or harder for artists in recent years? What can cities like ours do to encourage and help art and artists thrive?
I believe artists should have a sense of curiosity, an inner drive to learn and absorb new information, and the courage to stand by what they believe in. For me, success is a constantly changing state that challenges us to redefine our goals throughout our lives. As cheesy as it may sound, believing in oneself is truly the first step to being successful. Having confidence in yourself and your ideas, recognizing your strengths, and being open to feedback on your work are all important traits an artist must have. I believe that’s what success means to me – the character we build along the way.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
You can see my artwork on Instagram and Twitter @joannashenart! For games, my blog, and other projects, you can visit my website joannashenart.com. I also table at artist alleys such as Anime Expo to meet people and sell my merch. You can find some of the merch on my online shop!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.joannashenart.com/
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joannashenart/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoannaShenArt
- Other: http://joannashenart.storenvy.com/
Image Credit:
Joanna Shen
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