Today we’d like to introduce you to Katherine Chang.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Katherine. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Ever since I was young, I would eagerly follow my dad every evening when he went to pick my mom up at the fashion district in DTLA. I grew up watching her pursue her career as a fashion designer as she worked her way up from working at a clothing manufacturing company to building her own brand. My mom would always tell me that her dream was to become an artist, and deep inside, I know she wants to achieve more. And, in a way, it feels like I’m the chosen one to fulfill her goals and passion.
Growing up, I was also extremely lucky to be able to experience many activities such as learning how to play a number of instruments, ballet, volunteering in hospitals, sports, book clubs, etc. And in the end, I always seemed to be most content when it came to anything that involved art and design. I signed up for classes at a local art studio, and from then on, it was always non stop creating, drawing, painting, building, and designing. And as someone who is not the greatest at expressing oneself, I found that creating visual imagery was the best form of communication to share my stories with everyone.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I’m a second-generation Korean American, and with a bit of a traditional influence, my dad didn’t always approve of me becoming an artist. He wasn’t super strict about it, but it was pretty loud and clear that he wanted me to become a doctor. So I spent a couple of years trying to prepare for that career, and it was clearly no match for me. If I was ever stressed out, I would always resort to drawing and painting or crafting things with whatever paper I found around the house. I think my mom picked up on this, and she even signed me up for a crafting class that was right next to my academic after school program behind my dad’s back. I devoted one hour each week to learn anything and everything, and I even begged the teacher to let me stay for an extra 30 minutes each class which sometimes even extended to another hour or two. My dad eventually found out and by then, I had enough artwork to prove to my dad that pursuing my career as an artist was the right direction.
After overcoming that small bump, I’ve been fairly lucky. Once I was a junior, I spent almost every minute of my life at a local art studio other than when I was in school. It was also another plus that I was able to grow up in the heart of LA where almost any resource I needed was at the palm of my hands. That being said, art and design is not always easy and I think that there are many issues that come along with that but it’s mainly about identity. I’m still growing and learning, and this is just the beginning of a long journey on figuring out who I am.
Please tell us more about your art.
I am an aspiring illustrator and designer with an emphasis on surface design. I’ve always loved illustrative storytelling and home decor/fashion. Every object we ever see is designed by people so that it has a purpose and a function for everyday use, and it has always left me wondering how I can impact people’s lifestyle with my voice and color to influence their life. When creating designs that are applied to products or just images in general, there are so many mediums we can choose from and I’ve always found that handmade qualities make it more personal and special. I love creating images with painting mediums, embroidery, dyeing, and sculpting and I can also get super crazy about tiny details when it comes to mark-making.
When we create things, it’s heavily influenced by our personalities and personal experiences. And a lot of my inspirations come from traveling because there’s so much history and unique qualities that we can share with the world. I grew up constantly traveling, and I’d always make photo journals so that I can share my experience with friends and families and to create illustrations. As I continue to pursue my career, I am hoping to be able to travel more and delve into a variety of wonders each place to offer to create elevated craft.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I honestly don’t know what’s waiting ahead of me but I’m always ready to take on new experiences. And I think this is one of the most exciting things about being an illustrator and designer because we’ll always be working with other people, and the same people are also waiting out there to make an impact in our world.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.katherinehjchang.com/
- Email: katherinehjchang@gmail.com
- Instagram: @katherinehjchang
Image Credit:
Katherine Chang
Suggest a story: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
