Life & Work with Yunjou Chen

Today we’d like to introduce you to Yunjou Chen.

Hi Yunjou, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’m a Taiwanese animation director, illustrator, and visual designer. My love for arts started when I was a child. With a pencil in my hand, I could see a whole new world in my mind. But after I grew up, I got lost in the tight society and became a student who struggled with exams like everyone else. It was a peaceful afternoon; I lay on a sofa and watched Phineas and Ferb. It suddenly hit me that I was one of the kids who could build my own world with imagination. So, I entered a design school and started my journey. I obtained a B.A. in communication design and animation in Taiwan. Throughout my days in college, I earned my design knowledge and made my first animation short film. After graduation, I was lucky enough to get the sponsorship, so I moved to LA in 2022 and started my art life at the University of Southern California.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s not a smooth road, but I would call it a growing pain. When I was in college, I was full of curiosity and tended to learn many skills instead of being an expert in a certain field. After graduation, I spent a year working as a freelance designer. I did many kinds of work from 3D animation to graphic design, and I found it hard to define myself. I realized that my cross-skilling ability started to turn from my strength to my weakness. It was that time I got the chance to come to LA, so I left all my jobs behind and flew away to find my own passion. Now a year later, by trying to step out of my comfort zone and learning to be honest with the artwork, I’m developing my own unique art style slowly but firmly.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m an animation director, illustrator, and visual designer who enjoy working with colors and imagination. When you look at my artwork, you’ll notice that most of my works revolve around the themes of growing up and childhood because to me a young mind is the most appealing art of life.

Coming from a design background made me able to apply design thinking to both animations and other visual works. It gives me the ability to balance being an emotional artist and a rational designer, and I see it as a strong power of my path.

As a long-term goal, I aim to build my own brand and participate in more creative projects. For now, I’m open to any kind of challenge and would love to work in creative collaborations.

We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
I guess I’m kind of an introvert who doesn’t need to hang out with people every day, so it doesn’t really bother me from the very beginning of the quarantine. But several months later, I realized that I can’t draw the world without seeing the real world. I learned that communication between people is where the inspiration comes from, so I started to observe what happened in society more, and I kept the habit even after the Covid-19 crisis.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.yunjou.art/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yunjouo/
• Other: https://vimeo.com/804517264 (My animation short film-Ahh!)