Life & Work with Ziyi Tan

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ziyi Tan.

Hi Ziyi, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’m a visual artist who specializes in creating realistic oil paintings, drawings, and pyrography on wood. My artistic journey began with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts in China. Afterward, I went to CSULB for a post-baccalaureate program in Drawing and Painting. As a first-generation immigrant, I initially supported myself by working in the food industry, but my passion for art never waned. Eventually, I found stability and began teaching art at a private art school. Later, I spent a few years working as a tile/ceramic painter. I have come a long way in my career and currently serve as a studio assistant to a professional artist. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, I have managed to dedicate more time to creating art and have taken steps toward pursuing a more professional path by participating in group shows at galleries.

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?
As a first-generation immigrant with no family in the US, income has consistently been my greatest challenge. Like many other immigrants, I worked at various restaurants, leaving me with little time for artistic activities when I first arrived in the US. Nowadays, there isn’t much demand for traditional studio art skills, resulting in limited job opportunities in the art field. However, I take pride in my traditional painting methods and didn’t want to compromise by pursuing more popular paths like graphic design. I rely on my hands, my fingers, my touch, and the control I have over them to create, and that’s what I’m determined to stick with.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I specialize in realistic oil paintings and drawings. I was trained in art school in a very traditional, classical way, like how the old masters mentored their students in history. The biggest difference it makes is the way of observing. In this digital era, most artists rely on digital images for their creative process, but I stick with the practice of observing objects directly with my eyes, as if cameras were never invented. While I do use photo references, I view them merely as maps to the three-dimensional world, not as my sole reliance. Therefore, the objects in my works display my understanding towards form and relationship in space between objects. My works are the results of my deliberate observation and interpretation, I think that is the part that I’m most proud of.

In the recent years, I also started to write poetry in the English language, which is an intimidating but satisfying challenge. During the Pandemic, I picked up the skill of making pyrography on wood (commonly known as wood burning), and I am still trying to discover the potential outcome of such a technique.

What were you like growing up?
I spent my childhood in the city of Guangzhou, China. My father, a TV director, hosted a renowned show called “The Artistic Life,” where he conducted interviews with a diverse range of fine artists, musicians, dancers, and more. This show of his had a significant influence on me. However, during my early years, my passion leaned more toward music than fine art, I practiced piano for years and my childhood dream was to become a bel-canto singer.

As I grew, my love towards fine art grew deeper, prompting my family to make the decision to enroll me in an art-focused high school. I graduated among the top 10 students in my class and was accepted into an art college without any further evaluations.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ziyitan.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bellasmetals/