Daily Inspiration: Meet Xinhui Chen

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

Hi Xinhui, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My name is Xinhui, hailing from the vibrant city of Guangzhou, China. Art has been an inseparable companion throughout my journey. As a sensitive child, the act of drawing and painting became my sanctuary, helping me navigate the fears of my early school days. Growing older, my fascination with films blossomed. Although I never pursued formal education in film, I found solace in capturing moments through my lens. My academic path led me to design, a field I wholeheartedly embraced. Yet, a lingering sense of incompleteness persisted. It was the convergence of my passion for design and film that eventually drew me into the enchanting realm of animation. Now, I embark on a creative odyssey, weaving together my diverse artistic influences into a tapestry of visual storytelling.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Where do we find inspiration? As creative people, we constantly need to seek and gain inspiration. For me, visions are always important. It will be a huge obstacle for me if I live my life the exact same way every day. So I love to push my own boundaries and ask myself, “Is that all I can do?” I’m always curious and I look for interesting visuals and stories in life and write or draw that down, which will eventually become the fuel of my art.

Coming to the US has also helped me with inspiration. Los Angeles has taught me to step out of my own comfort zone and connect with people. And this is how you explore more interesting things. As an introvert, I’m slowly progressing, and every day feels exciting in some sense!

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
“Time” is a theme of creating I found myself always revisiting. I have always felt my life is under a ‘curse’ of elusive threads of time. When I moved from my hometown to the US, which is in a different time zone, I started an interesting journey of connecting to people I care about against time differences. Even with today’s advanced technology, time differences are still a barrier when it comes to intimate connection. There are also other aspects of time like life stages and timing. Through exploring the topic time, I get to grow with my art.

I’m currently working on an animated short film, “Lingering Echoes of Time”. The film is about two souls attempting to establish a connection, but the meanings of their messages change as time goes by. In the end, they miss out on each other, while the characters find solace in their imagination and thinking of the could-have-been. The film uses different styles to contrast the real and the imaginative, the former with motion graphic images and the later with hazy hand-drawn frames by frames. Different techniques are going to be used.

How do you think about luck?
I feel lucky that I’m still involved with art now! And I believe that bad luck helps you grow, and this growth will eventually transform into significant good luck in your career and life.

I have gained inspiration from experiences that haven’t always been positive in my life. I’m not always a happy person, but I try to have fun and keep moving forward. If something bad happens, just add that to your next work!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.xinhui-chen.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xsomewhy/

Image Credits
1: Concept Art from “Lingering Echoes of Time”, 2024 2: Style Frame from “Cerise”, 2023 3: Style Frame from “Lingering Echoes of Time, 2024 4: Style Frame from “Passage”, 2022