Today we’d like to introduce you to Yuxi Dai.
Hi Yuxi, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
I am a stop motion fabricator and filmmaker who is currently studying in the experimental animation BFA program at the California Institute of the Arts. While I used to concentrate on 2D digital animation and hand drawing, I’ve recently been delving into the world of material and stop-motion fabrication. I was born in China and spent my early years in a small town with my parents and little brother. The memories from my childhood in that town have left a profound impression on me and have become a significant source of inspiration for my creative work.
When I was in middle school, I learned sketching and acrylic painting at a local studio. Subsequently, I enrolled in an art high school in Guangzhou, where I was introduced to a wide array of artistic disciplines, including illustration, fashion design, graphic design, architecture, animation, installation, and fine arts. In my senior year of high school, I completed my first animated short film. It was a 2D hand-drawn animation. However, at that point, I had not yet developed my own creative language, and my animation production skills were still in their early stages. Seeking to broaden my horizons, I made the decision to apply to CalArts.
During my first two years at CalArts, I completed an animated short film called “Flooding.” It combines 2D digital animation with stop-motion animation using puppets made from shrinking plastic. The story revolves around a middle-aged woman trapped in her memories. In her seemingly exquisite house, she often lives alone, and whenever she starts reminiscing about the past, the house becomes flooded with water. In this film, I used digital drawing for segments in the real world, while for the flashback scenes, I attempted to use shrinking plastic to create puppets, producing a 2.5D stop-motion animation. In the BFA3, I was in the process of finding my artistic language. I took many stop-motion animation courses and enjoyed exploring different materials and textures. I began making my own stop-motion animation puppets and miniature props, and I developed the idea of making a stop-motion animation film for my thesis project.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
During the middle school, I learned sketching and acrylic painting at a local studio, as these were subjects required for the Chinese art school exams. At that time, the focus of exam-oriented painting was on realism, which meant accurately copying figures or landscapes as we see in reality onto the canvas. However, the repetitive and uninspiring routine of painting day after day made me doubt whether I truly enjoy painting like this. This type of painting practice helped me refine my painting skills, but it lacked creativity and gradually dampened my enthusiasm for painting. Besides drawing as required by the teacher during class, at that time, I would also spend my spare time drawing things that truly interested me, such as comics, fan art of my favorite anime, or illustrations. But my future goals were very vague. It wasn’t until one day when I watched the movie ‘Zootopia’ in the cinema that everything changed. I remember feeling a great fondness for the movie, loving its story background and the characters’ personalities. This led me to imagine what a wonderful thing it would be to design characters and tell my own story through animation. With that passion driving me, I applied to an art high school and eventually made my way to CalArts.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’ve always had a deep love for delicate and ornate art pieces, and this aesthetic has influenced my artistic creations. When I was making my second-year film, I incorporated various decorative patterns into the scene designs. Similarly, when I started making stop-motion fabrication, I tried to add more details to the puppets and props, making them visually rich.
What were you like growing up?
In my early years of growth, I lacked confidence due to frequent disagreement with my parents over my views and choices. As a child, I perceived them as authorities, and their disapproval made me doubt my self-worth. I used to place great importance on others’ opinions, seeking their approval anxiously. It left me feeling unsure about my future for some time because I wasn’t confident if I was making the right choices. My parents’ words carried a lot of weight in shaping my decisions.
Later, I attended boarding school, with less family companionship but more space and time for independent thinking I gradually began to form my own judgments about things, At the same time, I met more people and gained insights into various perspectives, which broadened my horizons. When I started to question the accuracy of these so-called authorities, I no longer believed that anyone’s perspective on things was absolutely right. As this absoluteness disappeared from my life, I could see myself more clearly and evaluate myself more fairly. I wouldn’t be swayed by someone else’s opinion. This aspect greatly benefited me in creating my own works. When receiving feedback on my short film, I learned to discern which suggestions would enhance my work and which I could respectfully disregard. It wasn’t just about brushing off criticism but rather about understanding its value and applicability to my vision. By carefully weighing each critique, I honed my ability to refine my artistic expression without compromising my creative integrity. In both life and my artistic pursuits, I cultivated a sense of autonomy, refusing to let external factors unduly sway my emotions and convictions.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://yuxidai.myportfolio.com/work
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yuxiddyx/
