Today we’d like to introduce you to Hena Hong.
Hena, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
My journey to becoming an artist started from when I was a little girl. I loved cartoons and would sit in front of the tv every Saturday morning for hours on end. There were so many different shows with all kinds of worlds and characters to explore, but the one that really sparked my love for animation was Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends. As I grew older and started to plan out my future, I decided that I wanted to pursue my dream of working as an artist in an animation studio.
In Fall 2012, I was accepted into Art Center College of Design’s Illustration program. I had always dreamed of attending art school, but I had no idea how tough it would be. After the first week, I almost dropped out because I thought I wasn’t good enough. However, I knew that if I left, then I would never find out if I really could make a career out of my passion and I would be left with “what ifs.” So, I decided to stay. I was never the best student in class, and I wasn’t as talented as some of my colleagues, but I believed that if I worked hard enough and pushed myself enough, then that was the best I could do.
During my third year of college, I began looking for internships all across the US. It was a quiet summer because I heard nothing for months and I thought that maybe I just wasn’t good enough. Then, towards the last week of summer, something incredible happened. I received a call from Titmouse, Inc. followed by one from Nickelodeon Animation Studio. The Fall 2015 semester was the most amazing experience that I could have asked for because of the double internship with both animation studios. The internships allowed me to learn the pipeline, meet incredible people and learn about the industry first hand. It was truly a dream come true.
The internship experience taught me so much, and I knew that I still had a lot to learn before I was ready to become a working artist in the animation industry. I went back to school for my final (and toughest) year, and on my last semester of school, I began freelancing as a Background Designer for Shimmer and Shine. I continued to freelance for the rest of the semester and on the week of my graduation I was offered a position to join the show as a full-time Background Designer! Shimmer and Shine launched my career into this industry, and I couldn’t be more grateful.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
I am a Background Designer in animation, and I design the worlds around cartoon characters. I always knew that I wanted to pursue this path because I loved exploring new places and architecture. Although most people found love in tv characters, I fell in love with the ability to tell stories through different worlds and locations they lived in. Who lived there, what were they like. It was having the ability to create worlds that never existed, used to exist or do exist at this very moment that really sparked my interest. These worlds could be anything your imagination wants it to be. I hope that my artwork will inspire other young artists and kids to take a moment to observe and appreciate the world around them. Nowadays, everything is so instant and fast-paced that it’s easy to forget to take a moment to stop and look around you. The world is so vast, and there is so much to see and discover, so it’s important to take a moment to pause because even when I design worlds for cartoons – it’s all inspired the world around me.
How can artists connect with other artists?
My advice is to not be afraid to connect with new people and to keep an open mind. With so many incredible people and artists living in LA, it’s amazing to see how many different kinds of people you can connect with. I find that all it takes is the courage to reach out to people and colleagues that inspire you because it will help you discover new relationships with those around you. Who knows, it may even surprise you!
I’ve been able to meet such kind, amazing people and the one thing we love is to connect each other with others that share the same passions. So, don’t be afraid. Just be kind, open and true to yourself – the rest will fall into place!
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
People can see my artwork through my website and Instagram! They can also see my art when an episode from a show I worked on airs on tv. I do my best to post when I can, but I may only post artwork that I have done for shows after the episode has aired. This gets difficult when a majority of your work can’t be shared publicly. However, I am so excited to share the projects I’ve been able to work on when the time comes!
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.henahong.com/
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hena_hong/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/henashong
Image Credit:
Jocelyn Sepulveda
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