Today we’d like to introduce you to Jing Wei.
Jing, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I was born in China and immigrated to the US at the age of seven. During that transition, I was drawing a lot to communicate with others and show a bit more of my personality due to the language and cultural barrier. I think that really stuck with me during my formative years, and eventually led me to pursue a career in art and design. I ended up going to RISD for illustration and moved to New York shortly after I graduated. It took a while to be able to find stability through freelancing, but now I feel like I’m able to make work that feels creatively fulfilling. It’s definitely been a lot of ups and downs, but I’ve discovered that I feel strangely comfortable with that. I enjoy not knowing where my work could lead me in a few years. That openness and possibility are very exciting.
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 primarily make commercial illustrations, but I make them in a style that feels true to my own perspective. I tend to create images that are quiet and mundane, with moments of the surreal and bizarre. I also have an affinity for soft characters and shifty-eyed animals. If anyone were to look at my work for the first time, I would hope that their first reaction is intrigue. I would want them to be curious about the characters and want to dive further into this world.
Do you have any advice for other artists? Any lessons you wished you learned earlier?
I wish I could have told my younger self to not be so precious with the work. I think that if you really put in the effort, it all ends up leading to a good place eventually. In the beginning, I was trying so hard to find my voice and a recognizable style that I think I missed some opportunities to experiment and play. I think that’s always a very important thing to preserve in your growth as an artist.
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?
You can see some of my work around New York, on buildings and bus shelters and random little places. To see the latest, I post semi-regularly to Instagram: @jingnotjane.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jingweistudio.com
- Instagram: @jingnotjane
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/jingnotjane
- Other: https://skl.sh/2lymUQn (Skillshare class)
Image Credit:
Julia Hembree Smith
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