Today we’d like to introduce you to Jia Yu
Jia, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I grew up in Shanghai, living with my parents and older twin brothers since I was young. Influenced by my brothers, I was fascinated by the manga of Togashi Yoshihiro, JRPG games from the GBA era, and bands in the post-punk, C86 and shoegaze styles during my childhood. These hobbies unconsciously cultivated my sensitivity to visual art and admiration for independent artists. After systematically studying painting in high school, I pursued a major in Visual Communication Design at Shanghai Normal University in 2015, developing a passion for typography. Following graduation, I worked as a packaging designer at Shanghai Jahwa for two years, I’m proud to have created some impactful new visuals for the core skincare brands. However, deep within me, I desired to explore the world further.
With the support of my parents, I came to Maryland Institute College of Art in 2022 to receive more systematic practice in Graphic Design. I learned that graphic design knows no boundaries, and encourages exploring experimental visual languages. Beyond self-fulfilment and serving business needs, it can also influence humanity and the world.
Simultaneously, I embarked on a truly independent life. Since childhood, I have had a habit of documenting and observing my own life and emotions. I have grown to love nature more, love humanity more, and love exploring the world. I am like a vessel that contains everything; all the freshness, repetition, passion, pain, and confusion in life become my life experiences. Through reflection and introspection, I have grown into a more well-rounded person, knowing that my experiences will transform into intuition, and keen, mature intuition will give birth to unexpected artwork. I am willing to strive for a lifetime to explore visual language and enhance my impact on society. Becoming a graphic designer means reconnecting with life, and giving back to the world what I have experienced and learned.
Currently, I work as a full-time designer at IKEA while also contributing as a volunteer for the International Child Art Foundation. In my spare time, I design posters for live band performances. I consider myself very fortunate to be able to work on things I am passionate about.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
During my two years working in Shanghai, I was actually very satisfied with my job. However, I always had a plan to study abroad to further improve myself, though I hadn’t concretely decided when to pursue it. I struggled for a long time with whether to resign and focus on my application. It was an important decision that required a lot of courage. In hindsight, I am very grateful for the bravery and perseverance I had at that time.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My experience spans various media and spaces, from packaging and publications to cultural events. I excel in creating elegant and solid designs while exploring experimental and diverse expressions. I am enthusiastic about taking on design challenges and contributing to vibrant brands and communities through impactful and thoughtful creativity.
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
I witnessed the rapid development of online collaboration during the pandemic, and now remote work has become a norm. For graphic designers, this shift has been quite beneficial.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jiayu-design.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teomore9/
