Today we’d like to introduce you to Roshan Zhao.
Hi Roshan, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I was born in Beijing, and I developed a love for drawing because my mother used to be a teacher in fashion design, I studied animation during my university years, and at the age of 23, I moved to the School of Visual Arts in New York to study illustration as visual essay.
My experiences in New York changed me significantly, and I became determined to focus on creating children’s picture books. One of my favorite activities during school was going to the library to look at picture books, participating in book fairs, and attending various book and illustration exhibitions. During that time, I had intense exposure to a wealth of information and inspiration about picture books. I remember attending the previous year’s graduation exhibition. While there were outstanding works in various forms such as comics, advertising illustrations, or fine art, what stuck with me was a children’s picture book about giants. That day, I realized the immense power of storytelling. Later, the author of that book, Doug Salati, became the recipient of the Caldecott Award last year, and I was so happy for him.
After graduation, I left New York. I have absorbed a lot of inspiration and information in NY, but living here continuously has made me feel overwhelmed. I am ready to embark on my creative journey. To sustain my livelihood, I took on some commercial illustration projects and worked as an art designer for animation. My work has been featured in The New York Times, GQ, and Vogue. Through this work, I also met my husband, and we began living together in Los Angeles. I have consistently pursued creating picture books, and I have published several for children.
I thoroughly enjoy my life in Los Angeles, particularly living in a place where I can see the mountains. Living in such a setting provides me with a sense of peace, allowing me to create with a tranquil mind.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Creating children’s picture books is not an easy task for me. I have to try to see the world through a child’s perspective and recall how I viewed the world during my childhood. At the same time, I need to understand what today’s children think. Since I don’t have children myself, I enjoy going to bookstores. There, I often encounter many parents reading picture books to their kids. I listen to their conversations and observe their reactions to different picture books.
Because of ‘pretending to be like a child,’ my personality has changed. Many things no longer lead me to overthink or feel anxious; I simply focus on the tasks at hand, much like a child absorbed in their activities.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
Since a very young age, I’ve slept alone, but many times, even after turning off the lights, it’s challenging for me to fall asleep. That’s because I would notice my room transforming into unfamiliar shapes in the darkness – the shape of my clothes on the sofa resembling a dinosaur or the wardrobe looking like a bear. Initially, these associations scared me, but as my eyes adapted to the dark, these ‘new friends’ would vanish, and I would see them for what they truly were. However, every night, I would briefly encounter them again. I’ve always wanted to turn this experience into a picture book, hoping it would be a good story.”
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.roshanzhao.xyz/
- Instagram: roshanzhaoxyz
Image Credits
Roshan Zhao
