Today we’d like to introduce you to Kun-I Chang.
Hi Kun-I, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I moved to the US and started my career as a motion designer. I helped clients bring their ideas to life through design and animation. The works I created back then were primarily showcased on television. However, today, there are many more options available, whether in the digital or physical realm.
As an immigrant who moved here in my early twenties. Due to the limitations of my visa status, sponsorship often became a crucial factor when choosing a job, and I constantly struggled with finding the value of my work. Therefore, I frequently find myself pondering the ‘What if’ question: If I were able to make a different choice, what difference would it make?”
Fast forward to 2018, I teamed up with Shih-Wen Lin, who also happens to be my wife, and started working on projects that allow us to express our creative voice. Whether it’s writing stories about a plush toy couple fighting the claw machine monster or recreating illustrations of Holocaust victims to tell a tragic family story, we have a strong urge to share narratives.
Shih-Wen also went through many career shifts, wearing many hats. She is a PR marketing consultant, a producer, a photographer, and a toy designer. She used to say, “It’s easy to know what I don’t like, but pinpointing exactly what I want is a bit of a puzzle.” However, her diverse interests also serve as a driving force, inspiring her to continuously learn and evolve as a self-taught artist.
Now together, we are Space Rabbit Studio. It’s a space where we can tell stories through the eyes of our original characters. Our main character, Space Rabbit, is a silly, funny, and quirky extraterrestrial bunny who ventures to Earth to learn about us humans. He is full of a positive vibe and has the power to turn negative energy into… sweet desert! Through the eyes of Space Rabbit, we aim to show people love and bring a smile to their faces.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Oh boy, definitely not smooth! Haha
I can list two pages of struggles, but I think self-doubt will be the winner of this competition because it has the ability to emerge in every obstacle that we have encountered. It’s a demon that beats us down all the time, especially when we question ourselves about the decision of leaving the industry that we know.
Managing our own brand is challenging too. For us, we have no problem promoting other people’s work, but when it comes to our own, it’s like our heads go empty, and we have no clue what’s right and wrong. So, we did make a lot of mistakes along the way, and funny enough, those are often the mistakes that we told our students not to make…haha.
Hence, that’s why I always have my favorite Rocky quote with me: ‘It ain’t about how hard you get hit; it’s about how much you can take and keep moving forward.’
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Our studio tells stories through characters and utilizes various media to do so. Our specialties include illustration, animation, and art toys. While we promote our original content and artwork to fans and customers, we also collaborate with brands to create co-branded products.
Our goal for the Space Rabbit character is to create an emotional bond between him and each person. He always has his unique point of view on our human world, so maybe we can do the same when things don’t look bright sometimes.
We believe in the power of character design; it’s not just a pretty image but a tool to convey messages and break down the wall between the brand and individuals. We apply this philosophy to our original characters and employ the same approach when creating illustrations and animations for clients.
We make small progress each day, and our past experiences enable us to produce professional-quality art and animation, earning us recognition in the industry, of which I am very proud. It took a while for me to figure out the value in my work (years, actually), and although I still have the ‘what if’ question sometimes, I believe everything has its reason and my past shapes who I am now.
What does success mean to you?
When someone tells you they love your work, you succeed. When you believe in your work, you succeed.
When you beat the demon inside, you succeed.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.space-rabbit.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/space_rabbit_studio/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/spacerabbitstudio/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kunichang/
- Other: https://giphy.com/kunichang
Image Credits
Shih-Wen Lin, Kun-I Chang
