Today we’d like to introduce you to ShinYeon Moon.
Hi ShinYeon, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am a freelance illustrator and educator based in New York. Much of the work that I do tries to highlight Asian womxn and my Korean-American heritage. I also love to create unique characters and build imaginative worlds. I graduated from the M.F.A. Illustration as a Visual Essay from the School of Visual Arts, where I learned the most about this industry. Currently, I am teaching part-time at the School of Visual Arts and at the Fashion Institute of Technology.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I actually didn’t know that this industry existed until my final semester in my undergraduate program, where I was studying oil painting. One of my professors mentioned that his partner was a children’s book illustrator, and I ended up applying to an illustration residency summer program at SVA. This is when I knew that I was hooked and that this was something I wanted to dip my toes in. I felt very behind from my peers in the program as I didn’t even know how to use Photoshop properly or understand what color even is. But I think with the support I received from my peers and with finding great friends and mentors in the industry, it helped my growth and my want to continue to challenge myself and create meaningful narrative works.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I do a random assortment of things, from freelance editorial gigs to artist assisting to part-time teaching. I recently illustrated a children’s book titled Laolao’s Dumplings, written by Dane Liu and published by Henry Holt and Company / Macmillan. This was an extensive long-term project that I had such a joy working on. The story had everything I enjoyed – from food to intergenerational relationships and community.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
One of my favorite things about NYC is that I can really find any kind of food I want to eat right outside my door. I am more of a homebody, but it is a fantastic city to venture out and try something new and to meet all kinds of interesting people. The thing I have always found a bit challenging is that this city is also a great place to get a bit lost and isolated in because everyone is constantly on the go – I’ve found that having a great community and support group of friends has very much helped.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.shinyeon-moon.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shinnyoni/
