Life & Work with Snowy Zhang of Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Snowy Zhang.

Snowy, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was born in Beijing, China, and moved to the United States in 2015 to pursue my art education during high school. I later continued my training at ArtCenter College of Design, where I studied Entertainment Design with a concentration in concept art and visual development.

My professional career began at Respawn Entertainment, where I contributed concept art to Apex Legends. This experience introduced me to large-scale game production and helped build the foundation for my approach to world-building. I am currently a concept artist on The Sims franchise, focusing on environment and object design.

In addition to my studio work, I also enjoy creating illustration projects on the side. I’ve brought some of this independent work to LightBox Expo as an exhibitor, and I like exploring other creative mediums in my spare time—such as clay modeling, sewing, and various hands-on craft projects. These personal practices keep me grounded and continually curious as an artist.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It hasn’t been a completely smooth road. As a Chinese artist trying to build a career in the United States, I face a lot of restrictions around work eligibility. I came here as an international student, worked under OPT and STEM OPT after graduating, and eventually needed to secure a long-term work visa like the H-1B or another path in order to stay employed.

The lottery is unpredictable, and it creates a very real sense of instability early in your career — you can be performing well at your job, but still not know if you’re legally allowed to work the following year. Because of that uncertainty, I’ve had to prepare backup plans in parallel, such as building a portfolio strong enough for the O-1 visa or even an EB-1 green card path. Balancing immigration planning with full-time studio work is stressful, and it requires a lot of emotional resilience.

That period of uncertainty was one of the hardest parts of starting my career, but it also pushed me to stay focused, organized, and proactive. It taught me how to advocate for myself and how to keep growing artistically even under pressure.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m a concept artist specializing in early-stage visual development for games. My work focuses on creating the first visual direction for a project — everything from characters and environments to buildings, props, weapons, vehicles, and other in-world objects. Concept art happens before 3D, tech art, or animation begin, so a big part of my job is setting a clear vision the rest of the team can build from. I create images that help developers understand tone, mood, function, and overall direction, so the team can make informed decisions in later stages of production.

What I’m most proud of is the sense of life and playfulness that people find in my work. I love creating designs that feel fun, lived-in, or a little humorous. When someone looks at a drawing of mine and says it made them smile or laugh, that’s the best feeling. Creativity and personality are really important to me, and I try to bring that into everything I design — whether it’s for a large game franchise or a personal illustration project.

What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
What I like best about Pasadena is how beautiful and livable it is. I moved back after the pandemic because I genuinely missed the atmosphere here — the clean streets, the trees, the neighborhoods full of cafés, and the overall sense of calm. It’s also incredibly convenient, especially for Asian food and groceries. I’m close to my gym, the Asian supermarket, the arboretum, and Old Town, which has great shops and restaurants. It’s a small city, but it meets all my daily needs in a really thoughtful way.

What I like least is something very specific to East Pasadena near Arcadia: the wild peacocks. They’re beautiful, but they can be extremely loud, especially in the spring. Their calls sound somewhere between a crying baby and a distressed cat, and when one starts, the whole group joins in. It’s the one quirky challenge of living in an otherwise wonderful area.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.snowyzhangart.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/snowwweee_art?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/snowy-zhang/
• Other: https://www.artstation.com/snowy_zhang