Today we’d like to introduce you to Ramona (Yumeng) Chen.
Ramona (Yumeng), can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I was born and raised in a small city Yueyang in China. I have loved drawing since I was in kindergarten. I was shy and introverted, so drawing happens to be a perfect way to express myself. Every week I will create a set of story drawings I made up or adapted from a movie and asked my dad to help me write dialogue (I was too young to know how to write). Every Monday, the kindergartner will read my story to the whole class and pass around the “Picture book” I made, and every kid was so excited to know what the next “episode” was about. That was the moment I felt truly connected with people by drawing.
I have watched almost all the Disney movies since the 1950s when I was in kindergarten. Bambi and Tarzan are my favorite. I could watch these over and over, and cannot help crying when watching them. Those animations have vital influences on me and made me determined to be an animal protectionist. It is funny to think back that I once even wrote a letter to “Disney,” asking for some advice about animal protection because I genuinely believe they care about it too.
Interestingly, my mom sent me to a performance class in middle school to open myself up more. I spent lots of time doing crosstalk and stand up comedy, and surprisingly I enjoyed it a lot to the point I wanted to pursue it along with my life. Since then, I love comedy driven by character performance and personality, which also influenced my art later on.
I knew Calarts from Momo Wang’s comic (the creator of Tuzki). She draws comics about her life in Calarts, and I was fascinated by reading her stories. By the end of my high school year, I finally made up my mind pursuing animation. Animation strikes me as multimedia that combines my love for art, stories, and performance, and I immediately feel connected to it when I made the decision. Art learning back to my high school is all about copying and examining. I was disappointed and worn out by those uncreative training and decided to go to the US for animation.
I ended up going to Ringling for illustration because the animation program was full when I applied. By that time, Calarts was still an unreachable dream for me, and I was too afraid even to think about applying. However, I was suggested that I have to transfer to other schools to pursue my passion for animation, where I realized that I have no choice but to face my hidden dream and make it come true. During the 2ed year of Ringling, I applied to CalArts and unbelievably got in.
Now I just finished my sophomore year at Calarts and ready for more journeys to come. During the summer of my first year, I was fortunate enough to work on Taiko studio’s short PAN GU as a visual development intern and get to know the animation productions more. The intern experience also helps me see through the direction I want to pursue in animation and become avid seeking different ways and media in storytelling.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
When I first came to CalArts, it was challenging. The way people talked and acted is very different from Ringling. I was under a lot of pressure simply because I did not get used to a competitive environment with new friends. I felt lonely and insecure. I also did not have any animation experience before I came to Calarts, and all I knew was how to draw. It took me quite a while to understand what I was doing and gradually started to love animation as multimedia and dive into all aspects of it.
I had a long time when I did not value myself and subconsciously belittled my voice; imposter syndrome hit me so much not by my peers but by my chronic lack of confidence. However, as I get more exposed to inspiring artists with strong voices and actively creating a safe space for myself collecting and enjoying artworks that inspired me, my insecurity has gradually been replaced by the passion for the art and world. I made myself find a passion in life every day, from culture, literature, music to science. I feel my life has so many things waiting for me to explore and less time complaining and wandering.
On top of that, I appreciate every challenge and misery in my life. I learn and grow up swiftly whenever a challenging and uncomfortable situation appears; it eventually shapes me into a more dialectical and confident human being. I always adore what Roman Rolland said about heroism “to see the world as it is, and to love it. ” I have no interest in being a hero, but I do learn to accept and love the world that contains equivalent bitterness and sweetness. Every experience in my life values, and I believe it will spark later on.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
During the stay of Calarts, I found my passion for character design with storytelling.
I love waking up early, going outside of campus observing people from Starbucks and the gym with a sketchbook, and ballpoint pen. I also love art with a sense of fun (humor). It does not necessarily mean telling a joke but how to look at the world interestingly and uniquely.
In terms of creativity, I take good energy to maintain a free space in my brain where I can truly be myself, thinking and acting like a child, being curious and imaginative about my passion instead of using art as a tool for the trades. It helps me a lot when it comes to generating an idea, everything can be possible in the world you are creating, and that is the ultimate fun of animation.
Creating works with the appreciation of diverse cultures is always something I am interested in. Music and dance are also a significant influence on my art as I feel there’s a natural connection between music and movement. My first-year film, “King of the Night”, is a music-driven short about a man who finds himself by dancing with stray cats. I had lots of fun animating it and would love to create more works related to music in the future with a sense of fun!
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My favorite childhood memory was “Friday movie night” after my dad picked me up from the boarding kindergarten. On the way back, he always brings me to the toy store to buy plastic animals for my collection and go to the yogurt store for later movie snacks. He bought lots of DVDs of Disney, Tom and Jerry, and Spongebob animations to watch on “Friday movie night, ” which triggered me lots of interest in animation later on. I had such a wonderful time with my dad when I was young; he always bikes me to different lakes to feed fish, observing different animals in bird and flower markets, where once I rescued an injured bird who was bullied by other birds in the tiny show cage. Later on, she became part of our family! He also keeps a journal recording many nonsense and imaginary stories that came out of my mouth. I miss the time sitting on the back seat of his bike so much.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ramonachen.carbonmade.com
- Phone: 661-673-3194
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/zooooniverse
Image Credit:
Yaou Chen
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