Today we’d like to introduce you to Tianyi You
Hi Tianyi, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’ve always considered myself an “amateur” in the art industry. Before coming to the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), I was entirely self-taught. I graduated from Beijing Forestry University with a bachelor’s degree in Landscape Gardening. I have a deep passion for nature, plants, parks, and people, and I have consistently pursued my interest in drawing. For example, I would give myself a topic and engage in 30-minute creative exercises every day, continuously sketching and drawing from life. Later, I prepared my illustration portfolio, applied to MICA’s MFA in Illustration Practice program, and received an offer. I feel proud and happy about this achievement. During this time, I held a solo illustration exhibition in my hometown of Changsha, Hunan, titled “Daily Drawing.” The first piece in my application portfolio also won the Bologna Illustration Award, where only ten people from China received this honor. This recognition from professionals has given me even more confidence.
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?
This has not been a smooth road. Due to my self-taught background in illustration, I lacked guidance from experienced professionals. The consequence of this was not that I “made mistakes,” but that I “worried I was doing things wrong,” which made me less confident in myself. At the beginning, this caused me to heavily rely on advice from professionals because I seldom had the opportunity to hear it. I tended to believe that what they said was “correct,” leading to a lot of self-doubt. Later, I gradually realized that everyone evaluates others’ work from their subjective perspective, and there is no such thing as an absolute “correct.” Therefore, I learned to trust my own judgment more and focus on doing what I love, rather than what others might prefer.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am an illustrator currently studying in the MFA in Illustration Practice program at MICA. Besides illustration, I also create woodcut toys, ceramics, and sew, making illustrated products like blankets and keychains.
The content of my illustrations usually comes from my daily life, and my illustration style is typically humorous and fun. This is also my goal for all my projects, including my favorite field, picture books. I love reading picture books because I feel that reading them is not only about enjoying a story but also about visiting a series of small art galleries. I hope that the books I create can engage readers in interesting interactions, making the ordinary details of everyday life enjoyable.
My drawings often feature many characters because I’ve enjoyed observing the people around me since I was a child, capturing them with my quirky and playful visual language. I would cut these drawings out to make bookmarks and give them to the people I drew. I am a people-watcher; I always enjoy being in crowds to discover everyone’s unique personality and emotions. Currently, I am working on a series of single-page comics themed “?” inspired by my observations and associations with people in everyday life. I use humor and curiosity to resolve life’s disappointments, turning big issues into small ones and illustrating the small ones.
I believe my ability to observe and depict people is what makes me most proud, along with my passion for making connections between concepts. For me, illustration is the most fascinating game, not just a game between hand and paper, but also a game of mind and eyes.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
As we all know, the illustration industry is currently greatly affected by AI. AI can replace much of the repetitive drawing work, but I believe this trend makes creativity more important than ever. I predict that in the next decade, hand-drawn illustrations, works filled with human emotion, and illustrations that are naive but rich in human charm will become rare but more precious.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://yooteenii.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yooteenii/
