Meet Yuqing Sheng of Pasadena

Today we’d like to introduce you to Yuqing Sheng

Hi Yuqing, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Drawing has always been my hobby, and my path to becoming an “illustrator” has been rather step-by-step: my parents gave me some art training because of my love of drawing since I was a child, and then I went to an art academy and found a job as an illustrator …… To this day, I’m still creating with enthusiasm. Interest and love are the most important things for me.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Overall it went well, or rather the parts that didn’t go well didn’t seem like a struggle because of my enthusiasm. I almost didn’t go into art major when I was in high school; in China, it’s no less difficult for students to pass the college entrance exams with an art major than it is to pass the regular college entrance exams, and art majors have a much higher exam risk (many students spend months cramming for art and if they can’t pass the exams at the various art academies, it also affects their grades on the regular college entrance exams). At that point, my mother suddenly backed off, thinking that I should probably reconsider my future profession, because in most people’s minds, being an “artist” is not a stable career, and is not suitable for me to pursue as my main occupation. But then, my parents agreed with me that studying and working are not very enjoyable things …… and that studying or engaging in one’s own hobbies makes one more motivated. Taking up illustration as a career is also the best decision I’ve ever made.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I position myself as an illustrator and concept artist. The latter because I worked as a game art designer for five or six years, mainly doing character design and art concepts. In terms of illustration, my style is quite diverse, and in recent years I am mostly known for a series of creations related to traditional Chinese culture. The significance of traditional culture to me is not academic or cultural inheritance, but some of its sub-categories (ancient literature, literati painting, etc.) fit my personality and upbringing, which often make me feel and want to express my feelings in the form of illustrations. On this premise, I often receive (and love to see) comments from viewers that my work is “emotional” and “sensitive”, and this is what I have always wanted to achieve: when faced with situations, words or music, I want my emotions to be communicated to the viewer in the form of illustrations, which are usually nostalgic, melancholic, ambiguous, and which, for me, is a form of “communication”.

Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
This event turned me into a more negative person, and this watershed can probably be seen in my work. From 2020 onwards, the themes of my illustrations often reflect the “passing away”, the “uncontrollability of fate” and some themes of death. covid-19 was a catastrophe, and more importantly, it made me realize that a peaceful life is largely a fleeting moment in history, and I often feel fear and anger in the face of an unknown future. Creating is the only thing that comforts me at this time, and confronting my fear and anger with creativity is one way to dissipate them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://bronzeandjade.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sun_lin2019/
• Twitter: https://x.com/Merasgar