Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephen Na.
Hi Stephen, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I’ve always been in touch with art, music, and storytelling ever since I was young. So many fond memories of playing in the forest as a kid and acting out my favorite characters. I remember having such supportive art teachers as well as academics. By the time I got to high school, I started going down a bad road, partying with friends and skipping school. I was really behind in credits. It was at that point that I felt that I was going nowhere. But luckily, I was directed to artworxLA, an alternative education continuation school where they had so many connections with various creative industries all throughout Los Angeles. They were equipped with the technology and materials of an actual art and production studio. It was such a unique educational experience that truly shaped me to who I am today. After I graduated high school, I spent some time in Santa Monica College because they had a great transfer program for art and animation. I eventually landed in ArtCenter College of Design, which I graduated from in the Summer of 2022.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
It was definitely not a smooth road. I’ve had so much self-doubt over the years at ArtCenter. My mom got sick, and I had many responsibilities to make sure my family was secure and safe. It was a very hectic time as I was finishing up school. I’m so thankful that she’s on the right track to recovery and is getting much better now. But it’s still a looming feeling. I’ve also had some battles with my health in general. Over the years, I’ve learned that health and family is a top priority over everything else. It eventually gets better though.
I was recently hired as a teaching artist by artworxLA and helped curate, design, and install an exhibition showcasing student artwork from grades K – 12. It was such a wholesome experience giving back to a community that brought me up and raised me. I was so amazed of how talented these kids were. It reminded me a lot of myself and felt like a full-circle moment. It gave me such inspiration and energy to work on my art more.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a visual development artist for animation, and I specialize in background and environment design. My passion is figuring out composition and lighting because they are such powerful tools to describe emotions and tell a compelling story. I find that it’s a very therapeutic process figuring out the environment of a character or setting. I enjoy going out cafe sketching and pleinair painting, it’s so important to study life in motion. It’s one of the ways that I exercise my brain and build my visual library by studying architecture, people, and culture.
The project I’m most proud of is my redesign of Studio Ghibli’s Princess Mononoke, which I set in Africa. It was so fun building upon a story that already exists and adjusting the cultural background. It was interesting to see the similarities in concepts of human versus nature as I dived deep into the writing and story.
What sets me apart from others is my various outlets and mediums of expression; I love playing and making music. It’s something that I really enjoy to practice describing enigmatic emotions. I’ll make a song that loops nicely, and I’ll use it as a driving force for me to finish my art projects. It puts me in a mindset where I’m curating everything from the writing, concepts, art, and even the film score or soundtrack. I aspire to be a director someday.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
My other alias is plebsync if you’re interested in what music I like to make. I produce a lot of ambient electronic music with delicate grooves and I play jazzy tunes on my piano. I’m also really into synthesizers and sound design as well. It’s purely a side hobby and I try to not take it too seriously. My main inspiration in music is Thelonious Monk and Richard D. James (Aphex Twin). They’ve taught me a lot about creative independence and keeping it cool.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://worldalchemy.art/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/worldalchemy/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/worldalchemy
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-na/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/worldalchemy
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/plebsync
Image Credits
Photography by Ken Camellia Artwork by Stephen Na
