Today we’d like to introduce you to Yu-Hsuan Teng.
Hi Yu-Hsuan, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I have been interested in art since childhood and am deeply influenced by traditional paintings and Japanese mangas. After getting into digital mediums in middle school, I have been making digital illustrations to this day. After receiving a BFA degree in animation in Taiwan, I was lucky to have supportive parents who sent me to New York City to pursue a Master’s in Computer Arts. Right now, I am working on my thesis project, and I hope to work in the entertainment industry as a visual artist one day.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
One of the struggles along the way was the collaboration with my BFA thesis teammates and the early stages of the film. We had drastically different opinions about the project, and we could not decide for a long time. Aside from that, once we finally agreed on an idea, it would be rejected by the professors and we would have to start over. I would say that the school deadlines kind of pushed us to pin down a specific story to work on. Although the beginning was tough, we managed to make it through and created a film that later won many awards.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a Taiwanese freelance illustrator with a background in animation. I specialize in well-rendered digital artwork that portrays charming characters and a unique sense of color and lighting. Aside from the aesthetic part, I also try to tell an intriguing story through single images. By having the experience of working on multiple animated short films and directing one of them myself, I’m familiar with the animation production pipeline, and I have a good sense of visual storytelling.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
During the pandemic, I realized the amount of human interactions we encounter every day and how important it was to us. Although technology connects people digitally and provides information out of our physical reach, being able to engage in anything – a conversation, a convention, an exhibition, a performance…etc – in person drastically changes the experience and the ability to perceive human emotions. I believe as an artist, having life experiences is crucial to my creation, and I’m glad that the situation is getting better. Hope everyone stays safe and healthy!
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.yu-hsuan-teng-art.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yo__yo______/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yoyo-deng/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Yo__yo______
