Today we’d like to introduce you to Yutao Fang.
Hi Yutao, 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 am a multidisciplinary artist based in Los Angeles, originally hailing from China. My journey began in Guizhou, a landlocked, mountainous province in the southwest of China, known for its rich natural beauty and cultural diversity, with over 37% of the population belonging to various ethnic minority groups. As a child, my grandmother often regaled me with myths from these diverse communities as bedtime stories. In these captivating oral epics, humans and animals traced their ancestry back to butterflies and maple trees. I believe that this animistic worldview instilled in me a profound connection to nature.
Later, my family relocated to Shenzhen, a coastal city that rapidly transformed from a fishing village into a bustling metropolis in under 30 years. The city’s growth was so swift that it struggled to define its unique cultural identity, caught between Westernized influences and traditional Confucian values. Despite spending most of my formative years amidst the shadows of skyscrapers, I still carry a nostalgia for the fragments of my childhood memories, especially those golden afternoons crafting paper butterflies with my grandmother.
The monotony of modern city life, characterized by rigid concrete structures, left me yearning for something more. To challenge the Shenzhen skyline, I pursued a degree in architecture at the University of Nottingham in the UK. Nottingham, with its tranquil surroundings teeming with deer, birds, students, and elderly residents, offered a stark contrast to the bustling urban life I had known. During my studies, I had the privilege of meeting Professor Mani, whose belief in the importance of narrative-driven architecture deeply resonated with me. He emphasized the significance of delving inward, exploring the “ghosts” within architectural sites – the untold histories and memories of humans, even supernatural creatures from folklore. I became adept at unearthing hidden connections between abstract historical fragments and concrete patterns or geometries, weaving them into captivating narratives. The outcome of this process transcended mere buildings; it gave birth to images and spaces that conveyed bizarre stories.
Yet, I sensed another passion within me, one that I couldn’t quite define. Carrying this enigma with me, I embarked on a new chapter of my academic journey at SCI-Arc in Los Angeles. SCI-Arc is renowned for pushing the boundaries of architecture through cutting-edge, multidisciplinary approaches. Over three years, I was exposed to various digital tools, including Cinema 4D, Houdini, and ZBrush, enabling me to create intricate geometries and stunning animation renderings. It was during this time that I discovered the world of motion graphics, an industry focused on cinematic visual storytelling within tight timeframes.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
As I embarked on my thesis project at SCI-Arc, I made a deliberate choice to blend the aesthetics of title sequence art with the timeless threads of my cultural heritage. The outcome was the creation of a thought-provoking short film titled “Experience Experiment Expectation,” which offered an exploration into the rich tapestry of my hometown’s ethnic minority, the “Miao.” Upon completing this cinematic endeavor, I realized that the realm of motion graphics provided a canvas where I could express my deep-seated passion for creativity, crafting narratives and visuals that resonated with a sense of contemplation.
However, as an architecture student without a fine arts degree or related work experience, how could I convince an entertainment studio to hire me, especially when I was about to graduate during the pandemic?
I then spent an additional year at SCI-Arc, concentrating on building a showreel as a motion designer for my job hunt. I was enrolled in an MS program called Synthetic Landscape, which aimed to address global warming by creating artworks that reshaped the public’s ecological concepts. During that year, I developed my own narrative with the intention of rewriting the existing anthropocentric metaphors using symbols from the rich tapestry of human history in a poetic manner.
After graduating, I sent out hundreds of resumes without receiving any responses for several months. As an international student, staying unemployed for an extended period would lead to losing my legal status in the US, which meant having to return home. During that time, I felt frustrated and directionless in my life. The only thing I was certain of was that I had found my true calling as a visual artist, and I could no longer turn back to the conventional path of being an architect.
When I was on the verge of despair, I received a freelance job offer from my dream studio – Elastic. This Emmy-awarded studio is renowned for creating title sequences for shows like Westworld, Game of Thrones, and The Last of Us. I was in disbelief when I first saw the email. It then dawned on me that I had sent a job inquiry email directly to one of their art directors whom I admired. My new career as a motion designer began with a combination of hard work, courage, and a stroke of luck.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
After my contract ended, I joined MSG Sphere Studio as a visual designer tasked with creating artwork for the massive exterior screen of Sphere Vegas. Interestingly, my architectural background, which I initially wanted to escape, proved an asset this time. The strong sense of structure I gained from my architectural training gave my art a unique spatial order rhythm. Additionally, my ecological thinking added a soft and vivid touch to my creations.
All of my work strongly intends to break away from the traditional rigid masculine narrative; I drew inspiration from pre-modern mythology that embraced pantheism and animism. My hope was that my work could offer a non-human perspective, representing everything from plankton to whales in the biosphere.
I view my work as a projected illusion of my soul, carrying my history as a wanderer bridging the gap between the primitive and contemporary worlds. It embodies my dreams as a pilgrim, catching every breath of our mother nature. And my ambition as a surgeon stitches art, technology, and ecology together through visual storytelling.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://yutaofang.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scia_f/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yutaofang/
