Meet Huanxi Jiang | SCAD student & Illustrator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Huanxi Jiang and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Huanxi, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
Looking back now, I notice that I have been into drawing since I was young. growing up in a small town, I had great time growing up around by nature, I love to draw, to discover the nature. But I never got professional trainings in art, and I never thought about pursue an artistic career. As I grow up and entering college, my major was E-Commerce. I choose that major simply because I thought that is a good major for finding a good job in the future. While I was in college, I participated in several E-commerces competitions. In those competitions I got the chance to draw the logo, the web page illustrations. Although those part are not the crucial part in the competition, I was very excited and spend my time in doing them. At that time, I started to think about the creative career. After I graduated from college, I got a job in teaching preschool student. I love to read the picture books to those kids. I enjoyed those books a lot, and during the time I was teaching in preschool I realize that there are so many good books that can have impact in those children. I want to be part of them. I always have the passion of creating beautiful things that can bring something(encourage, peace, happy..)to others, but I never dare to do it seriously as my career. But this time I want to try it, at the beginning, people question me in my choice in artistic career because I didn’t have professional trainings before and my undergraduate major is totally not relevant to illustration. But what I did is spending more time leaning online, study in community college and preparing my portfolio for applying my MFA in illustration. Then I got the offer from SCAD. Now it is my second year in SCAD illustration MFA program, my journey still has a long way to go, but in this journey I am passionate and excited!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My art is inspired by nature a lot, I am so excited about nature and animals. I love to explore the difference in everyday sunset, I love to look at a tiny mantis bathing under the sunshine, and I also love to see the street cats taking a nap in my backyard and etc. All of those small moments make up my everyday life. There are so many things that can be discovered in life that are exciting! But aside from all the exciting things, there are many challenges for me when it comes to a real career. The biggest challenge for me is to balance my freedom of creating and meet the requirement of the need. But I am so thankful for the professors! One professor once said “the more passion you have, the less tree you have. ” I learned to positively engage in the requirement that should be met so that I can have the freedom of doing things in the way I enjoy.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My top 1 place is the beach! If it is not cold, morning wake up to see the sunrise at Tybee island! there are tons of birds there! and perhaps went back to savannah to have brunch at Goose Feathers Cafe, and then hang out at different squares in savannah, all the buildings in savannah are beautiful, just walking around the squares can be a pleasant thing to do. And then can have a rest at Forsyth park and enjoy the Spanish mosses. For lunch, the Flying Monk is a good place for really good Asian noodles. And then can go to the other side of Tybee island to see the sunset! I am just super into the sunset. And there is a really good bakery- Back in the days Bakery that I really recommend. Star Land Yard is a great place for hanging out, there are food trucks that have different kinds of food that people can purchase, and they might have bands that have performances in the yard. The riverwalk is a good place to check out, huge cargo ships are passing by, and historical buildings and the old pavement of the road are fantastic.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My family and my friends and also professors!!! Whenever I created an illustration my family and friends would always say wow look you did a great job, they always encourage me when I think I didn’t do well, They are always the firmest support. When I first entered graduate school, I am not confident in what I can do as an illustrator, but all the professors are so supportive!!! In them, I see what is true passion in art, what is a positive attitude, I see how different experiences can build up a unique person and their art. They are not only teaching me how to do a good art, but their attitude influenced me a lot in how I see things.

Website: https://jianghuanxi.myportfolio.com

Instagram: jianghuanxi2019

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/huanxi-jiang-136ba41b3