Meet Jiayi Zhang | Illustrator, Graphic Designer , Educator

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

Hi Jiayi, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
The most important factor that positively influenced the success of my career is persistence. I always remain passionate about the things I truly love and insist on doing them for a long time. This quality also supports me in overcoming numerous challenges. For example, I need to do a bit of graphic design sometimes, even if I am specialized in illustration. But there is a challenge: graphic design requires a high level of proficiency in using software like Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator ,and InDesign. I was unfortunately too slow to use the software, but I kept telling myself it is crucial to master those softwares, which are also beneficial for my field of study. Therefore, I pushed myself to search for tutorials, ask for help from professors, and classmates or try to find alternative ways. Eventually, I could somehow produce high-quality graphic design pieces, thanks to my persistence. Everything in this world is not easy; it takes great effort, courage, and persistence to make great achievements. So what I should do is do my best to pursue the success of the things I love and never say, “Give up”.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My career mainly focuses on creating illustrations, specializing in commercial illustration. Apart from these, murals, graphic design, motion design and doodled shoes are also defined as my sideline productions. My work is always known for its high-saturated color, exaggerated shapes, and the vivid atmosphere shown in my pieces. It delivers positive energy to people seeing my work ,where they can feel the ambition and vigor of this young man. One of the merits that makes me most proud of is my intricate linework. I inherited the way of drawing lines from ancient Chinese painting, which contains numerous variations instead of a stiff line. With the help of such a variety of lines, I am able to enrich the abundance of my work. Another thing that makes my work stand out is my color palette, which possibly makes others feel flashy. But I would say the vital part of my illustration is drawing people’s attention so that they will have a chance to resonate with me and my world. Last but not least, my drawing speed, which is rapid and effective, it gives me more time to create new pieces, as well as respond to the clients on time, so I would have more chance to further discuss the task with the clients and make adjustments as soon as possible. These are the points that set me apart from others. Also, it was undoubtedly an uneasy journey. There are a large number of illustrators in this world with great skill and self-promotion. Some of them could draw similar or even better linework, using a stronger color palette than me. So how could I make myself stand out from such an excellent group of talents? That is the biggest challenge for me. After a long-term self-exploration, I have figured out so far what I would like to sell, as well as let people know, is my unique combination of traditional elements and contemporary expression. Like what I have mentioned before, I grew up in a traditional circumstances so that I could turn them into my special trait to create my identical style.

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?
The first spots I would like to take my friends to visit are definitely the Atlanta Beltline and the Betline Trail. Those places gather a lot of street art pieces in the city of Atlanta. In my opinion, street art is the most vibrant, natural and free form of art. No one would feel nervous or restricted by it, just paint as much as you want. And no one cares about the skill you use or the themes of your piece, what you should do is release your passion to the wall in front of you. That is going to be a fabulous experience for people who have never done it before. The second place I want to introduce to them is the Coca-Cola World. I think the young generations like me cannot refuse the joy of drinking Coca Cola and the other products of this brand. They will also get a chance to taste the related products from other countries, which is a great opportunity to broaden their horizons. The third places include the Georgia Aquarium and the Zoo Atlanta, which are great spots to appreciate a variety 0f amazing creatures in this world. Also, the national treasure of my country- pandas, were fed at the Zoo Atlanta, which is another attractive feature for them.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would say the people I strongly want to dedicate my shoutout to are definitely my parents. They have dedicated all of their time and money to supporting me in my art career. I know how hard it is because I was born in a traditional household. Most of my family members think that studying art is a waste of time and difficult to get a job; some of them even claim art is useless. However, my parents never paid attention to those statements, they just told me to do the things you truly like and are passionate about. There is no need to worry about your financial status, we will always be your backup. Those words made me extremely touched. I have seen some of my friends who were obsessed with studying art, but their parents killed their dream. Hence, I really understand how lucky I am. My parents have supported me in doing a lot of crazy artwork. For instance, I had the idea of doing a graffiti project which I had never done before. Owing to the prohibition of graffiti in urban areas, my dad called his friends and colleagues helping us build up an iron cabin for me to do my project. That was an unforgettable experience in my life. Accordingly, I would always be grateful for the support of my parents and the effort they put in.

Website: http://jiayizhangtom.org

Instagram: jiayi7755

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/zhang-jiayi-bb4108276

Twitter: https://x.com/jiayi6120?s=21&t=8UG0ggD57rVTUkVPv-UNuA

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555883501729&mibextid=LQQJ4d

Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@user3696055072786?_t=8jmp4qOJOSU&_r=1 Behance: https://www.behance.net/zhangjiayi