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

Hi jun, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I didn’t touch a computer until 18. And there was not much going on in my hometown, so I spent most of my childhood reading picture books and magazines. Pictures attracted me and showed me a bigger, better world outside my little town. It was the time when I started drawing because I wanted to create my world.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I started my professional illustration career by accident. I was not an illustrator but a game designer before a children’s book project. It was a time when I got bored with dealing with bugs and software every day. I came back to school to learn illustration and wanted to have a breath in art. After one year of learning, an editor contacted me and said they were looking for an illustrator with a game design background to draw some mazes for kids. I felt it was a perfect opportunity, but some friends advised me to reject it because of the low price. Well, true, the price is super low, but since I was still an illustration student, the price makes sense. My friends worried the low price would waste my time and cause financial issues. But I believed in my intuition and took the job. Now, the mazes have won several awards and brought me to a new level.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I like Forsyth Park the most. In the summer, big trees on the side of the street would offer a cozy shadow. Inside the park, there’s a beautiful giant lawn allowing everyone to walk on it. I always enjoy jogging in the tree’s shadow and seeing people playing football on the lawn.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would give most of my thanks to my parents. They support my interests and never judge my decision. My mom affects me more when it comes to art. She was a singer when she was young. But she consented to give up her dream and put the whole of herself into the family. After I was birthed, she spent most of the time raising me and taking care of me. She then loses the chance to go back to the stage. But when she talked about arts and music, my imagination grew. She knows better than my dad what an artist needs for a career, so I always come to her for advice. My dad knew less about art stuff, but he tried hard to walk into my world, and he gave me all the material supports even though he couldn’t fully understand my work.

Website: https://junzhou.art

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/junzhou_draw/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/junzhoudraw/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/junzhou_draw

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/junzhou1997/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoTu3J37Qyyf0XyRllps-ew

Other: Behance: https://www.behance.net/junzhou4

Image Credits
Art Director: Fenger Zhang Client: Hunan Education Press Group CO.Ltd

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