Meet Yang Zhou | Artist, illustrator, designer

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

Hi Yang, what do you think makes you most happy? Why?
The things that make me happy have always been the things that I enjoy. Only things that we are truly interested in and willing to spend time on can bring joy and satisfaction to our daily lives. Here I would like to talk about the things that I am interested in. Occult culture, magic, divination, anthropology and folklore have always captured my attention. These traditions from various cultures fascinate me and enchant me with the unique interpretations of the world by ancient peoples. The various gods invoked in magical rituals had their own magical stories, and these storylines would appear symbolically in magical and religious practices. Reading writings about these cultures enriched my imagination. Another part that delights me is fashion. Elements of occult and witchcraft cultures are often present in fashion design, such as Alexander McQueen who has created collections inspired by Joan of Arc and the witches of Salem. Following the fashion shows of major brands not only gives me visual pleasure, but also sharpens my eyes and aesthetics. At the same time, creating illustrations related to the above two parts gives me endless inspiration and passion. By the way, a sunny sky, a beautiful garden, a piece of gemstone, a reflection of a tiny puddle in a sunny day makes me feel positive.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My artwork is sometimes based on scientific articles about brain science, sometimes on folklore, magic and legends, and sometimes on fashion and runway. Surface and floral design makes me feel satisfied as well. Firstly, I consider my work to be a combination of realistic and graphic styles, and decorative elements that can make the work visually pleasing are also my usual method of creating images. Secondly, I think what I am most proud of at the moment is that I created my own fashion collection for the very first time by render it with my Ipad, I always want to be a fashion designer, now I have a good star! Another point that makes me feel very proud is one of my works has been selected by Savannah College of Art and Design to be featured on their official website, so that people from all over the world who want to be enrolled into this school will see my work, which is a recognition and acknowledgement of my working and idea. My undergraduate major is Chinese painting, and I received 6-8 years of basic painting training before enrolling in my undergraduate program. These boring and repetitive basic training helped me to train my eye and technique. When I changed my direction to illustration, my proficiency in basic drawing skills made me more confident to step into an unknown field.

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?
If you are visiting Savannah, I think Collins Quarter is a great place for you to go and I recommend big leo breakfast, which is my favorite dish. flying Monk Noodle Bar and PJs Thai have a lot of great Asian noodles and Thai delicacies inside. Savannah is a famous tourist town where you can see beautiful and romantic street scenes and architecture. Various private museums hidden in old villas need to be explored, and if you are not afraid of ghosts, there are more haunted locations shadowy hidden on the map of Savannah.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are many artists that have positively influenced me, and their artworks have inspired me a lot. Here I would like to mention the fashion designers Alexander McQueen and Sarah Burton, both former and current creative directors of Alexander McQueen respectively, whose fashion designs are making me aware of the connotations and aesthetic successes that fashion can involve. Next, film director Luca Guadagnino and installation artist Chiharu Shiota are my favorite art creators. The former’s Call Me by Your Name and Suspiria (2018) are tied for my favorite films of the past four years. Fiber artist Chiharu Shiota’s yarn and wool mounted works embody an eerie, beautiful and thoughtful coexistence of spatial interactions.

Instagram: sunmoonstarwitch

Image Credits
Alexander Mcqueen，Gucci，Masion Schiapparelli，Masion Valentino