Meet Anran Geng | Production Designer & Concept Artist

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

Hi Anran, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I’ve always believed art is a silent conversation. Growing up doodling on paper as a child, I discovered that creating visuals could make me feel understood – even when words failed. It became my most authentic language. That’s why I chose production design: it lets me translate emotions into physical spaces.

This career chose me as much as I chose it. Every project demands immersion into unfamiliar worlds – researching cultures, eras, or subcultures I’d never otherwise encounter. It’s exhausting but addictive. Each project feels like a unique expedition into the unknown. When audiences recognize their own lives reflected in a set’s details, that’s when I know what I aimed to express has truly landed. The magic lies in making the invisible visible: a character’s loneliness carved into the curve of a chair, a society’s tension tilted through a lampshade.

But more than anything, I live for those moments when someone pauses at a set detail and thinks, “Wait, I know this feeling” – even if they can’t say why. That’s the conversation only art keeps alive.

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 believe what sets my work apart is the blend of artistic experiences I’ve gathered over the years. Instead of confining myself to one medium, I’ve drawn inspiration from everything—painting, music, dance, you name it. Growing up with a background in painting naturally led me to film production design, and my real breakthrough came when I stopped trying to be a great painter. Instead, I began using the wisdom of those art forms as tools .

Sure, it hasn’t always been easy. Balancing my creative instincts as a painter with the practical demands of film was challenging at times. But those childhood years jumping between art forms always taught me the importance of flexibility and the beauty of merging different artistic perspectives. So when I design a space, I always turn to the work of fine artists I admire — not copy techniques, but absorb how Van Gogh’s brushstrokes argue or why Hopper’s diners lonely.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Since I’m still finding my way around LA, I don’t think I could come up with a detailed itinerary. But if I had like one day to show my best friend the absolute best of the city, I’d curate a trip that really captures LA’s dreamy, quirky vibe. I’d start with a visit to Venice Beach—the very first beach I went to when I arrived—which instantly envelops you in a creative, laid-back energy. Then, I’d head over to the Hollywood Bowl, where I first experienced that magical, dreamlike feeling as the stage lights shifted with the sunset and fireworks lit up the sky.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
That would definitely be my parents. They’re not artists, nor were we particularly wealthy, but they lifted me up and gave me the freedom and support to become who I wanted to be. When I was little, they encouraged me to explore every interest I had but never with the expectation that I’d become an expert in any one thing, but simply so I could experience the joy of creating. They wanted me to see art not as a career path but as a way of life, something that could weave itself into the everyday and make life richer. Looking back, that mindset shaped everything I do.

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

Image Credits
Potrait: Sage School Portraits
1. Photo by Ying Wang
2. “Nuyorican” – Concept Illustration for “Art Direct That Location – NYC Tenement Apartment, 103 Orchard Street ”
3: “Chinatown Theater” – Concept illustration for “Echoes of the Past”
4: “The Sea” – Concept illustration fot “Tidehaven”
5: Set photo of “Venice sunset” by Simon Zhu – Dir Ying Wang