Meet Christina Wang | Character Designer, Illustrator, and the Occasional Merch Artist

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

Hi Christina, why did you pursue a creative career?
My pursuit of a creative career began with stories. Ever since grade school, I have always been finding refuge amongst the pages of books. Through just words alone, people have been able to create entire worlds where I sought an escape from our mundane world. Slowly, I realized that I had a natural talent for turning those images dancing through my head into lines and colors on paper, lines and colors that we call art. Concept design was a term that I didn’t happen across until late into my artistic education. The moment I learned of this relatively new concentration of design, an area of art where stories gained solid form through the creation of environments, characters, vehicles, props, etc., I knew where my future lay. I wanted to bring the worlds between the pages of books alive through art. I wanted them to take on forms and have voices that could speak and inspire those after me, hopefully inspiring them to dream as well.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a terrible decision maker, but what I confidently decided on my area concentration within concept design was character design. Character driven stories have always been my favorite. The way people and creatures interact with each other and the environment has shaped entire civilizations and even the world itself. I have always loved designing characters, but I don’t think I ever had a natural talent for it. My understanding of human anatomy was terrible, my costume designs felt like patchwork quilts, and everything just felt… boring. I soon realized that my careful and precise nature had translated into very plain and stiff designs.

Improvement didn’t just happen overnight of course. After realizing my flaws, I would spend years working against my fundamental nature. I practiced figure drawing daily, squeezing in time for sketching between classes during high school and attending workshops in college. I sought out classes that flayed my self confidence in design, but came out of them as a stronger designer. And most importantly, I sought out more stories and characters to learn from.

My love for the characters of games, animations, and books manifested into drawing fan merch. Drawing my favorite characters to be made into stickers and keychains began as a fun hobby to connect more with the communities of those fandoms. Being able to talk with like minded individuals about fictional characters that have made our lives more enjoyable and helped us escape the mundanity of life was so rewarding that I began tabling at conventions and occasionally cosplaying. Now, I own an Etsy shop to spread that sense of community beyond just my local markets and conventions. I would say that my small and humble business venture is currently what I am most proud of. To see my art on people’s water bottles and key rings, to have them feel happiness from simply owning a depiction of their favorite characters, is something that makes my years of sketching and practice so worth it.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Just a week? There are so many things to do in Los Angeles County that having three years like me would still not be enough! But we can start with some of my favorites!

Huntington Library and Gardens is our first stop! Long walks through rows and rows of beautiful flora and architecture just completely dissolves every negative thought in my mind. The Chinese Garden is the personally my favorite section. The winding corridors of rich red wood pillars and pristine white stone of the architecture transports me straight into the Chinese historical dramas my mom and I love watching so much. An entire day is not enough to thoroughly explore the gardens, so other must see areas are the rose gardens, the japanese garden, and all the museums filled with amazing art and artifacts.

Downtown LA’s Little Tokyo is our next destination! Filled with good food and cute anime goods, this is where I indulge my inner child. I usually start the morning with a steamed bun at Yamazaki bakery (their new pizza bun is super good!), grab a drink from Honeymee, and spend the rest of the day exploring the shops and wasting money on blind boxes. The Kinokuniya is a must for books and stationary and my personal favorite shop is Soragumi, where I can support other merch artists by buying the goods they sell there! So many wonderful restaurants are within walking distance from each other, but some of my favorites have to be the Kura revolving sushi, Marugame Monzo, Pasta e Pasta by Allegro, and Suehiro Cafe that has since moved away.

Finally, all the good Asian food is in San Gabriel Valley! After leaving home for college, I missed my mom’s cooking and desperately needed something to fill that void. Jiangnan Spring has the best red braised pork and giant meatballs. Chicken Bun Bun has fried chicken with a Chinese influence that is perfectly crispy and so so juicy. The bustling night life of Beijing is replicated at Little Skewers where they serve Chinese street food such as lamb skewers and stinky tofu, along with wines that are house brewed with unique flavors like lychee and osmanthus. You can probably tell that I really love food and can confidently say that the food in SoCal is one reason I love living here.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to dedicate my shoutout to all my friends and family! I know that’s a bit broad and cliche, but I wholeheartedly believe that the people we encounter throughout our lives shape us into who we are, no matter how small of a presence they hold. And for those who had the greatest influence on my journey, I am infinitely grateful.

My closest friends who have stuck with me through the tumultuous events of high school till today and those who I have met more recently in the chaotic confines of college are the reason why I have grown so much as both an artist and a human being. They taught me compassion, patience, courage, and the power of laughter.

My parents are my pillars. They helped pave the path before me ever since I was young and even now as an adult, their presence is a force that gives me the freedom and confidence to forge my own path. Growing up in a highly academic environment, their support of my creative career was rare and a sign of how much they trust and believe in me. Even now, living hundreds of miles away from them, I still recognize their presence as the presence of home, trust, and love.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cuppatina.art?igsh=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christina-wang-cuppatina-art

Twitter: https://twitter.com/cuppatina_art

Other: Etsy Shop: https://cuppatina.etsy.com/

Image Credits
Personal Photo was taken by my friend Edward Pei who would like to be credited as @winterscldier76