Meet Tianqi Chen | Freelance Illustrator & Tattoo artist

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

Hi Tianqi, what habits do you feel helped you succeed?
As a freelance illustrator & tattoo artist, I always keep a sketchbook with me, no matter where I go. I love to sketch people on the train, which is also a good way to kill time on a boring transit. In fact, I have different kinds of sketchbooks for different situations. For example, the one I keep with me on the trip is tiny. It’s awkward to pull out a huge sketchbook and draw on the train, everyone will look at you! And for home or in the studio, I have larger ones with better paper.

I consider sketchbooks my friend whom I can tell when I have new ideas, a reminder when I forget anything. I would say the hobby of keeping sketchbooks makes me who I am. It not only influenced my drawing style but also kept me practicing a lot.

All my illustrations and tattoo art came from my sketchbooks. When I draw illustrations, I will always do some rough sketches first, and select the best one that I like, then make a final sketch and scan it into the computer to color digitally. And my tattoo process is the same. I make tattoo designs using traditional mediums before people claim them.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I feel very lucky that I have practiced realistic drawing techniques in China and been influenced by pop art in the United States. I grew up in Beijing and lived in New York after college. These different experiences often make me feel like an outsider, but this also makes my works a mixture of Eastern and Western cultures, which I cherish a lot.

Most of my inspiration comes from daily life. My works are sincere and narrative, and I am good at telling the stories behind the characters. From my work, viewers can see both Eastern and Western art influences, solid realistic techniques, and the interesting content of contemporary illustration art. Just like New York City where I live, My work is good at integrating different elements and finding a rare balance. Various life experiences give my work a unique quality.

I love to try new things. Tattooing is just a new medium for me to create art. Combining my knowledge of Eastern and Western art and bringing the calligraphy brushstrokes to tattoos, forms my unique style. My tattoo designs are highly influenced by the Japanese Netsuke, I learn from the line techniques of Chinese traditional paintings and the elements of Western contemporary cartoons at the same time, they give my works more diversity.

My works incorporate my thoughts and emotions. I’m good at capturing interesting moments in daily life, as Leonard Cohen once said, “There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in”. I’m always ready to seize the light in life, even if it is only for a moment.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
All my illustrations and tattoo art came from my sketchbooks. When I draw illustrations, I will always do some rough sketches first, and select the best one that I like, then make a final sketch and scan it into the computer to color digitally. And my tattoo process is the same. I make tattoo designs using traditional mediums before people claim them.

As a creative living in New York City, my favorite spots are definitely the Strand Bookstore and the Metropolitan Museum. I would say they were my second school when I was in college, and they still are after I graduated.

I love going to the Strand Bookstore with a cup of coffee and spending afternoons reading art books, they have the best collections! Whenever I run out of inspiration, I love going to the MET. It is the biggest museum in NYC with exquisite artworks that I can spend days without repeating the same. I still remember when I first came to New York and visited the MET, I was shocked, and quickly fell in love with it. The Netsuke ( Japanese wood decorations on the cloth, like sculptures ) also influenced my artistic style a lot. I transformed the three-dimensional sculptures into two-dimensional illustrations and tattoo designs.

Apart from that, there are also many exciting people to meet at both places! I’m a figurative artist and I love observing different kinds of people. I often carry sketchbooks with me and make sketches when I go. Every time I have friends come to visit New York, I take them to these places. I’m sure there are many other interesting places to visit in the city but they are my first options.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Growing up in an artistic family, I’m lucky to be surrounded by artists and creatives my whole life. My mom is an oil painter. Looking at her dedicated her whole life to fine arts, but not many people appreciate her works and still struggles with life, I made up my mind when I was a kid that I was going to do something different in the future. Still, it is art-related but more commercial with a wider audience. Which led my way to the illustration world. And my parents gave me full support.

After I attended the School of Visual Arts, I met a lot of great artists, such as Thomas Woodruff, Steve Brodner, Yuko Shimizu, and more. They are not only my mentors but also friends who I can talk to when I feel lost. I want to thank all my peers and friends who supported me, especially my partner Zhiyu You. I feel extremely lucky to met her during art school and graduated together. Now, we share the same career. She always gives me inspiration, shares artistic thoughts, and we work together.

Website: www.tianqichen.work

Instagram: @tianqi_chen_art

Other: Tattoo Instagram account: @tq.tat

Image Credits
City & State Magazine, art director: Andrew Horton, Aaron Aniton AI-AP: American Illustration awards