Meet Xuan Liu | Illustrator& Artist

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

Hi Xuan, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
For freedom, in short. The freedom you can find on paper or canvas or drawing tablet is unlimited. There is no rule, no gravity. When I was a kid who was unconfident and hate to go to school, sitting in front of a desk and listening to a math teacher rumbling is like living in jail. Drawing and sketching are the only output for my soul. When my pencil touched the paper, the real world doesn’t exist anymore. I fly to wherever I want, creating anything I like. As I grow up and become a professional illustrator, sometimes there are restrictions from outside or inside on my illustration, but as long as I remember the feeling of freedom, and never cease to pursue it, I would keep my little world.

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
Drawing and painting are like something I naturally do like eating and breathing. I made my first picture book with my friend when I was in third grade. My best friend back then (and still is) was the author of the story, and I was the illustrator. Since then, I know this is what I want to do. I don’t know if this could be developed as a career like a doctor or designer, but it is like a seed planted inside me. Before I became an illustrator, I learned landscape design, and industrial design, I even considered becoming a sculptor. After a circle exploring around design and art, I decided to go back to what I love most and be a professional illustrator. I earned my illustration MFA degree at Syracuse University in 2022, then I moved to Brooklyn and worked as a freelance illustrator. My illustrations are cold and sturdy, and that is how I usually perceived the environment I’m living in. All the silhouettes are clear, nothing is ambiguous. My works usually have a cold gray color as the base tone, I paint vibrant people and life and love over it. I convey determined, mysterious emotions. This is how I face the unknown, changing world. My heart has been heavy in recent years for the things happening in the world. Most of the things in the world are out of my control; as an illustrator, I have very little power. I can only keep up my mind, to live and love this grand world.
I enjoy breakthrough the limit and boundaries of myself by creating new work. That keeps my style growing, and my perspective changing. I really enjoy this uncertainty of creating art, but it’s also preventing me from receiving continuous commissions, since it’s hard for your potential client to imagine what kind of work they will get. Therefore, I am very grateful and cherish the art directors who believed in me and offered me opportunities. Of course, I never let them down.

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.
I would definitely take them to Brooklyn Bridge, we will walk through and take in the view, grab a cup of coffee and sit in Brooklyn Bridge Park. We would wander around the city with no purpose. The next day we went to take walk in Central Park in the morning, sitting on the grass and taking selfies. Then we spend a whole afternoon at The Met, to see the greatest art from all over the world. Another day we will went to Coney Island, sit in the old wonder wheel and enjoy the sunset. A week is just too short for visiting NYC, please just come again, and let’s hang out longer.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Many people helped me in my journey of pursuing art. But only one person I can’t do without-my mom. It’s uneasy for a single mom to support a child pursuing art. All the art classes, books, and supplies are expensive. Not to mention driving me to drawing class every weekend since I was 12. When I was in elementary school, I proposed that I wanted to be a painter, and I wanted to go to art school. None of my family members support me and think I can make any achievement in that field. Although my mom doesn’t believe I have any talent either, but she still supports me, financially and practically. I once heard my aunt talk to my mother privately and suggest not letting me continue learning art and going to art school, because being an artist won’t profit as easily as other careers do. My mom still backs me up, she believed that I would find my way out. I want to express my gratitude to my mom, for always being there for me. Now I can finally make you proud.

Website: https://www.xuanillu.com/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/xuanillu

Image Credits
Shouran Zhou, Yaoxu Zong