Meet Yuqi (Hazel) Gong | Technical Artist & Rigging Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Yuqi (Hazel) Gong and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Yuqi (Hazel), why did you pursue a creative career?
In fact, I have loved all kinds of beautiful things since I was young, and I always try to find ways to record them, perhaps by taking photos, or by sealing these beautiful scenery in my immature brushstrokes. In fact, in the process of growing up, due to the expectations of my parents and various reasons, I did not grow up as an art student. I also walked many winding paths. My university major is related to engineering, but during my learning process, I have discovered another kind of beauty, which is the combination of art and technology.Perhaps with just a few lines of code, you can create unimaginable visual effects; maybe by tweaking a few parameters, you can achieve thousands of new successes. This blend of macro and micro, technology and art, reawakened my childhood pursuit of beauty and reaffirmed my dedication to art. That’s why I’ve set a goal to become a tech artist. I am eager to merge rational science with emotional art, as their intersection often produces stunning results.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
A lot of things can make me proud of. For my undergraduate life, my thesis work made me most proud of. I think that was my first experience about CG production. I attempt of merging art and technology was made in my graduation design, when I examined the modeling technology of natural scenes based on the Unreal Engine, a whole new software to me. Studying the software and related technologies from scratch, I gradually fostered proficiency and learnt to address problems along the way effectively. Complicated object modeling and digital carving were also daunting tasks in the project. I probed into them and operated bit by bit. My unremitting efforts finally paid me off with the award of excellent graduation design from our school, but many methods and procedures for game modeling that I grasped in the process are what I value even more.

And for now. I have to say that my mini thesis project makes me proud of the most. It called Puddy Muddy. In this short animation, for the first time, I fully applied the rigging knowledge I had learned and completed my first character rigging entirely on my own. Despite encountering many difficulties along the way, the outcome was positive, and many people expressed their love for the short film. This brought immense honor and satisfaction to both me and my team members. In fact, the process of making this short film rekindled my passion for rigging and tech art.

It is not that easy to become what I am today, and I think there still are a lot of challenges to make me become what I want to be in future. But I will keep going and try my best to overcome problems in my grow-up path.

My method of overcoming difficulties is actually quite ordinary, which is to firmly believe in the belief that I must complete this task and walk on with a belief that I will never give up. Perhaps I will also complain during this process, but I know there is always a voice deep in my heart loudly telling me not to give up and not to lose.

On my path of growth and facing challenges, especially recently, I have indeed learned something. Don’t look down on someone just because of their abilities, and don’t look down on yourself just because they are stronger than you. Find the right track for yourself, surpassing them is just around the corner. Similarly, don’t underestimate yourself and become arrogant because of your strong abilities. Learn to respect others, just like the old Chinese saying goes: “Learn virtue before learning art.” As my teacher said, “Don’t be a jerk “. Respect others, respect yourself, respect your work. Only then can you continue to thrive in this industry and every industry.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would recommend going to the beach in Santa Monica for the first time. There are various delicious snacks and amusement parks to play in, and the community there is also very clean and peaceful. I really like it. Imagine strolling by the beach in Santa Monica, feeling the breeze and listening to the sound of the waves, how comfortable and peaceful it would be.

There is also the Griffith Observatory. There, you can enjoy many beautiful works of art, and at the same time, you can look up at the starry sky, feel the vastness of the universe, and feel the beauty of the universe.

I will also recommend going to Disneyland. Go search for some childhood memories, and you can also have a great time playing.

Pasadena and K-town are also good places to go, and the cuisine from these two places always comes to my mind.

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?
That must be my mother. She not only raised me, but also steadfastly supported my dreams. Although we have had arguments and disagreements, she has always been very supportive of me. But she never blindly supports me, and she also tells me what difficulties and consequences I may face when making this choice, which will prepare me well and continue to support me. Until now, in this field that she is not familiar with, she still supports me and even tries her best to find some help for me. In fact, sometimes compared to what I choose, she prefers me to make the choice that makes me feel happy.

She is not only my mother, but also my friend. I can easily share my life’s trivia with her, and I dare to easily tell her what unhappiness I have encountered in life. We will also go out and play like friends. Anyway, it is precisely because of my mother’s support and help that I have been able to step by step to where I am today.

Website: https://www.hazelgong-portfolio.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hazel_yuq77/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/

Image Credits
Yuqi Gong