Meet Zoe Liu | Illustrator

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

Hi Zoe, why did you pursue a creative career?
There are a lot of people who can do things well if they work hard enough, even if they don’t like them. But for me, as long as it’s something I don’t like, I have all the confidence to make a mess of it, and art is the only area I’m relatively good at, I have no other choice.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges?

I am a typical introvert, I feel very exhausted after a party, but I get recharged whenever I sit alone and drawing. So illustration for me is as easy and enjoyable as a Nintendo game for a child. Before working as an illustrator, I worked as a game character designer and UI designer in Shanghai for 5 years. I think it’s fun to design a character’s weapons and costume, but I also wanted to give them more personalities and life experiences, and while the game has a big framework for character design and their style is already defined, I felt I needed a freer way of expression, so I chose illustration. After I made this choice, I quit my job and came to the US to study illustration as a graduate student. Being in the game industry in China was so stressful and the working hours were very long, so when my professors asked me if I had any academic pressure after I came to the US, I would say that I was like on holiday.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Suppose my friends also liked Art, I would take them to an art gallery to sketch. We will sit next to Van Gogh’s paintings because people always stay here longer, so we will have more time to capture the figures. People who like to go to museums and galleries are dressed up in their very own way, I like to create a short biography of them in my head, and they become characters for my illustrations and make guest appearances in my stories. If they’re not interested in art, I’ll take them on a hike, but at night. I like hiking familiar trails at night on a nice weather, The trail is the same, but it gives a completely different experience.

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?
My grandfather. He was my first teacher of Chinese painting. I was an impatient child and without my grandfather I probably be a chef or an activist, but certainly not an illustrator.

Website: www.yanyiliu.com

Instagram: zoooeliu

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yanyi-liu-653686114/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/yiyixiaoe