Curated by Cait Jayme and Eva Erhardt
Abigail Bangura
B.F.A. Advertising and Branding
From the Bronx to Atlanta to California, music moves, speaks, and inspires all those that care to listen. Likewise, modern rap legends that break the mold like Lil Baby, A Boogie wit da Hoodie, Young Thug, and Travis Scott also have their song to sing. Within this tarot card set, each artist is categorized into the four traditional suits. In addition, each suit represents different natural elements as well as metals for further differentiation.
Yokiz Xi
B.F.A. Illustration
Everyone has talent inside of them, just as abundant as the universe and its stars. However, humans have the tendency to search for these stars as if they are hidden secrets to be found unaware that they themselves are created from the universe and these stars already exist inside of them. Our talents are not just an idea to explore and learn, but also are to be developed and molded for us as individuals. My choice of a dandelion is meant to symbolize the abundance of talents within us. These hidden talents are just seeds that fly with the hope to find the ground to land on so it can grow and bloom, just like the stars find their place in the universe to shine bright. The majority of the time, it’s not your lack of ability but instead it’s just that your talent hasn’t yet found solid ground to grow and flourish.
Zoey Qu
B.F.A. Illustration
This piece is inspired by 16 personalities. By taking the test, people are divided into 16 different personality types. I chose ENFP as the theme for the illustration. People with ENFP personality are agile and expressive communicators. They are imaginative, have a strong artistic side, and prefer to be spontaneous and flexible rather than planned and organized. But at the same time, they might be sensitive, lack focus and follow through. I try to visualize these features and use visual elements to represent ENFP’s characteristics. The representative flower of ENFP is the tulip, and the surrounding carousel and small animals represent the wild imagination of people with ENFP personality. And the misplaced digital clocks in the background suggest their inability to focus and thus cause procrastination. At the same time, I simplified the characters and formed a strong contrast with he/she through the rich background.
Zia Zhu
M.F.A. Illustration
There are many different forms of pop culture, like anime and TV series. The one chosen for this series is Astrology, specifically the Zodiac signs. The signs and their symbols have been used over and over as tools, but the stories and the origins almost seem obsolete. It is true that analyzing does not require knowing the story, but the mythology sure is beautiful and should not be forgotten. Because astrology is already a popular topic and everybody has a zodiac sign, the stories and their related illustrations can be liked and “owned” by everybody. Each illustration is presenting a scene of significance in the sign’s story.
Van Long Nguyen
B.F.A. Illustration
Traditional art is fascinating, and I have been waiting for a chance to study or compose this rich, colorful genre of art. Thank the Youkai festival that brought me the brilliant idea to create a collection about the mysterious world. Introduce the ‘Samurai’, my first piece in collection finished using color pencil medium with size 9×12 in. A portrait depicting a samurai spirit wearing a human mask, he is wearing a typical, details samurai hat that is from a noble, royal family could only own. His expression is not so intense, he is quite calm but has a powerful feel. The imagery of samurai is based on Japanese history usually presents honor, Justice, Brave, and Loyalty, and I adore their characteristics and sharp skills. Additionally I chose the complementary colors blue-orange as the dominant scheme for the entire scene to achieve the most contrast and also added some support colors to give an overall dynamic throughout the composition. The “Samurai” is absolutely my favorite, colorful intro art in this collection; it goes together with my second, both of the illustrations present opposite interprets.
Li Yilin
M.F.A. Illustration
I have studied fine art and graphic design, and now my major is illustration. Illustration major is a new experience for me. It inspires me to immerse myself in a new way of creating. Typically, I use digital methods to paint my compositions to quickly express what I want to express. Currently, I am most interested in ghost culture in Asia. The unique and vivid images described in it are very attractive to me. In my paintings, I try to combine Asian characters and images with Western storylines, and I hope that each of my works has the dual power of Eastern and Western culture. I hope that what is expressed in the work can be both exciting and retrospective. In terms of color, I think rich colors are more attractive, and people can feel vitality and strength in colors. My passion for drawing gives me the freedom to experiment and create in any subject and direction.
