Leyan Wang

Year of birth: 2000.
Where do you live: London, UK & Shanghai, China.
Your education: Bachelor’s degree in Visual Communication Design from Shanghai Theatre Academy
Master’s degree in Illustration from the University of Edinburgh.
Describe your art in three words: Explorative, Dreamlike, Narrative.
Your discipline: Graphic Design, Illustration, Printmaking.
leyanwangart.com | Instagram

Can you tell us about your journey as an artist? What inspired you to pursue illustration as a career?

I graduated from the University of Edinburgh last November with a master’s degree in Illustration, marking the official start of my career as an illustrator.

Growing up in China, my hometown Hangzhou is a city with a rich history and deep artistic heritage, which I believe is why art has always had an innate attraction for me. My interests are actually quite broad, I love exploring the unknown and emerging fields, and I enjoy trying out different skills. However, throughout my long academic journey, I discovered that drawing is something I am consistently passionate about and eager to explore. Therefore, I decided to pursue what I love most as my future career.

With this in mind, I chose to study Visual Communication Design in Shanghai Theatre Academy during my undergraduate years. This experience allowed me to understand how art and design influence and contribute to the world, and I truly experienced the diverse charm of this field. Illustration, being my favorite medium in the realm of art and design, led me to pursue further specialized studies and opportunities in the UK, where I now live. Illustration has broadened my horizons, and I hope it will continue to be my driving force as I explore the world.

Leyan Wang | Growth | 2024

How has your background and upbringing influenced your art style and subject matter?

I believe this is a process of constant exploration and iteration.

I remember that during my childhood, I was very fond of reading Chinese and Japanese comics and watching animations. At that time, I was fascinated by the delicate lines and intricate colors in these works, as well as the mythological and legendary storylines. Gradually, I became curious about the backgrounds and inspirations behind these stories, which led me to explore the unknown world bit by bit and learn about cultures and fields I had never encountered before. I enjoy this process of unraveling mysteries like a detective. My mother, who is very supportive and open-minded, encouraged my efforts to explore the world. She took me to different countries, allowing me to visit the lands I had imagined and to establish my own connections with the world.

As a result, I enjoy the process of combining colors, shapes, and elements, and finding different narrative structures. More importantly, I love transforming memories and feelings into traces of stories.

Leyan Wang | Recall | 2024

Your works often feature a blend of the real and fantastical worlds. How do you approach creating such unique and dreamlike scenes?

I think this is related to my habit of divergent thinking. Sometimes, my inspiration comes from a specific object or a real moment, and then I keep expanding my associations based on these real elements, which I thoroughly enjoy.

For example, I have a piece called “Offline” in which I included many concrete and abstract elements such as a switch, building blocks, a monitored space, screens, a relaxed self-moment, and so on. I wanted to use these real and imaginary symbols to construct a moment of being overwhelmed by an information explosion yet yearning for a brief escape to find oneself. However, the initial inspiration for this piece simply came from seeing the word “offline” on a piece of paper.

I believe there is no clear boundary between reality and fantasy, fantasy is an extension of reality. Whenever I start creating, fantasy and reality converge under my brush, blending in a dreamlike and wondrous way.

Leyan Wang | Offline | 2024

What is your creative process like? Do you have any specific rituals or habits that help you get into the creative zone?

My creative process is not fixed. Sometimes, it even involves a great deal of randomness. I don’t restrict how or when I draw inspiration or delve into a theme. Instead, I enjoy the process of exploring various possibilities, even though this often leads me to scrap and redo my work countless times.

There’s only one habit I’ve consistently maintained during my creative process: I create ambient sound for myself. I prefer working in a quiet, private space, but at the same time, I play music, audiobooks, or videos in the background. This provides just the right amount of companionship for me and sometimes even brings new inspiration and surprises.

Leyan Wang | Ambition | 2024

How do folklore, mythology, and everyday life inspire your artwork? Can you share a specific example?

Last July, I created a series of works titled “Good Night” which also served as my graduation project. This series depicts my feelings of solitude during the year I studied in Edinburgh. Before coming to the UK, I had never experienced living alone, so this year in Edinburgh was a novel experience for me, giving me plenty of time to be by myself. I would walk through the medieval streets with a sketchbook, sit in the gardens beneath the castle listening to the Scottish bagpipes telling ancient tales, and join the crowds to celebrate during the Samhuinn Fire Festival. Through these experiences, I learned how to enjoy solitude and how to explore different cultures and ways of life. I then condensed these precious memories and feelings into images where fantasy and reality intertwine. It felt quite magical, as if I had the ability to weave dreams.

The reason folklore and mythology always fascinate me may be because they are so deeply intertwined with reality. Even though I no longer live in Edinburgh, every time I hear bagpipes, the scenes I once captured come back to me like hidden gems in a film, as my memories begin to blur. As I mentioned before, memories and emotions leave traces in stories.

Leyan Wang | Shower | 2024

What challenges have you faced in self-publishing and editorial illustration, and how have you overcome them?

I think the biggest challenge of self-publishing for me is the uncertainty of audience feedback. As a first-time self-publishing illustrator, creating content often consumes most of my time and energy. This makes it easy for me to become so immersed in my own work that I neglect to consider the target audience. When I realized this, I started bringing my sample books to exhibitions and markets, which gave me the opportunity to observe how audiences reacted to my work. For example, my first zine told a Chinese folktale, and when viewers at a London exhibition browsed through it, they asked me questions about elements in the story they didn’t understand. These questions were incredibly helpful, prompting me to adjust the text in the book to address potential confusion that may cause by cultural differences.

As for editorial illustration, the challenge I most frequently face is balancing my personal style with the client’s needs. I was once commissioned to create illustrations of some historical buildings in Shanghai, but among the sketches I provided, the client chose the one I was least satisfied with, which left me feeling quite conflicted. Later, I realized that this situation is quite common, different perspectives naturally lead to different choices. I found that I can still express my stylistic features while meeting the client’s needs. This experience also taught me the importance of proactive communication and seeking

feedback.

What message or emotion do you hope viewers take away from your art?

I hope my work can evoke a sense of curiosity and the desire to express oneself in the audience.

For me, illustration is the language I use to explore the world. I always feel fortunate to be able to understand new things, express feelings and communicate using this unique visual language. Therefore, as long as the viewers feel even a small amount of resonance with my work, it is incredibly meaningful to me.