In Conversation: Zhigang Zhang

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Fuse is back again with the everlasting ‘In Conversation’ feature! Last time we released a piece it was earlier this year – time’s flown by. We’re with Chinese illustrator and artist Zhigang Zhang this time around. His work heavily revolves around characters, environments and more, in a bright and eccentric atmosphere. His past work features editorial covers and pieces for the likes of Palermitaner Magazine and Artwort. Read on to see our conversation in full!

Find Zhigang’s work: @z_zhigang & zhigangart.com

Hello! Introduce yourself, who are you? What do you do?

Hi, my name is Zhigang Zhang, I am a freelance illustrator Based in China and the UK. I mainly provide editorial illustrations for Magazines and Newspapers for international clients and my favorite subjects are humans, characters, food, and landscape. My work has already been published around the world, including USA, UK, Canada, Germany, Italy, and Belgium. When I’m not busy, I’m also an art teacher and teach students between 6 and 15 years old from time to time, part-time.

Tell us more about your illustration practice and style? How did it evolve?

My illustration practice is all about humans and landscapes as they are my favorite subjects. What is my style? I may have to use some words my tutor mentioned before, it should be vibrant, colorful, dynamic, impressive, and emotional.

My final project was “Illustrations from a Small Island”, which was about a trip from the UK for one and a half year, they were all based on my real experience during MA and all characters were real images around me. I wanted to capture the funniest and special side of local people with my unique conception, in order to make this project different from what other illustrators already did as most the illustrators did a lot of famous architects in the UK, which is easier to recognize but I was not really interested in doing that. I was trying to find something different and I really enjoyed doing this project. There are so many interesting illustrations in my final project, such as Stranger lady, Sandcastles, Lovely boy, Strange visitors, Odd shoes, etc. Every piece got a fantastic story. I hope people can resonate with me when it comes to seeing my work and it is based on my real experience with a special view to observing people I liked. My tutor gave me big compliments on it and encouraged me to insist on this style.

I was so lucky to have illustrated interviews for my work and a few offers to work with international clients to make editorial illustrations for them, after finishing my Master's degree, such as Creative Boom, Selvedge Magazine, Artwort, Shameless Magazine, Are We Europe, Menelique Magazine, and Popshot Magazine, etc. However, I’m not satisfied with a fixed style all the time and I started to work in progress after doing a series of commercial projects so that my illustration skills also improved a lot. I have been experimenting with limited palettes to explore artistic practice with my ex-style and to exaggerate the figure of the characters. I found it makes my work more powerful as a visual language so abundant to my creative practice. So I am spending more time experimenting with figures, composition, limited color, and texture to make progress and my style is starting to change differently.

What forms of illustration do you enjoy the most? Are there any illustrators you look up to?

I really enjoy illustrations the most which are full of life, and emotional with fewer skills. There are a few illustrators I like, such as Sara Boccaccini Meadows, Andres lozanon, Andrea Serio, Joey Yu, Matt Bollinger, Malika Favre, Charlotte Ager, etc, their works are full of unique style, but most importantly, their work is full of lifestyle, emotional, and bold.

You're currently based in the UK – have you always been based there? How did you end up there?

I was there while I was studying a Masters degree in illustration at the Arts University Bournemouth. It is a good country for art students to study and work, as there is a multi-cultural society and so many famous art galleries and museums for us to explore. Everything is perfect. I would love to work in another country from time to time. I am in China because of the pandemic, I will return to UK after the pandemic is getting better.

Characters, humans and life, in general, is quite prominent (consistent) across your work, why is that?

Yes, you can see a lot of characters and humans from my portfolio, almost every piece. They are all my favorite subjects and significant for me in my life. So I believe it is essential for me to make something such as characters, humans and life and they are full of lifestyle. I have to say I like to visit crowded places that are filled with a lot of people because I feel lonely in my inner world; characters and humans both can make me happy. I feel I am a character of them when it comes to making characters and humans every time. On the other hand, I want to capture the most beautiful moment on their face to express my inner world and every character I make is my real experience. It is all spontaneous. Characters play an irreplaceable part in my life and I regard them as the most interesting themes in my portfolio. Besides, I also love to create something different, but barely, surreal themes but I still would love to combine characters with surreal things to work on from time to time.

Are these characters ever inspired by people you personally know in real-life? Or do you observe your environments a lot?

Yes, absolutely but not all, some people are my friends and I was inspired by them to make pieces; some people I met that are strangers and I was also inspired by them as I would like to observe them. It is good for me to depict them with my unique conception in my portfolio. Art is from life and what we need is to observe them around us and I believe that it will give me a lot of surprise.

As far as I am concerned, I would like to define myself as a good observer, observing people is the most interesting thing that I have ever done; I observe people on the street while I go outside after finishing dinner every night, and what they are doing, how they feel from their face, and what are they going to do next step. It is kind of a journey to observe them. I will go to a nice restaurant every Sunday and I observe people who are eating their food and I can feel they must have enjoyed doing this stuff as they are having a wonderful dinner and so am I. So It is a pleasant process for me to observe the environments I know and it is a good reference to inspire me.

Fuse has started a series called 'Creative Values' in 2022, exploring what creatives value in themselves – what do you value in yourself? This could be creative or non-creative!

I think my value is what I am doing; I enjoy drawing and painting. I work so hard and get more commercial projects to publish my work internationally. I am building my creative practice and working with art directors in the creative industry. I follow my dream and never stop making progress.

If you could give advice that applies to most illustration graduates today, what would you say?

I would say if you want to be an artist or illustrator, do it. Never let anything stop you from following your dream. As an illustrator, I feel so happy and satisfied. I can draw and paint whatever I want, every day. Publishing my work around the world, getting more audiences to appreciate my work, and working with the different art directors, it is so AMAZING! We have done a great job in our life. So be persistent and you are going to be successful finally.

Last but not least, do not forget to share your work from time to time on creative platforms, such as Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. I mainly post my work on Instagram and it could bring you potential commercial collaborations if they like your style but do not get discouraged if not. Making progress is the first important thing for every illustrator and if only you insist on it, I believe that success is yours.

What's been your most favourite project to work on, so far?

My most favorite project was to work with Selvedge Magazine to make an editorial illustration for issue 104 last December, their company is based in London where has a good reputation around the world. The article is about Bolivian cooperative, Artesania Soratam. Their assistant sent me some references and the article and I also did a lot of researche and read a lot information about the artisans in Bolivia – it was an enjoyable process to work on this project. I combined a beautiful mural with a simple composition in Bolivia and the art director was very satisfied with the final illustration. It was a good collaboration.

Finally, what's next for you? Any upcoming projects you can tell us about?

I have been working with a food magazine to make a piece in America recently, food is also one of my favorite themes and I believe it is an exciting project.

Make sure you check out Zhigang‘s work here: zhigangart.com

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Image credits: Zhigang Zhang