Illustrator Yang Sio Maan majored first in English Literature before going on to explore her other passion – illustration. She graduated with an MA in Illustration from UCA Farnham, UK and since 2016 has been based in Macao, working in the art administrative industry and on commissioned cases for illustration.
“I have lived in Macau for most of my life, and living in a touristic city has developed me a pursuit for nature,” said the Chinese illustrator in an interview with Ballpit Magazine. “I’ve always loved to draw little comics but I didn’t know what illustration was until I took Children’s Literature in my senior year and fell in love immediately with picturebooks. Only by then I started to consider taking a step further and develop more in this area. I did illustration for MA study in the UK. I took the advantage by traveling and visiting museums and art fairs in Europe, which really widened my horizon. And the more I draw the more I’m sure confirmed that illustration is something I want to do for life.”
Now, fully committed to her work, she shares her unique illustrations on Insatgram, and showcases it in exhibitions in China and England. Experimenting with the different techniques she admits that her favorite mediums (currently) are watercolor and collage.
“I like how delicate watercolor can be and the way the colors fuse together,” she said. “On the other hand, I like to make collages using inked papers. Collage is fun to do and I often come up with shapes that I wouldn’t have drawn otherwise. Therefore, it allows me to be bolder with shapes.”
Treating art as a form of communication, as well as therapy, she went on to say: “I find it very therapeutic and soothing when I draw, especially at midnight. Somehow art gives me the strength to be true to myself. Moreover, it encourages me to learn more, feel more, and to walk out of my comfort zone to try new things. For me, art is not a final destination, but a gate that bridges one’s inner self with the world.”
Enter her magical world in the gallery below.
