Ziyu Bai – Born to Create

I used Procreate for this illustration and applied traditional patterning and mythology figures surrounding the figure in the center. For example, Change and her jade rabbit are on the bottom left, the jade emperor and his heavenly army are on the top left, Bainiangzi the white snake on the right, and Nian, the spring festival monster in the water. I used rich colors that are associated with luck and prosperity in Chinese culture such as red, gold, and teal. The red on the Qipao and harsh lighting on the face bring attention to the center of the piece, where I am seen drawing with a digital pen and a tablet. My drawings seem to be flowing out with clouds in classical style around the piece, forming a harmonious round shape. The Han character on top of the piece means to create in Mandarin, as the artist ourselves, we hold the power to create by making pieces to express ourselves. This piece demonstrates a combination of traditional styles and utilizes them in current media digitally, and even as digital media progresses with the advancing of AI and other tools in society today, it is frustrating to see art, as a way of expressing one’s identity and thoughts has been reduced to just a few words into a soulless machine. we need to remember traditions and personal creations, instead of following a route without any skills and effort put into it. As an artist today, I want to utilize traditional techniques and styles, especially within ethnic cultures while using technology that does not take away from others.