MKCan you tell me a bit about what you’ve worked on recently and how you’re enjoying the currently running projects?
YLI recently worked with two dream clients, both were very interesting projects! One of them is a secret, but the other one was to illustrate a huge art piece for a fitting room of the new Nike Jordan store in China, which is definitely one of the happiest projects I have worked on. The client has almost no feedback, allowing me to do whatever I want, and the whole process was very smooth, giving me full freedom and trust. It was a very pleasant collaboration. I call it ‘angel project’!
MKDo you work with certain specific topics in your work and if so, what would those topics be? Were you interested in these topics before you started your practice or have they been naturally shaped through client / personal requests over time?
YLThe best example is the project with Dame Products, a sexual product brand. The women in my art have always been depicted as curvy, and I am also drawn to illustrating subjects related to sex and intimacy. Every time I work with Dame Products, it is a delightful experience, as it allows me to fully express myself. Not only do I get to illustrate my favorite topics, but I also find the articles to be highly educational and inspiring in terms of intimacy and self-love. By focusing on topics that interest me, I am also constantly learning, gaining inspiration, and adding more emotion and depth to my art.
MKHas your illustration style evolved since your earlier work? If so, how?
YLYes, for about five years, I struggled to find my artistic voice. At that time, I did not feel that the work I was producing truly represented me. This was also the reason why I chose to leave China and pursue a master's degree at the Fashion Institute of Technology in the United States alone. Fortunately, through consistent practice and exploration during my studies, I discovered the most comfortable way to express myself and my style emerged naturally as a result.
MKAs an illustrator, are there any causes or values that you are passionate about and aim to express them through your work or the way you work?
YLI like to show very personal emotions in the art, showing how I feel about the world, and how I want to feel it. I think the most essential emotions of human beings are the same, regardless of race or gender. So, I like to express those essential feelings of being human in my work.
Yadi "I think the most essential emotions of human beings are the same, regardless of race or gender. So, I like to express those essential feelings of being human in my work."
MKHow did you like the structure of the brief of Learning By Doing It — having to listen to an anonymous recording that was intimate in its topic and medium?
YLI think it's a really meaningful platform for people from all over the world to share their most honest personal experiences and opinions about sex. The information we get will become the way we look at ourselves. Every region has its own sexual concepts, and the more we hear others share their perspectives, the more we can accept and understand our differences, and view things from a more inclusive and accurate perspective. I also appreciate how Learning By Doing It combines illustrations with anonymous recordings, as it allows for a more visual empathy for the audience and elevates the topic of sex into a playful and artistic realm.
MKWhat was your sexual education like and if there’s anything you would like to change about our current system of sexual education, what would it be?
YLI'm from China. Sex has always been a topic that my family rarely discussed. It was not until I had a boyfriend in college that my mother, for the first time, implicitly told me, "You should protect yourself." That was it. No further explanation was given on what to protect, how to protect, or how to be well protected. It seems that many parents in Eastern countries are still very shy when it comes to discussing sex. Sex education is a normal aspect of life, and I truly hope that it can be taught to children in a more formal and earlier setting.
MKAt your current stage in life, what would you like to learn on the topic of sex and relationships?
MKAt your current stage in life, what would you like to learn on the topic of sex and relationships?
YLI am quite interested in sexual knowledge of non-heterosexuals because I rarely had the chance to learn this type of information. I would like to know more about it.
MKIf you had to teach your younger self one valuable lesson on the topic of sex, what would it be?
YLYour body, your choice.