Interview with Qianying Zhu (Rachel)
Please tell us something about your background and your art journey so far.
My name is Qianying Zhu, and I also go by Rachel. I came from China to the U.S. for my studies and life since high school. My family members are all art enthusiasts, my grandfather is a well-known Chinese painter, and it was through their influence that I developed a love for drawing and crafting from a young age. By the time I graduated high school, my passion and career path became clear, leading me to the Savannah College of Art and Design to pursue jewelry design. After completing my undergraduate studies, I continued to expand my knowledge of metalsmithing and artistic concepts at Cranbrook Academy of Art.
2. Describe what a normal day looks like as an artist.
I enjoy living a relatively busy and fulfilling life. Typically, I make a simple plan for the next day in advance. Each morning, my first task is to check emails and respond to messages. During work breaks, I often do small sketches to capture and organize my inspirations. I record these ideas and consolidate them over the weekend to see if any have the potential for further development. I also set aside time to manage my social media, as I believe it's an important platform for information in today’s world. It provides opportunities to discover new chances and resources, while also allowing more people to learn about me and see my work.
Unlike my time at school, where I could create freely whenever inspiration struck, I now face greater challenges after graduation. Limited space and tools often prevent me from crafting the pieces I envision. Nonetheless, I strive to keep creating something within my abilities every week, usually dedicating evenings after work and weekends to this purpose. The time spent immersed in creation always flies by quickly, and often an entire weekend will pass in the blink of an eye.
3. Can you tell us more about the theme in your art and your inspiration? How does your art life impact other parts of your life?
For me, creativity is intertwined with every aspect of my life. Much of my work is inspired by my own experiences and the world around me. I enjoy observing both the ordinary and the extraordinary, drawing inspiration from these reflections. This process helps shape my unique perspective, and through my work, it’s easy to see how I perceive and interpret emotions. Rather than opting for a serious or traditional approach, I prefer to stylize emotions—both positive and negative—in a playful, cartoon-like way or convey them humorously. During this process, many negative things and feelings are somewhat resolved. I have a special love for shapes that are round and surfaces that are smooth. These shapes and textures feel calming and bring a sense of simple happiness.
4. Could you share any difficulties and hardships you had to face in life and how or if you managed/overcame them?
As a recent graduate, I’ve found that creating art outside of school is quite different from doing so within an academic environment. While school allowed for a concentrated focus on the creative process, post-graduation life presents new challenges, such as time constraints and environmental changes. On the other hand, due to the changes in the environment and additional pressures, I have grown and found more inspiration. Compared to my previous focus on personal creation, I now hope to produce works with greater depth.
5. Is the artist life lonely? Please share your thoughts and experiences.
Loneliness is often part of the creative journey, but I’m fortunate to have met many like-minded friends who share my passion. We discuss new techniques, give each other feedback, and support each other. However, I can't deny that audience recognition is very important to me, so I inevitably worry about whether my works can be understood and seen by more people. Periods of lacking inspiration and struggles with confidence in one's work are unavoidable for any creator.
6. What practical advice can you give to fellow artists?
I would say that my advice is to develop the habit of recording. Whether it's through photography, writing, or sketching, the key is to quickly capture any sudden inspiration. If we don't document our initial feelings and ideas in time, they can quickly be forgotten. Equally important is the process of organizing and filtering these records later on. Personally, I often have bursts of new ideas and inspiration during certain periods. Some of these are good ideas, while others may not be as useful or are difficult to develop further. My suggestion is to record everything, and then come back to review and organize these thoughts after a day or even longer. Revisiting my collection of inspirations after some time often brings me fresh ideas and pleasant surprises.
7. What are you working on at the moment and are there any upcoming events you would like to talk about?
Fashion jewelry has always been an area of great interest to me. After graduation, I established my own brand, 'Zoo Zoo Jewelry,' where I simplified and redesigned the zodiac elements from my earlier works into more wearable, everyday pieces. The origin and development of the twelve zodiac animals have a long history. As both a timekeeping tool and a cultural symbol, the zodiac holds significant meaning both in its practical use and its cultural implications. I hope to break away from the traditional image of the zodiac in jewelry, making it more playful and bringing this culturally meaningful yet trendy element to a wider audience.
While creating these more commercial pieces, I've also gained many new and delightful inspirations to incorporate into my other artistic works. Moving forward, I plan to continue making more artistic jewelry and miniature sculptures while dedicating part of my focus to growing the brand and regularly launching innovative jewelry designs. In a sense, through continued exploration and improvement after graduation, I have become even more certain of my artistic style and future direction.
Website: https://www.qyzhu-jewelry.com/
social mdedia:
qyz_zhu
zoozoojewelry