Artist Proof: Johnny Yue is an illustrator, designer and painter born in China and currently working out of Hong Kong. When it comes to the origins of his inspiration, Johnny believes that it doesnt matter who he is and where he comes from, the world has no boarders and his illustrations do the speaking for him.
Artsprojekt: Please give us a brief intro about yourself, your art and where you are currently located.
Johnny Yue: I live in Hong Kong and I work as a designer for a CGI company. My work includes CGI designing for film and TV advertising but I also work on scripts, storyboards and character designs as well. The work you see here is my personal work.
AP: What plays a bigger role in your artwork, where you live now? or where you were raised as a child?
Johnny: I grew up in one of China’s smallest towns, where life is simple, even boring. I likes stimulation and so I hope any work that comes my way is exciting.
AP: Describe your artistic style in 5 words or less.
Johnny: I can not define my work in 5 words.
AP: What inspires your art?
Johnny: I get inspiratio from things that happen everyday in this world, my boring life, and my memories.
AP: Do you remember your first experience of making art.
Johnny: I was 4-5 years old, I took my sisters school book, to copy the volleyball girl on the cover. I still remember the joy I expeirenced with that first painting although my sister cursed me daily after that for ruining her school book. I think I was lecherous boy, because my first painting was not of my toys and robots, but rather, girls wearing volleyball shorts.
AP: Who’s art are you digging right now? Who do you want to give a shout out to?
Johnny: I’m digging many many artists including Katsushika Hokusai, Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Leonardo da Vinci, Ray Caesar, James Jean, Marco Wagner & Ian Francis. I also find alot of cool artists via ffffound.com
AP: What are some art related things that you cant live without? Tools of the trade, events etc.
Johnny: My brain, heart, eyes, sketch books and computers. I am eager to own a paint studio in Hong Kong, but I can’t afford to rent yet. I hate Hong Kong’s property developers.
AP: What motivates you to get out of bed every day and create art?
Johnny: I just love to create. It doesn matter how many people like it or not, I just loveto create things. Whether I’m painting, making products, creating visual art or multimedia, it’s all the same to me.
AP: Do you listen to music when you work? If so, name a few of the tunes you rock out to.
Johnny: When I am working, I listen to all sorts of music, but my latest favorite album is moby “wait for me”. Feeling very beautiful and sad at the same time.
AP: When you arent making art, what do you like to do? What are some of your obsessions or hobbies?
Johnny: I like to read historical novels. I also like to watch & study all types of movies. Sometimes I will play with my PSP.
AP: As an artist what are your thoughts on social media and the internet?
Johnny: Internet and social media are all good things, in the time of globalization, they are an open platform and you can study anything, how can we do without them? I love them.
AP: If you had the ability to time travel, what advice would you have for the artists of the future?
Johnny: No one knows what the future of this world will be. In the future, progress will be more advanced than today, so I am afraid I can’t give them any advice, I can only learn from what the future might be like. The world is always moving forward, no backwards.
AP: Tell us something about yourself that Google doesn’t know about (yet).
Johnny: I like cooking, it makes me happy. Dishes that I recently learned how to cook are: Boiled spinach in milk & braised oxtail in red wine. The dish that I am the best at making is called China yellow wine boiled crab. I guarantee that it’s really good!
