Ke Yu: The Nature of Illustration
Caged bird, multi-media, 22.9 X 75 cm
This painting draws inspiration from the formal style of medieval illuminated manuscripts. The elegant swan is confined in a cage, surrounded by an abundance of flowers and fruits. Even the cage itself is wrapped in the appearance of a gift.
Artist Ke Yu
Migration, multi-media, 22.9 X 75 cm
The scene depicts the moment a horse runs through the woods. However, the expansive forest is framed by curtains, making people realize that it's all just a backdrop on a stage.
Exploration, multi-media, 22.9 X 75 cm
The undulating shapes of the pink mountains resemble cross-sections of rocks. The flowing radiance emitted by the mountains is the only movement in this vast and still space.
Escape, multi-media, 22.9 X 75 cm
The inspiration comes from a traditional Chinese game called “dropping the handkerchief.” The little lamb holding the handkerchief realizes that the seemingly safe amusement park is, in fact, a confinement for them, and it decides to escape to find the real world.
A Fire, multi-media, 22.9 X 75 cm
This picture depicts two worlds in the forest. The campfire beneath the branches is a party for ferrets and birds, while above the branches is a home of humans. These two worlds are connected by the branches, together forming a forest ecosystem.
Yuke is a Chinese illustrator based in New York working with a combination of traditional and digital media. Beginning with brush and ink, Yuke creates the line-work for each drawing, then colors each piece digitally. These intricate narrative pieces tell a story about the dichotomy between humans and nature, while simultaneously displaying the contrast between classical and modern illustration techniques.
How did your creative journey begin?
The first time I tried to create something was in high school, using my sketchbook. I used a pen to draw everything I saw in my life—people, objects, or scenes. Most of the time, I doodled in the notebook, and patterns would emerge on their own. Because pen creations cannot be erased, if there were mistakes in the drawing, I would fix them by turning them into another image. I enjoyed this casual and unplanned form of creation, believing it allowed me to be more bold and unafraid of making mistakes in my future artistic endeavors.
Where do you find inspiration for your work?
My inspiration usually comes from images. I take interesting photos in my daily life and have an album on my phone for downloading pictures that inspire me. When browsing social media, I collect images that evoke a "desire to draw" in me. These images include paintings, photos, stills, installations, and more. Sometimes, my inspiration stems from an interesting theme. For example, I am currently working on a painting with many patterns, which led me to explore the patterns on Chinese ceramics and the patterns on Qing Dynasty horse jackets. I see this as a valuable learning opportunity.
How has your work evolved over the last few years?
Over the past few years, my creative process has been in an experimental phase. I explore various themes in my artwork whenever inspiration strikes. In the last year, I've delved more into creating pieces connected to my cultural background. For instance, I've been learning traditional Chinese ink painting techniques. It's a fascinating journey, transitioning from individualistic creations to those rooted in a communal context.
What does a typical day in the studio look like for you, and how has your art practice grown or changed?
My typical day usually begins at 10 am, waking up. I usually arrive at the studio around 11 am and work until around 11:30 pm. In between, I have lunch around 3 pm and dinner around 7 pm. I typically return home around midnight and go to bed at 3 am. It's a relatively efficient day, and even though the working hours are long, seeing the completed work makes it all feel worthwhile. In the past, when I worked from home, my schedule was similar to now, except I would paint even later into the night.
Which experiences have impacted your work as an artist?
I think the solo exhibition of Yoshitaka Amano that I saw in Shanghai in 2019 had a significant impact on my creative work. At the exhibition, I saw a large number of his original works, including large watercolor paintings and acrylic creations. The vibrant colors and extremely intricate details fascinated me and instilled a great passion for traditional media. At the same time, his casual brushstrokes also made me want to retain some spontaneity in my own paintings.
How has social media impacted your work?
Social media has exposed me to a vast array of artists' works, and I am grateful for the opportunity to discover these talented individuals. The internet is also home to numerous bloggers who share a variety of knowledge. Through their shared insights and images, I have found lots of inspiration and creative materials. I hope one day more people could also see my artwork through social media.
How does the combination of traditional and digital media inform your process?
I've experimented with different painting mediums in the past few years, including oil paintings, gouache, and digital painting. Finally, this year, I found the most suitable method for me is using black ink to draw on paper, then scanning the artwork and coloring it digitally. I love the unmodifiable nature of ink along with the vibrant digital colors. Drawing line art without considering color also makes my mind clearer. Besides that, it’s nice to have something real that you can hang in your studio or show to people.
Website: yukeart.com
Instagram: @yuke_273