Meet brand designer and illustrator from Hangzhou, Han Tingting aka 7Leaf Han

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Since I was a child, I like drawing, and I have been admitted to my favorite design college that I wished to enter. I am currently doing brand creative design, and my busy work is mixed with a lot of accumulation and progress. While suffering from pressure, I find my own fun and achievement at work. At the same time, I created the “7LEAF MONSTER” series of works in my spare time.

Describe the city you’re living in and what it’s like to live there.

Hangzhou is a beautiful city, located in the southeast of China, famous for its beautiful West Lake and a pleasant climate. Life here is relatively simple and comfortable.

Hangzhou is a beautiful city, located in the southeast of China, famous for its beautiful West Lake and a pleasant climate. Life here is relatively simple and comfortable.

What is the best and worst thing about living in your city?

The best thing is that when you go out, it is full of green, the environment is great, and the climate is pleasant. The downside is that it is not as developed as cities like Beijing and Shanghai, with fewer exhibitions and relatively few large-scale events. As a designer, I like to go to exhibitions and participate in all the more cutting-edge design activities. There are some limitations in this regard.

Give us 3 words that describe what it’s like to be a creative in your city.

To be honest, my work is basically between two points and one line, and my work is solved by having a laptop, haha. My own creations are more derived from reading and online materials and travel. I have to say three words: freedom, self-entertainment, whimsical.

How did you start your career in art?

Since I was in kindergarten, I liked painting very much. At that time, the whole class would surround me to see my unconstrained “creation”. When I was young, my dream was to become a painter. Later in my student life, I insisted on choosing the art design major. The university was in Shanghai. The city of Shanghai opened the door to my cognition of design. I was exposed to many novel things and gave me various novel ideas. And try.

The city of Shanghai opened the door to my cognition of design. I was exposed to many novel things and gave me various novel ideas. And try.

Were the people around you supportive of your decision on working as a creative?

My parents are very supportive of my ideas and always let me choose my favorite profession and job. My hobby also earns corresponding rewards for myself and can continue to support my development in this industry. Most of my friends are designers. They know that artistic creation is more suitable for me and allows me to play my value.

What are some goals and ambitions you have for your future work?

Life is like a long voyage. Only by persisting and not giving up can you reach the other shore. I have always believed that it is important to maintain the original intention, from the ordinary to the extraordinary, there is only a distance of persistence. I think I will always insist, hoping that my creation can be seen by more people, even have an impact on them, and have value for society. My “7LEAF MONSTER” series is still in the early stage of creation, a stage of continuous experimentation and exploration, and I will continue to explore and try from more dimensions, and I want to do more exhibitions, art installations and collaborations with other artists, etc. Give them more meaning and value of existence.

Life is like a long voyage. Only by persisting and not giving up can you reach the other shore.

If you could collaborate with any person in the world who would it be?

The one I want to work with most is the Japanese design master Kenya Hara. I have read many of his books and works, which are worthy of admiration. I like his creative concepts and ideas, able to think deeply about the essence of design, and even change society through design, which produces great value. I also hope that my design works not only stay on the surface of the design, but can have a good impact on certain areas of society or people through my design works, and even change the mind.

What are the biggest challenges you face in working as a creative?

I think the biggest challenge is my own mentality. It is actually difficult to explore step by step. It is very important to persist in not giving up, but it is also very difficult. Because we have to overcome many immediate things, design is not done overnight, it is a matter of long-term accumulation and training, and continuous learning and thinking. We must learn to supervise ourselves and persist in ten years.

Most of the girls around me are designers. They work very hard and have their own ideas. They can break the shackles of tradition and give themselves as much freedom as possible to pursue the life they want.

How would you describe the women around you?

Most of the girls around me are designers. They work very hard and have their own ideas. They can break the shackles of tradition and give themselves as much freedom as possible to pursue the life they want. They will continue to study and supervise themselves, enroll in various classes in their spare time, improve their professional abilities and expand their hobbies, and do not forget to exercise. On holidays, Holidays will travel around the world, broaden the horizons and bring inspiration to the design.

Were there any local female creatives that you looked up to when you were growing up?

Yes, there are many. One of my favorites is ZaoDao. She is an excellent post-90s painter. It is said that she is very self-disciplined, and she starts to paint at 5 o’clock in the morning every day. Her excellence comes from her talent and hard work, and is very respectable.

We have to learn to have fun in hardship and enjoy the beauty in it so that we can persevere better and achieve ourselves slowly.

Do you have any advice for other women who are aspiring to work in your field?

Designing and painting is actually a very bitter and lonely thing. We have to learn to have fun in hardship and enjoy the beauty in it so that we can persevere better and achieve ourselves slowly.

What’s your favorite local food spot?

My favorite is hot pot.

Akane Malbeni asks: What are you into outside of being a creative?

I like a lot of things. I like photography, like observing and recording the beauty brought to me. Sometimes I even like to cook a meal at home quietly. The process of cooking is even more decompressive and enjoyable than the process of eating.

Deborah Lee asks: What do you like most about your work?

My favorite part is the brainstorming part of the job. It is tormentful but fun. Discussing with everyone, and in many cases, I can stimulate my own ideas and bring new ideas.

Anushka Tendolkar asks: Have you ever had imposter syndrome? How did you overcome it?

I think I also have some imposter syndrome, and I am not always confident. I think the only way for me to overcome this is to keep working hard to improve myself and treat myself more fairly.

What question would you like us to ask the next artist?

I want to ask: What makes you stick to the present? What is the original intention of your creation?

Photos courtesy of 7Leaf Han