Meet illustrator from Seoul, Jinhwa Jang

 

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Hello, I am freelance illustrator Jinhwa Jang. I dreamed to be an editorial illustrator watching other great news-editorial illustrations that have the special voice of the artist while also illustrating the article very well. I graduated with an illustration major last spring and now I mainly do editorial illustrations, brand collaborations, and comics.

 

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

After graduating from an art school in NYC, I moved to Seoul and Shanghai. I really liked both cities, especially that I can meet my family, old friends, and I can have many opportunities to learn new things and meet new people here. Both cities are also a great inspiration for me. I like to draw urban landscapes and most of the photo references and inspirations are from the cities I live in and the people living there.

 

I like to draw urban landscapes and most of the photo references and inspirations are from the cities I live in and the people living there.

 

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

Well, I’ve been visiting Shanghai to visit my parents. After the COVID outbreak, I couldn’t go back to Seoul for 6 months. I think it’s the same everywhere, but that was the worst experience for me in Shanghai. I missed my friends so badly. The worst thing in Seoul is the high rents.

 

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

Motivated, Inspired, Anxious

 

How did you start your career in art?

When I first came to art school in NYC, I didn’t expect to be an illustrator. My freshmen year’s drawing professor recommended me to transfer to an illustration major. I didn’t know much about the field so I was confused and lost in the first year. But once I watched news-editorial works of great young illustrators on social media, I dreamed to make good work in a short term deadline as they do so I practiced making news-editorial works in the last year of school. As I graduated, I got the first job from a news publishing company.

 

When I first came to art school in NYC, I didn’t expect to be an illustrator.

 

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

Yes, especially my family and my high school

 

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

I really hope to stay motivated and move forward. After a year of working as a professional, I feel that it is extremely difficult and important. For now, I am learning comic techniques because there is a comic I really want to finish. That’s the nearest goal at the moment.

 

I really hope to stay motivated and move forward.

 

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

Tame Impala

 

How would you describe the women around you?

Forward-looking, anxious, individualistic, gentle?

 

Forward-looking, anxious, individualistic, gentle?

 

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

Since I haven’t stayed long in Seoul since I’m young so I’ll list Korean female creatives, they might not be local:

Sungmin Choi, Doi Kim, Seo Young, Hyunjung Huh, Eunjin Jeon. They are all multidisciplinary artists, and make beautiful works!

 

Are there any challenging aspects of being a female in your industry?

As a freelancer, I’d say female freelancers have lower pay, lower pay expectations.

 

You can be whatever you want.

 

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

You can be whatever you want. Don’t limit what you want to draw. Evaluate your work. When I was in school I didn’t want myself to look away from things that I had to fix, and I improved a lot at that time.

 

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What type of music do you like to listen to?

Psychedelic rock

 

What’s your favorite local food spot?

Coottha in Yeonhui!

 

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

How do you overcome it when you’re facing a creative block or find yourself having this mannerism?

 

 

Photos courtesy of Jinhwa Jang