Meet Taiwanese animator, Liang-Hsin Huang.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I’m Liang-Hsin Huang and you can call me Liang too. I currently work as an animator but I also do printmaking, painting and graphic novel for fun. I explore tiny and intimate things happening in daily life and present in those atmospheric scenes in animation and drawings. I come from Taiwan, moved to London two years ago to study animation at Royal College of Art and now I am moving to the other country again. Let’s see where I will be going next!

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

I’ve lived in Taiwan for more than 20 years and moved to London in the UK two years ago. Taichung is my hometown in Taiwan and it is a not-so-big city where you can really enjoy a chill life but still, a lot of art and music events happen all the time. And London is more crowded and a lot bigger. You can always discover new things, meet new people, and be a lot more open to any different aspects since it is so diverse. I feel freer and happier living here because people are nice and you don’t need to behave in a certain way. You can just do and be whatever you want.

I’ve lived in Taiwan for more than 20 years and moved to London in the UK two years ago.

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

There are always good and bad things for living in such a big city like London. You never get bored because there are so many art events and exhibitions everywhere and you can meet so many cool people from all over the world. I love London that it looks so different in different sections and you can always get so many inspirations from this. But it’s a pain that it takes so long to travel anywhere and the tube is always crowded.  Imagine you have to spend an hour going to an exhibition, another hour to a friend’s party and the other hour to get home. It’s just my daily life.

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

How did you start your career in art?

I studied art in high school and felt that drawings aren’t enough for me to express my ideas so I picked animation as my major in college where I can put a whole story in a piece of artwork. And then I went to Royal College of Art in London to make more films and see what animation industry looks like in another country. I got my first commissioned work in college to make a gif card for teacher’s day and since then, I begin my freelance life in animation.

I studied art in high school and felt that drawings aren’t enough for me to express my ideas so I picked animation as my major in college where I can put a whole story in a piece of artwork.

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

I am lucky that my family encourages me to do whatever I want. Sometimes they’re worried that it’s not a stable job but they still try to be my biggest support. And because I’ve studied art since teenage, most of my friends are in the art field as well that I always have someone to share my worries and anxiety with.

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

I want to be an animation director and one day make my own TV series. And I love traveling so I hope I have more chances to work in different countries and with different people.

I want to be an animation director and one day make my own TV series. And I love traveling so I hope I have more chances to work in different countries and with different people.

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

I am too shy to say the names but I really love to work with poetry, short stories, and music. So… call for any writers, musicians, bands who want to make animation for their works. I will be so happy to do it!

How would you describe the women around you?

I love my mom and respect her so much. As a career woman, she has to work full-time and take care of most of the housework for years. I learn a lot from her how to be gentle but still keep on your goal and mind at the same time. I was introverted and less confident before but I met a lot of female friends in London who encouraged me to be more open-minded, embrace myself more and convince my works aren’t bad. Now I am happy how I am and enjoy the times with them.

I was introverted and less confident before but I met a lot of female friends in London who encouraged me to be more open-minded, embrace myself more and convince my works aren’t bad. Now I am happy how I am and enjoy the times with them.

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

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

The animation industry in Taiwan just starts growing in recent years and the generation is still young. So I feel there isn’t really a challenge in the industry. The pressure comes more from the whole society of how to be a “proper” woman like not being emotional, getting married or having children.  And in London, surprisingly the people I met in the industry are mostly woman so there isn’t really a gender challenge for me. I feel that being an Asian is more challenging than being a woman in Western countries. I have to fit into a totally different culture and sometimes people reject you not because your work isn’t good enough but due to your nationality which has a lot of issues like visas, cultural understandings, different working habits following along with.

Works sometimes come from a place you never think of or the chance you think you missed already.

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

I am still in a very early stage in my career so I don’t know if I can give some practical advice. But try to meet people from different fields and just think of it as meeting some new friends! Works sometimes come from a place you never think of or the chance you think you missed already. And don’t be shy to share your work with others. I am trying too because I always feel embarrassed to tell someone, “Hey! It’s my film. It’s good!”. But things always get better than you think and you will find people appreciate your work.

Photos courtesy of Liang-Hsin Huang.