Meet New York-based illustrator and painter, Nan Cao.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I am a New York-based illustrator and painter from Beijing. I graduated from Maryland Institute College of Art and received my Masters degree from School of Visual Arts. I create art for newspapers and magazines such as the Spectrum, News Break, and Baltimore City Paper, make visual projects running across the 1700 Link NYC screens in all five boroughs in New York, work on paintings, which have been exhibited internationally and across the country. As an illustrator and painter working and living in New York, I get inspiration from surrealistic imagery and my daily life in the big city.

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

I’ve been studying, living and working abroad for many years. Three years ago, I moved to New York and fell in love with the city. Unlike the fresh, young, concrete smell of Beijing, New York has a smell which is an old familiar scent mixing a lot of things like urine, sugar, and rain. While walking on the street, I’ll be hit with a wall of sound from kids laughing, heels clicking, as well as endless waves of language from different countries. And those interesting people and colorful stories hiding in every corner in the city offer me an endless source of inspiration.

As an illustrator and painter working and living in New York, I get inspiration from surrealistic imagery and my daily life in the big city.

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

New York is visually stunning, a magic box compacting with energy, feeling, emotion and stories. The bossy pigeons wandering on the streets, the impressive amount of food on one plate, the peculiar New Yorkers wearing shorts and vests in the freezing winter … I can be creative and never get bored by living in this melting pot. However, working and living in this highly congested city can be stressful and tough. There is a pushy demeanor to many New Yorkers, because of their survival instinct in this crazy but wonderful metropolis.

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

Dreamy, Passionate, Cruel

How did you start your career in art?

From an early age, drawing images was my way of interpreting and reacting to the world around me. I was the only child and my parents used to be very busy. Since my mother was an avid book reader, I was always left with tons of fiction and fairytale books with plain text along with some paper and color pencils to entertain myself. Inspired by the stories and colorful characters from the books, I started to draw the creatures and the imaginative narratives on paper. The drawing process really satisfied my curiosity for fantasy but also brought me a strong sense of pride and fulfillment. This inspired my path to pursue illustration.

Despite the pressures of academics and the constant rigorous examinations, I aspired to make a living by creating images that tell stories. These images connect with people by walking them through the fantasy world I create on paper.

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

Art was not something that was considered a normal career path to pursue in my culture, and therefore, was not considered a viable option. Despite the pressures of academics and the constant rigorous examinations, I aspired to make a living by creating images that tell stories. These images connect with people by walking them through the fantasy world I create on paper.

Before I began my art journey in the United States, I was lucky enough to have the support from my parents even though both of them are microbiologists. It was certainly an uphill climb trying to convince them of my passion in which did not align with their expectations at first.

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

My short-term goals are to land an illustration position to work for book publishers and do more work for newspapers because I love to make artworks that are both pretty and clever. In the long-term, I want to teach art in college while being creative as a freelancer.

My short-term goals are to land an illustration position to work for book publishers and do more work for newspapers because I love to make artworks that are both pretty and clever. In the long-term, I want to teach art in college while being creative as a freelancer.

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

Shaun Tan. I love the philosophy and the energy in his artwork. I would definitely learn a lot by working with him.

How would you describe the women around you?

Strong, warm, independent, sensitive, caring and vulnerable

Strong, warm, independent, sensitive, caring and vulnerable

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

My mother. My mother is a microbiologist but she painted well. She can use micro pen to draw various kinds of plants with elegant lines, to paint sea creatures with colorful ink, and to make neat craftwork for home decor. When I was little, because of my mom’s work, I traveled a lot with her and spent most of the time with flowers, mountains, and trees. So even though I have known more and more female artists as I was growing up later. My mother’s drawings and those botanical artwork she made are always the deepest memories I can connect with.

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

I do realize that there are more well-known male artists in the art industry in general. However, compared to other art fields like photography, music and film industry, I think we are facing less challenges in the illustration community as a female. And I am really happy to see that there are more and more well-regarded working professionals who are female in this day and age.

Being a great artist does not entail being “perfect.”

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

Being a great artist does not entail being “perfect.” We as artists need to learn our limitations, explore our strengths, and make those strengths shine.

Photos courtesy of Nan Cao.