Meet artist and illustrator from Taipei, SAITEMISS

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I come from Taiwan and I am a freelancer. My illustrations are about love and romance and I hold exhibits at least once a year. Also, I have a whippet and his name is “mai-mai”. He loves playing with a tennis ball very much. I have multiple hobbies and now I’m practicing not to hate everything too much.

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

An adorable and beautiful island, Taipei is the capital of Taiwan. There are kind and talented people living here and foods are also great. This city is safe for traveling (according to my friend) and comfortable to live in with many fascinating sites to visit. It will be a pleasure to stop by here if there’s a chance.

It will be a pleasure to stop by here if there’s a chance.

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

Best: Funny, friendly, warm people.

Worst: Fast-paced and maybe some solitary, but I can’t get any more shortcomings from it.

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

I think 3 words are not enough to describe Taipei. The lifestyle to expect is getting in touch with other people which includes hanging out with my friends, building relationships, and some movies and music. All of these make me feel alive and these abstract things are internalized in my work.

How did you start your career in art?

I used to doodle since I was a child. I began to go to school and majored in the art & design field then I started my career as an employee. Quickly I found this to be an unfavorable way for me to work but at the same time, I knew I had to raise myself on my own since my family can’t support me too much. My solo and creative work came about after my full-time job. I started to reveal my work on the internet and things became smooth after that. Now I can make a living on my creative work.

My close friends knew my situation and helped me a lot to arrange my first solo exhibition. This gave me the courage which I have internalized till today.

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

My parents disagreed with my decision at first. Living in Asia and choosing an occupation in the creative field seemed too hard to live off of for our family. I got much support from revenues which is the trap stone to have a chance to do things arbitrarily. My close friends knew my situation and helped me a lot to arrange my first solo exhibition. This gave me the courage which I have internalized till today. From this, my parents got relieved.

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

Upcoming new events such as zines and exhibitions. In my future work, I would like to do a more enhanced and exquisite way to point out the whole story through comics. Also, I would like to focus on the inner part of romance and love, self-growth, some experiences people went through. If my work could motivate the audience, it will be a pleasure for me.

If my work could motivate the audience, it will be a pleasure for me.

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

Tyler the Creator and Björk. In terms of genre, they are quite different from each other but I enjoy them both in their own way. Actually I’m deeply into music and most of my creative work was with music.

How would you describe the women around you?

Astonishing and talented, kind with a strong mind.

Astonishing and talented, kind with a strong mind.

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

I think I admire all my female friends as creatives.

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

It is not quite harsh to be a female in this industry compared to others. I think this might be another reason why most of my fans and colleagues are born after 1990. We live in a more free and open world. When you get support from these people you can feel the strength within yourself.

Please give it a try to seize your dream.

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

I think I can give advice to different genders of people who aspire to work. There should be no difference in working with different genders. It’s an open era and we can reveal or demonstrate ourselves as individuals through SNS in our own way. So please give it a try to seize your dream.

Photos courtesy of SAITEMISS.