Meet Seattle-based artist and illustrator, Yuuki Jia

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Hi, I am Yuuki. I lived in several places in China, Japan and US. I went to Bard College in New York for Math and Studio art. I studied in Kyoto for illustration and manga. I worked here and there across US, and did MFA in Seattle. Now I’m a game concept artist, freelancing as an illustrator and comic artist for book and animation.

In my spare time, I love to do urban and modern dances, read and even try to write when drinking too much tea.

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

Right now I live in a peaceful town east of Seattle. It is like living in the mountains.

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

The best is the summer time now, we have lovely sunshine and divine dusk every day, the light is longer and the wind is mellow. The worst would be when it comes to raining seasons, there would be a long time just raining with much less daylight or sunshine.

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

Peaceful. Summer. Away.

As I grew up and explored reality as more as I could, I realized that the deeper I practiced understanding, the more mysterious I appreciated in there. To raise questions without answers in art became poetic to me, it motivated my curiosity. In this process, I gradually realized that my honest wish was to do art for the sake of asking questions openly.

How did you start your career in art?

I naturally loved drawing as a kid. I painted on woods and walls. Then I moved often and tried adapting to different environments. I got distracted jumping through multiple cultures and value systems. As a kid, I often felt confused and I wanted to understand them all, but not possible. So I started imagining the part I didn’t understand by doing art. At that time, doing art was like defining an escape that furnaced me after exhausted learning or obligation. As I grew up and explored reality as more as I could, I realized that the deeper I practiced understanding, the more mysterious I appreciated in there. To raise questions without answers in art became poetic to me, it motivated my curiosity. In this process, I gradually realized that my honest wish was to do art for the sake of asking questions openly.

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

I don’t know enough to say because my environment keeps changing. But my family is supportive. I am grateful.

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

To finish my personal projects with more limits. Still searching.

To finish my personal projects with more limits. Still searching.

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

Koharu Sugawara

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

Accepting fear with cheer.

They are fearless, in different ways.

How would you describe the women around you?

They are fearless, in different ways.

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

Not really. My environment kept changing that I often felt like an outsider when growing up, maybe that’s why I met or knew many super brilliant women creatives, but I felt far away. Through observation, I admire people with merged features across genders in a creative role, I look up to the range of freedom in them.

It is ok to go on, but also ok to give up. Sometimes it takes even more courage to give up, because humans are impatient, as our life naturally decays. If we can embrace the change more, we can relax more, which makes “no goal” an enjoyable, far flow.

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

It is ok to go on, but also ok to give up. Sometimes it takes even more courage to give up, because humans are impatient, as our life naturally decays. If we can embrace the change more, we can relax more, which makes “no goal” an enjoyable, far flow.

What type of music do you like to listen to?

Jazz, Nature sounds.

What’s your favorite local food spot?

My nice balcony during pandemic.

Lisa Kogawa asks: What are your top 10 movies/books/comic/anime that motivate you?

The Tatami Galaxy. Houseki no Kuni. Howl’s moving castle. Gintama. Summer wars. Baccano. Measuring the World. The Best Offer. Brideshead Revisited. Budapest Hotel.

Chubbynida asks: What is your purpose of being an artist or illustrator?

To celebrate a peaceful life.

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

How do you transform your unsolved realistic problem/ struggle/ question into your art?

Photos courtesy of Yuuki Jia