With an undergraduate degree and six years’ work experience, Yang Qinlin applied for her dream course at Anglia Ruskin University. She was awarded a GREAT scholarship due to her impressive portfolio and began a master’s in Illustration and Book Arts in September 2020. In this blog she shares her journey with us as she looks to open her own studio after graduation.
A little about myself
I studied my first degree in Environmental Art Design in Beijing. This subject gave me a strong sense of space and perception of materials and taught me to focus on changes of light. I am particularly interested in the subtle adjustment of spatial light. Well-known architects Louis Kahn, Tadao Ando and Le Corbusier’s structural application of light in the architectural space influenced my work, where I called for public attention to the psychological pressure of working and wrote a paper, Three-Dimensional Space Structure of Depression, to express the panic and anxiety felt through light changes and spatial structure.
I also had the chance to participate in a student exchange in Taiwan during my undergraduate studies. Here I completed a research project on sustainable housing. I visited sustainable buildings in the city to explore the connection between architecture and ecological environment, built urban context and collected life pieces. I wanted to continue with the topic of depression among urban working people and do more in-depth research.
My work experience
After graduation I spent six years working in graphic and user interface design. I also worked as a freelancer in Australia for two years on projects in illustration, design and publishing. This gave me the opportunity to learn new techniques such as Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality and 3D printing - inspiring me with new ideas for illustration.
One project I enjoyed was Cheongsam design (Chinese traditional dress). The embroidery technology, fabric modification methods and production of disc buttons all intrigued me. This inspired me to use different textured fabrics to make books. In my future work I want to experiment with more space visuals through the change and transformation of materials.
Blog continues below...