Today we’d like to introduce you to Maggie Yuen.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Maggie. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I have always been fond of drawing and coloring. It was probably the only thing I did during grade school that I would get a consistent A grade in. Since I enjoyed art so much, my mom would enroll me in arts and crafts after school programs and then got me into some painting classes. I believe my path to becoming an artist started when I found out you could make it a career and when my parents gave me their full support to be one. They were skeptical at the beginning of course because they didn’t understand what I would be doing. I had to do a lot of research and explaining to get them on the same page. To be honest, I originally wanted to be a veterinarian but ever since a family friend made it clear that the animal’s life would be in my hands I completely cut that idea out of my head forever. I was probably seven or eight at the time and I just felt that I couldn’t handle that kind of responsibility.
After graduating high school, I moved to Atlanta to study at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) where I was able to fully explore my options of being an artist and I was able to earn my BFA in Illustration. I honestly think coming to Atlanta was a very important step for me because growing up in The Bahamas, there weren’t that many options to becoming a modern-day artist like that. They mainly focused on the traditional aspect of art like painting and sculpture. Now, that I am here and have all this newly found knowledge and I am trying my best to be the best I can be. I currently work at a start-up game company as a concept artist and it’s definitely some new territory I am traversing in but it never hurts to learn new things.
Has it been a smooth road?
No, it definitely has not been a smooth road. That’s alright though because nothing in life comes easy and if it did then no one would have the drive to do anything anymore. I struggled with a lot of things over the years and some of them I was able to get resolved and some of them, I am still fighting with now. I struggled with digital art for some time and that’s because I was never exposed to it until I got to SCAD. It took a lot of practice but I am a lot more comfortable with it now. Although there is still room for improvement. Something that I still have trouble with is to be more confident in the art I create. I have always had a confidence problem and I feel like it stems from my habit of comparing myself to others.
The advice I want to give other women is to make sure you have a game plan but to not live by that plan. I say this because I personally preplan EVERYTHING and I stress out when things don’t go the way I want them to. I had to learn that taking time on certain things is perfectly fine and to not stress out too much if things do not go as planned. Another advice I would give is to explore the art world. I tend to use different mediums or materials because I am a very curious individual and I tend to get bored if I stick to one thing for too long. Which is why I enjoy being part of the art world. Everything you make ultimately is your decision.
What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of? What sets you apart from others?
One thing about me that almost everyone knows is that I am overly obsessive about animals. So, I tend to create art where they are included in some way if not entirely and most people know me for making cute animal-related things too. I work primarily with digital art but I like to be able to create art with my hands too. I love making little craft items such as felted plush animals, nesting dolls are always fun, and I enjoy making relief prints. I haven’t been too active as of late because I am busy creating concept work for the company I work at but I am hoping to get things running again soon.
Which women have inspired you in your life?
Honestly, my mom is a huge inspiration for me. This may seem like a very typical answer to get but it’s true nonetheless. I remember growing up my mom was really great at drawing basically everything and that I wanted to be as amazing as her. If it wasn’t for her, I probably wouldn’t love drawing as much as I do now.
Another woman that inspired me a lot is a local Bahamian artist. Her name is Sonia Issacs and she was my painting teacher when I was in my pre-teen and early teenage years. I would attend her weekend painting classes at her studio and she all these amazing abstract and still-life paintings. Her colors are very vibrant and her abstract paintings are a personal favorite. She would just let us paint whatever we wanted since we were young and were experimenting our skills until we honed them into a style. She’s very supportive of all of her students and even helped us organize an exhibition in one of the local galleries. All in all if it wasn’t for her, just like my mom, I wouldn’t be here making it my career and I thank them so much for that.
Contact Info:
- Website: maggieyuen.com
- Email: maggieyuenstudio@gmail.com
- Instagram: @maggieyuenstudio
Image Credit:
Sequoyah Wildwyn-Dechter
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