Today we’d like to introduce you to Hanyu Mu.
Hi Hanyu, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I had a very pleasant childhood, filled with games, animation, comics, and memories of playing. At that time, many anime and game works have become classics now, these can be considered my initiation. I would unconsciously start copying the characters, some dynamics, or details of the animation while watching it. I was only a few years old at the time and I was completely unconsciously drawing what I saw or what I imagined, which I later learned was like a sketching exercise. I never stop drawing to this day because it’s my best way of expression. After studying traditional painting for many years, I entered the animation program in college because I knew it was my ambition. The real-life of my childhood and the world of animation and games are intertwined in my memory, I know they are virtual, but they are also the creator’s reflection of the world. Even now I am an adult I still seek relaxation and peace in the virtual imagination. I think these works of art preserve one’s childlike spirit, which is the greatest thing about them.
But I also have a lot of stress and pull in real life. I am a very old-fashioned person, and I always feel that there are already many perfect works in the world, and I am still a follower no matter how hard I try. But I also understand that as a creator, I have to think for myself, so I am always changing my style and always in a bottleneck. After a long time of pulling myself together, I realized that it would be better to go back to the old days! More practice and observation are what will make me progress instead of being stuck in my imagination. Although I’m still figuring it out, I’m not as lost as I used to be, so at least I’ll do what’s right in front of me first.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I don’t think any road has been smooth, my creative career has been accompanied by struggles. I used to be good at drawing humans, and I thought I could draw as much as I wanted to, as long as I could see it. Then I realized that drawing the environment was my weakness, I started to draw only the environment and I tried to overcome this difficulty through continuous practice. But I found that there are always images in the world that you can’t control. Many years later I saw many artists on the internet who were very good at drawing figures, and I realized again that even my strengths were not at the level of specialization. I always get into a bottleneck, both aesthetically and technically. But I am not one to admit defeat easily. I think that if there are still many works of art in the world that I cannot achieve, it means that I still have a lot to strive for, and I am happy. Working hard behind others has its charm, at least the pressure at the front is not a problem I have to deal with. But I’m not going to stop either, I’m going to keep going.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Currently, I am a student, and I don’t think I belong to the category of an artist because the standard of the artist is very high in my mind. I feel that line is my most familiar partner compared to color. But I don’t avoid color, I always try to be “friends” with it until I can use it to the effect I want. At the same time, I think it is very important to stay curious and childlike, I don’t agree with the practice of only playing to my strengths, because for me it is a cop-out. I believe in my abilities and ideas, so I don’t feel particularly proud of the work I’ve done, because the future is always better.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
The direction of the illustration industry is definitely diversifying, with many artists entering different fields to create. From my personal experience, more and more illustrators are entering the field of animation, and more experimental animation is appearing. People are also becoming more and more accepting of this non-commercial animation art form, which is a very interesting thing. Because it expands the possibilities of both illustration and animation, it is a pioneering attempt for either side, and more and more novel art forms will emerge in the future.
Contact Info:
- Email: hanyumuu@gmail.com
- Website: http://www.hanyumu.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hany_umu/
