Daily Inspiration: Meet Wanxin Zhou

Today we’d like to introduce you to Wanxin Zhou.

Hi Wanxin , we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I spent the first half of my life growing up in China, and at twelve, I moved to the United States. The cultural differences and contrasting aesthetics between the two worlds have constantly collided and reshaped themselves in my mind. Throughout this journey, I’ve been searching for ways to weave the wisdom of both cultures together—so that through my illustrations, people from each side can better understand, appreciate, and connect with the other.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
This journey hasn’t been easy. The differences in cultural history and visual expression have given me two completely distinct illustration styles. Yet most art schools value a single, consistent personal style—something I struggle to confine myself to. For me, one style alone can’t hold everything I want to express. My work lives in the tension between these two worlds, and I’m still learning how to let both voices speak without losing myself in the process.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I specialize in advertising illustration, and I love diving deep into each brand—its story, its history, and the emotions behind it. Those narratives often spark my own reflections and reveal unexpected connections to Chinese culture. In my work, I draw on traditional Chinese principles such as subtlety, restraint, negative space, and metaphor. These elements allow me to shape visual experiences that don’t simply advertise a product, but communicate meaning in a quieter, more evocative way.

Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
Risks are always present, and you need the courage to innovate and the boldness to challenge existing perceptions. Many of my works contain large areas of negative space—a choice that not everyone embraces, especially in Western contexts where this visual language is less common. But I continue to use it, because this approach is my foundation, my roots, and the essence of how I see and express the world.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.wanxinzhou.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wanxinzhouart/

Image Credits
Illustration by Wanxin Zhou
Concept illustration inspired by Hermès, Heytea, Armani