Life & Work with Yiru Yang of New York

Today we’d like to introduce you to Yiru Yang.

Hi Yiru, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My name is Yiru Yang. I also go by the nickname yannchann for my online activities. I was born in Shanghai, China, in 2005, and came to New York three years ago to study illustration at the School of Visual Arts.

I don’t think I chose to keep creating at a specific moment in my life, nor for a single reason. For me, it has been present since my earliest memories and has naturally become a part of my life.

Since I was two or three years old and able to hold a pencil, drawing has been the most natural way for me to think, process emotions, and understand the world. When I move a pencil across paper, something new appears—something that belongs only to me. Every decision, like placement, color, texture, brushwork, and form, holds endless possibilities. The act of creating itself feels magical. I have loved reading picture books and comic magazines since I was a child. On one hand, I found the images visually appealing, and I aspired to draw as beautifully as the illustrations in those books. On the other hand, I was attracted by how images convey narratives, and I was eager to express the stories I have created through my own artwork. While I have pursued other interests, none is as clear and direct as drawing. Therefore, I consistently return to it, continue to refine my skills, and view creation as my lifelong career goal.

I started posting my art online under the name yannchann in high school. Luckily, I gained some attention and connected with net friends who were also passionate about creation. The Internet has allowed me to explore a broader world and discover more creative possibilities. I began to view drawing not only as a medium for self-entertainment, but also as a bridge to showcase myself to the outside world and communicate with others. I also started earning money by using my drawing skills at that time.

It is also fortunate that my parents were very supportive of the pursuit of my passion. So I left my hometown and went to an art college in New York. After meeting more people and being exposed to more art subjects and media, I became even more determined to embark on the path of creation.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I always think I’m lucky to be able to pursue my love, so this path has generally been smooth, though I did have some struggles.

This might be a somewhat abstract concern, but I think many people who create would relate to it: My relationship with creation has never been very “healthy”. I once let it take up too much of my life – I saw it not just as a hobby for me to kill time; instead, I regarded it as my sole means of self-expression, a way to validate my self-worth, my primary method for relieving stress and pain, and even the foundation of my social life. I have always been a person with deep emotions, and creation has been my lifeline since childhood. It allows me to express my feelings and emotions. However, I have come to realize that while creation has a healing effect on me, I have also placed undue pressure on it for reasons unrelated to its essence.

I have also realized the gap between reality and ideals. Making a living by creating art is already extremely difficult. Moreover, I have no resources or connections. Everything has to be explored by myself. Every adult around me suggests that I should treat my passion as just a hobby rather than pursue it as a career. Perhaps I’m still too young and naive, but spending each day doing work I don’t enjoy enough, feeling busy and exhausted, with little time for myself, is just too painful for me.

These concerns overshadow the joy of creation. For a long time, I became afraid of my once-favorite hobby and often hesitated to pick up the pen.

But as you can see, I’m still making art. A large part of that comes down to my own stubbornness. There is simply a kind of determination I have when it comes to creating. Throughout my studies, I’ve consistently pushed myself beyond my comfort zone, experimenting with a wide range of new approaches. I’ve tried to broaden my perspective, develop other aspects of my life, and find a healthier balance between art and everything else. In the end, all those experiences have only made me more certain of one thing: no matter what happens, I don’t want to give up creating. Because I’ve already devoted so much of myself to making art in the past, and there are still so many things I want to create, so many stories I want to tell in the future. That may be a cliché thing to say, but creating is the way I engage with the world—it is, in many ways, the way I live.

I’m also incredibly fortunate to have friends and mentors whose passion for making art has continually inspired me. I’ve learned not only from their work but also from the way they approach life and their practice. And I’m deeply grateful to my family for supporting my decision to come to New York to study art and encouraging me to pursue what I love.

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?
My primary focus is being a student, but in my spare time, I manage my own social media accounts, where I showcase my work, including illustrations, comics, and animations. I also accept commissions, independently design products, collaborate with stores to release them, and participate in art markets.

I believe my arts exhibit a vibrant atmosphere, delicate emotions, fantastical colors, and a strong sense of narrative. During my college years, while exploring the possibility of creating original illustrations, I also made illustrated books based on my favorite novels to practice telling stories through pictures. I have always hoped that my creations are not only visually “beautiful” but also resonate with viewers on a spiritual level, prompting them to explore the idea behind the piece further.

I also enjoy turning 2D images into physical products, books that can be flipped through, or installation art that interacts with the external environment. Not only can the spiritual world be concretized into visible images, but it can also be transformed into tangible entities that can be touched and engaged with the audience. There is a compelling feeling of breaking through barriers, which makes me realize that although my life in this vast world is brief, what I create can still make a ripple and leave a trace of my existence.

Can you share something surprising about yourself?
Most of the works I have presented so far are illustrations, but I have always been more interested in more complex visual narratives like comics, which I have loved since childhood. When I was young, I would make up stories on my own and doodle, drawing images like those in graphic novels. In recent years, I have also attempted two short comics/manga.

Just as I love movies, I am obsessed with the charm of visual narrative. I believe that the role of a comic book author is quite similar to that of a director. Both need to carefully arrange every detail of the artwork, control the pacing, and convey a story. I find this connection really intriguing.

I have been writing stories about my own characters for some time now. During the writing process, I often feel that these characters are not merely products of my imagination, but rather real people living in some corner of the world. It feels as though I have stumbled upon them by chance and am simply documenting their stories. This experience is truly wonderful.
I hope that one day I can present my story through the medium of comics. I will keep working hard on it.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yannchann8012/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yiru-yang-7407372a7/
• Twitter: https://x.com/yangyi8012?s=11
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@yannchann8012?si=MTwzZnSWxW_w9ZOA
• Other: Email: yiruyang.art@gmail.com