Hushed Noise’s 10: Eric Zhang on Illustration, Storytelling, and the Pursuit of Dreams
16 Dec 2024
Eric Zhang is an illustrator and children's book creator whose work explores themes of personal memory, high-pressure societal expectations, and childhood dreams. With a background in fine arts and a specialization in children’s literature, he blends storytelling with digital painting to create deeply emotional narratives. In this conversation, Eric discusses his creative journey, the challenges of being an emerging artist, and the long-awaited release of his upcoming picture book, Cheese Mountain.
Hushed Noise: Can you share a bit about your artistic journey? What inspired you to start creating?
Eric Zhang: I started studying art when I was six years old, and since then, painting has become my way of expression. I think this visual language is beautiful and profound. I started to receive systematic art training at the age of 11, and I have been creating until now. At the age of 18, I entered the Luxun Academy of Fine Arts, where I first came into contact with digital painting and used it in my subsequent work. After working for a while, I went to Goldsmiths College, University of London to study children's literature and illustration because of my interest in children's picture books. I enjoy conveying my thoughts through my works, which seems to be a natural habit since I was a child.
Hushed Noise: How does your cultural background or personal experiences influence your work?
Eric Zhang: I think my creative inspiration comes from my personal life to a large extent. My childhood and experiences after the age of 25 occupy a lot of my expressions. I think I always have an East Asian imprint, fear of an uncertain future, and a sense of urgency. If I reflect these feelings in my creations, I may want to express the desire for success, unwillingness to be mediocre, etc. These are very common anxieties among people in East Asian society.
Hushed Noise: Can you walk us through your creative process? How do you develop an idea into a finished piece?
Eric Zhang: Since I usually create children's picture books, I will first think about the story when I create it. These stories are often closely related to my childhood life. I will choose a small fragment from the story to create, which usually consists of 4-5 style drafts. Once I have determined the style, I will continue to create new pictures. Finally, I will adjust the narrative and emotion of the whole story and make final revisions.
Hushed Noise: What themes or messages do you explore in your art, and why do they resonate with you?
Eric Zhang: My themes are often related to my personal life. I don’t like to express themes that others cannot perceive. For me personally, I often want to explore the high-pressure state of everyone in modern East Asian society, the objectification of people by society, the regrets of childhood dreams, etc.
Hushed Noise: What challenges do you face as an emerging artist, and how do you navigate them?
Eric Zhang: I think the difficulties I have faced so far are diverse. One common reason is income. When I first entered the industry as a new artist, I often had to spend a lot of time doing things that were not related to art, and I could only use a small part of my fragmented time to create. The second reason is often considered controversial. I think as an Asian male artist, it is more difficult to be seen in European and American society. My personal feelings and experiences tell me that the public often has a preconceived character of artists, and Asian
Hushed Noise: Are there any artists, movements, or experiences that have deeply influenced your work?
Eric Zhang: I think surrealism has had the greatest influence on me, and many of my creations have the characteristics of surrealist paintings.
Hushed Noise: How do you see your art evolving in the next few years?
Eric Zhang: I think children's picture book publishing is a marathon, and the process from zero to one is often the most difficult, but I have taken this step. I have also received some new invitations and contracts. I think in the next few years, I will have more output and it will be relatively smooth.
Hushed Noise: What’s a recent project or piece that you’re particularly proud of, and why?
Eric Zhang: I think the book "Cheese Mountain" is the work I am most proud of at the moment. This picture book has a long time span. I started writing it in 2021, and the book was not officially published until February 2025. The second reason why I like this project is because the theme of this book is what I want to discuss most, that is, the pursuit of dreams.
Hushed Noise: What role do you think social media and digital platforms play in shaping the opportunities for emerging artists today?
Eric Zhang: I think it very important; the effect is obvious. These platforms give many young artists the opportunity to showcase themselves, but at the same time they also cause many people's attention to shift from the art itself to irrelevant areas, such as the artist's identity, appearance, etc.
Hushed Noise: If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?
Eric Zhang: Van Gogh, he is my idol.
Follow Eric Zhang’s work on Instagram at @eric_zzillustration. For inquiries, contact Eric at Zeric6635@gmail.com
Edited by Xeni R. Quine
Images by Eric Zhang