Young illustrator sketching out her future in US market

After living in San Francisco for over a decade, Kan has made a successful transition from an art student to an illustrator.

Born in 1992 in Fuzhou, Fujian province, Kan's self-given name－the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese character gan, meaning "sweet and pleasant"－is how her school friends all know her.

With blond-and-pink hair, she is more introverted than she appears. She is not a fan of selfies and prefers to express herself through drawings, characters and writing stories.

"I had three interests as a child－drawing, playing games and telling stories. All three are part of my current occupation," she said.

Kan moved to San Francisco in 2008, when she was a teenager. Her love of the city led her to stay and study at the Academy of Art University.

"I enjoy San Francisco a lot. It's really inspiring, and there are lots of galleries and studios," she said. "I often go to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art to look at the masterpieces there."

Studying abroad was demanding but also rewarding.

"I had four courses a week, and sometimes I needed to hand in 300 drawings for a single course during that time," Kan said.

"It was tough, but I've learned to produce high-quality products while meeting rigorous requirements, and the experience has taught me self-discipline," she added. "This is also how I approach my clients and work."

In 2019, she received a master's degree in web design and new media. She now works as a freelance illustrator and concept artist. "I learned to put ideas into practice at school and also to design websites, books, apps and other media forms, but I have never given up drawing," she said.

The influence of Japanese manga and animation is clear in her work.

"The way different characters are presented in manga is something I love, and I hope I can learn to draw figures and stories that move people," Kan said.

For her, drawing, whether it's a sketch or a computer graphic, is a way of expressing her feelings and her understanding of a story or a character.

In high school, she worked with the Kadokawa Group, a Japanese media conglomerate, and learned which skills she needed to improve. She discovered that client communication and time management were essential.

"As a concept artist, I help to create the visual design of a character. Therefore animators have an idea to make the character come to live in the game," she said.

"When I receive a project, I will make sure it is a match for my style. That sometimes helps reduce communication barriers with the client."

A drawing takes from four hours to a week to finish, including the time spent waiting for feedback.

Proficient in both English and Japanese, Kan has worked with different companies from China, Singapore and Japan.

She has won a number of art accolades, including the AI-AP American Illustration 39, Infected by Art and 3x3 Illustration competitions. Some of her work has been displayed at the Disney Gallery, the Q Pop Shop in Los Angeles and The Artist Lodge, a pop-up store that runs regular events in the United States.

"I have closely followed the AI-AP American Illustration 39, which shows many great drawings, designs, animations and photography. Winning an award from them made me feel that I have the ability to do better in the future," she said.

Though still sometimes frustrated by the reality that in the US, supermarkets, stores and some restaurants close as early as 9 pm, Kan is used to working and living abroad.

"I appreciate struggle. To work hard for your dream is what my generation values," she said.

Kan's plan for the near future is to work harder, accumulate experience and open her own studio.

Hu Meidong in Fuzhou contributed to this story.