- #Aesthetic
- #Autism
- #Book
- #Children & Childhood
- #Colourful
- #Comfort
- #Community
- #Connection
- #Contemporary
- #COVID-19
- #Culture
- #Digital
- #Drawing
- #Dream
- #Editorial Design
- #Embodied
- #Emotion
- #Fantasy
- #Fragment
- #Fun
- #Healing
- #Home
- #Identity
- #Imagination
- #Immigrants
- #Language
- #Mental Health
- #Narrative
- #Personal
- #Publication
- #Quarantine
- #Reflection
- #Relationships
- #Self
- #Slice of Life
- #Social Distancing
- #Social
- #Speculative
- #Storytelling
- #Surrealist
- #Visual Development
- #Zine
The Fragments
Yi Fang
Artist Statement
My work “The Fragments” is a collection book of illustrations drawn and written by myself. This project has 11 pieces of content and was inspired by my conscious and unconscious reflections on life at my home quarantining during COVID-19. The main idea was derived from the small observations, different kinds of emotions, and life-positive and negative daydreams in my life.
Each illustration is accompanied by a concise text that tells an independent story. I used freewriting, essays, and research to organize the concepts; and then converted the text into pictures and vice versa. To achieve the effect of balancing between visual and emotion, I utilized various warm and cold color palettes in each piece. Additionally, the book shows different art styles, formats, and it’s all done digitally through Procreate or Adobe Illustrator.
I intend to show that artistic creation is not just a technique; it can be a type of mindset practice, psychological and emotional therapy. It can express abstract thinking through visual development and connect with society. Whether creating it or viewing others’ creation; It can help explore people’s emotions, develop self-awareness, cope with stress, and improve social skills. By recording your inner reflections and observations, you can look at life from a different perspective and discover new aspects of yourself. Hopefully, something in this book will resonate with your understanding and have a connection with your mind or soul.
Fit into the Russian Dolls
Procreate
2020
“Stand out, fit in.”
Be integrated into a group, and don’t lose your identity.
Fried Egg (Ice) Floe
Procreate
2021
Imagination does not have to be colorful. It can be as simple and unique. It’s okay to be an ice floe separated from the masses because everyone has different ideas and insights. We shall be free from restrictions and constraints. Floating on the sea, and enjoy the journey of sailing.
Salute!
Timebomb
Procreate
2021
Information anxiety and telephone phobia are like “time bombs.” In this era of big data, countless amounts of information fill our lives every day. I don’t know when I started to panic at the unexpected ring tone/text message. I hesitate every time I click on social software. Maybe one text message/missed call could ruin my mood and schedule for the day.
“ I know the phone is ringing, but I don’t want to answer it. ”
“ I knew the phone was ringing, but I couldn’t answer it. ”
The Puppet
Procreate
2020
The picture expresses the complex inner monologue of some people who are extroverted and introverted. They want to save themselves both mentally and physically. The inspiration comes from the nowadays social phenomenon that many people are living under lots of invisible pressures. Feeling their fate is manipulated by unknown forces (or bad luck), people want to overcome that. While feeling powerless, they never give up getting rid of the difficulties, controls, passivity, and change in their situations.
“The show must go on.”
Fishbone Museum
Procreate
2020
“The passage of time is irreversible.”
Some people are interested in practicing drawing human bones, but fish bones are not very popular. It’s like most people become numb to their routine of everyday life and don’t care about the little details and changes around them. Yet when they are aware of it, the lost time and things have been irreparable. Maybe paying attention to the little things around you, like these fish bones, can enrich your life. Try to activate the numb nerve, and discover the hidden beauty in life.
Washing Machine
Procreate, Adobe Illustrator
2020
自卑 (Self-abasement), 無助 (Helplessness), 孤立 (Isolation), 挫折 (Frustration), 猶豫 (Hesitation), 煩惱 (Annoyance), 自責 (Self-accusation);
恐懼 (Fear), 自閉癥 (Autism), 疏遠 (Alienation), 憂郁癥 (Melancholia), 疲勞(Weariness), 神經質 (Nervousness), 失眠 (Insomnia).
These washing machines express the inner world. They are clearing away the negative things (stains) that everyone experience at some point in their life. I think of life experiences as a lot of washing machines in motion. Although these stains (words*) can be clean, they do not disappear forever nor dissolve. They will come back to you invisibly and become a hidden knot in your heart.
Les Étrangers
Adobe Illustrator
2020
The inspiration comes from my feeling of living in a foreign country. This illustration expresses the people who want to find a sense of belonging; People who are wandering around, people who have lost their way, people who feel confused and uncertain about the future.
Vomit (Say) the Truth
Procreate, Adobe Illustrator
2021
Many people tell “white lies” first when they don’t want to hurt the other person. Therefore, “the truth” is usually “hidden” or “foreshadowed” by the lie. I chose “vomit” to represent the act of “communicating”, which is because some people often have a hard time starting a conversation.
They may not know how to or where to start. They may not have anyone they trust to confide in. Or they have become so used to slowly digesting thoughts by themselves, that they eventually become silent… Maybe concocting a lie can get through all the complicated details in a single stroke. For instance, the classic phrase “I am fine” means “I am not good at all.”
The Playground
Adobe Illustrator
2021
Everyone has a few unforgettable places in their memory. Maybe you dream about those places from time to time or think about them occasionally. For me, this playground is one of the places that I have long cherished and treasured in the back of my mind. I couldn’t remember when was the last time I went there, but it still vaguely exists in my mind, sometimes blurred and sometimes clear.
I think this playground is like a lighthouse lighting up the sea at night, illuminating the future for me while watching me go sailing, but it attracts me to look back at it from time to time. I want to visit there again and say goodbye. It is a spot that I miss, but a place that I will never be able to return.
The Star Stealer
Procreate
2021
“Who doesn’t want to have a starry sky?”
When you feel tired, try to find spiritual healing in imagination and nature.
