I am Lanlan Lan, an independent illustrator born in the 1990s. I have participated in some projects with Tencent, Bilibili, and Guangguang Media. These projects gave me a lot of experience and helped me improve my skills as an illustrator. In addition, I have been invited to do promotional posters for movies many times. I like drawing, and I turn to art to express myself. Drawing has become an essential part of my life. Being an illustrator is a dream come true.
To me, illustration is not just a noun. It is a language I can use to convey myself more effectively. Each work represents my thoughts, and my work style is very subjective, as it stems from my judgments and expressions. I am an artist constantly inspired by the world around me; I love exploring life's mysteries. Though the world is sometimes chaotic, it is still full of beauty. I use intense colours to inspire inner calm. Many of my paintings are imaginary. I try to make them as realistic as possible; I like to subjectively give them characters, settings, and other details that make them more lifelike. I also add content from stories, myths, and allusions I have heard to make my works more vivid. The emotions among my paintings are stirred very well in Madame Butterfly's works from that period. Some works would not be completed then. I would say I have many manuscripts like these. They only record my emotions at a specific moment. They tend to start without an end.
It has been a great honor for me to work with CiaoInk on this project. I am grateful for the opportunity to share my illustrations and thoughts with all of you. So, let's dive into the muse for the special design collections with CiaoInk! Many representative Chinese myths or allusions inspire this work in the series. In ancient China, beautiful jade was endowed with human character, and the jade pendant worn by people can also reflect people's expectations for good things to some extent. The pattern of the jade pendant is also created with the phoenix pattern as the theme, and it is combined with the Chinese knot, which means peace and auspiciousness. Next, the phoenix is the longest of the birds and the most beautiful in Chinese myths and legends. Whenever they fly, the birds follow them, so in the eyes of the ancients, the phoenix is the most auspicious bird. Therefore, the phoenix is depicted in a group-shaped, stretched state, surrounded by a round sun behind it, to show the meaning of "turning the face into the sun." The chosen shape combines phoenix and Ganoderma lucidum, which means there is a good thing when a phoenix comes. Last, the Kylin (Chinese unicorn) is second only to the dragon among the beasts. In ancient Chinese legends, the Kylin combines the dragon, the phoenix, and the tortoise to form the four spirits, horseshoe, and phoenix tail. As a kind of auspicious beast, the Kylin can accumulate wealth, strengthen the relationship between family, ward off evil spirits, and ask for babies through Kylin.
Art is life; life is art. I am not a person who is good at cosying up to others and handling personal relationships. For me, art can spice up life. We can create our meaning and even make it poetic and artistic. It all depends on our attitude.
