Interview: Nan Cao

(November 2020)
For the second of our illustrator interviews, we spoke to New York-based Nan Cao. I really enjoy the textures in Nan's illustrations – there's something painterly about each splash of colour – and how she's balanced symmetry in objects and architecture with wobbly, all-too-human lines. If you'd like to see more of Nan's work check out her site here.

If you could have a magical power, what would it be?
Time traveling.

My works of illustration are developed using both traditional media and digital tools. For me, making illustrations is like building bridges for people to communicate with one another, to listen to various voices from different corners of life.

In my illustration, I am focusing on creating artwork that speaks for colorful voices outside my social circle and beyond my own perspective. By reconciling my own visual voices with those of others, I want to visualize the distinctive worlds people are building up in their minds.

I want people to read my artwork, enjoy it, explore and decode the images, get to know our complicity and differences, celebrate the diversity and finally, find the connection between us.

During the quarantine, I worked with News Break on a series of illustrations, reporting and storytelling about the Covid-19 pandemic. For example, how people deal with coronavirus anxiety, and other uplifting anecdotes people shared with others.