Taking the pulse with Handawen Zhang

The Show by Young Blood Illustrator Handawen Zhang 2024 Applied Arts Illustration Award.

Concept artist, Designer and Illustrator Handawen Zhang can now add Applied arts Young Blood Award winner to his list of credentials. Handawen won a 2024 Applied arts Illustration Award for his piece The Show. Today, Handawen is based in Toronto, Ontario where he is finessing his craft.

“Sorry, I literally don't know what is GENRE. I'm just drawing while designing, designing while thinking". Handawen Zhang, Concept artist, Designer and Illustrator

What inspires you?

I have quite a wide range of tastes in art and other artistic variations. I feel I am stuffing too many themes and concepts into one specific piece. To some extent, my art style is the ramification of such situations. 

Inspiration for "The Show" came from a key list of topics; however, it is just a sliver of what forms my art: Hieronymus Bosch, Ghislain Magritte, Ashley Wood, James Jean, and movies like MEMORIES The Holy Mountain, The Ninth Gate, Prometheus and the occultism & technologism metaphors, ancient fables involved in them. Some bands like The Mars Volta, Black Midi and Igorr have also impacted "The Show." The subtle ill tension and coexistence between humans losing ultimate spirituality, the inevitable compulsory functioning of logic, and the so-called scientific spirit principally run through modern civilization become my main topic in art. Whatever is linked to such things may be my inspiration.

What do you think is an issue in the world of illustration?

The premise of this question refers to commercial art. The issues are the standardized techniques in the industry and their applicable consumerism use. It is as it should be, but still, there is a phenomenon that worries me. Insight and profundity are never a priority for art practitioners nowadays. They put more emphasis on either the jazzy techniques and tools, or trendy contents like fashionable items. Few illustrations reflect the inside world of what the artist thinks about themself, how they will deal with the ego and surroundings, critical stand or their pure emotion reveals itself in his piece. It is pathetic that art has been through centuries and ends somewhere where it loses its intrinsic essence. Regardless of other art practitioners' approaches, I will try my best to make my pieces meaningful in my own way.

What are you working on professionally? Anything outside of the usual?

As a new immigrant in Canada, I am still looking for a job. Until then, this gives me plenty of time to craft my art projects. Recently, I have been working on the continuous creations "The Prophet" and "The Cure", followed by "The Show". It will finally turn into a triptych. Additionally, I am obsessed with the formal language of graphic design and posters, so I intend to reconstruct some of my old works with experimental methods, aiming for an exciting hybridization. I have never wished for a stable expression of my art style; on the contrary, I hope it is dynamic. Therefore, whatever comes out eventually will be "outside of the usual" from my perspective. And I will be pleased if viewers consider it something off the wall, despite different understandings.

What do you hope people say/think when they see your piece?

Frankly speaking, I don't expect anything from "The Show" viewers, especially their comments or interpretations. I build a maze in "The Show"; whoever faces it will find a way out or be lost forever. Everyone has his own way of dealing with and perceiving it; even a suspension is rational enough. For me, an artist's mission has been completed: to bring out the riddle of figures, metaphors, features and symbols. As for the relations between them, the whole narrative, even the big concept, the viewers can only figure it out themselves because they are the riddle solvers. The only expectation I have is that they would find this riddle interesting, and perhaps they would see a greater spectrum with multiple patterns or even a nihilistic void of emptiness. It is my reflection of the world, and now it alters into theirs in the form of a riddle. Please take it in and enjoy the trip.

Should you want to be in touch with Handawen or view more of his works visit the links below:

Bē: @handawenzhang
IG: @mozkido_illus
IN: @handawen-zhang-080a26282

What a great maze you have created Handawen; one can indeed get lost in it. Congratulations and we wish you all the best.