Summer Tang
Grew up in Hong Kong, and now based in London - Summer Tang is a self taught multi-medium illustrator who produces both digital and hand-drawn artworks using colour pencils, gouache and acrylic. Occasionally she creates short animations accompanied by diegetic sounds to tell her stories. Instagram: @summertangsn
The subject of women is evident in Summer’s creativity, and many of her artworks explore the notion of women identity. She also draws inspiration from her Eastern Asian background, her interest in Cinema and Fashion, and Mother Nature. Often her works are injected with a flair of surrealism.
Whilst Summer is on the path to consolidating her artistry, she likes to take a more liberal approach with her creative endeavour. Hence there is a great sense of fluidity in her aesthetic and the subject matter.
Where would you like your work to take you?
Honestly, I always dream about one day being able to have my own art show or publishing my own illustration book / creative zine. My creative work has always been very personal to me. In some ways my illustrations are my only output to the world. In essence, I just want to show the world what I have to say through my creativity. I want to be able to walk on the street and see my work around, whether it is artwork on a billboard, or people wearing it. At the same time, I like to take things step by step. For now, I am focusing on refining my work and preparing my online shop. And hopefully, both of my short-term plans will take off soon. :)
Which part of your creative process do you enjoy most?
Experimentation! It's fun to test out my ideas, even though the idea might be a bit silly. Through different creative experiments, I get to know what I can or cannot do, and what I need to work on in the future! And, if the experiment ever works out, the satisfaction is just immense because I am literally bringing my imagination to life!
Where do you draw inspiration from?
I really cannot pinpoint where I draw my inspiration - sometimes I get crazy ideas by just browsing through the Internet, sometimes my ideas are just my random thoughts of the day. However, I do have a habitat of collecting pictures and photos that spark my interest, and that really helps me with my creative brainstorming. I also like to revisit my old ideas, or even ideas from my childhood. And, movies, tv shows, animations and mangas help too.
What piece of music would you say compliments your work the most?
I am not sure if they count as music, but from time to time, I like adding diegetic sounds to my work, like the sound of clock ticking, rainfall, or even washing machine tumbling. I think they help bring people to the world I built in my illustrations.
Can you list a couple other creatives/friends/people you look to for inspiration?
It was very hard to just pick a few! There are so many talented people out there!
Cristina Daura - @cdaura
Kim Daehyun - @moonothing
Evan M. Cohen - @evanmcohen
Vicky Ling - @vickylingart
Xinmei Liu - @cat_mover
Little Thunder - @littlethunder
Felicia Chiao - @feliciachiao
Yang - @yangillustrate
Jason Chuang. - @jasonchuangart
Mica - @mica_illustration
Anna Degnbol - @annadegnbol
Halimah Igwelaezoh - @haliigwe
