Illustrator You Byun was born in Queens, New York and grew up in Japan and Korea. She moved back to New York to be a visual artist, receiving her MFA in illustration as visual essay from the School of Visual Arts. You's work is a ritual that recollects and records her memories and emotions; she places her characters in lush environments that hopefully spread joy through the world. She lives in Brooklyn, New York and works on editorial assignments, gallery pieces, books, and stationery cards and is currently working on a children's book.
06.08.10
The Double-Sided Nature of Truth
If you have a degree in what field is it? I have a BFA in graphic design from Hongik University in Seoul, Korea, and a MFA in illustration from the School of Visual Arts, New York.
Have you always been able to draw or was it a skill you learned in college? Drawing has fascinated me since I was young. I was always taking drawing classes or going to an artist’s studio. In Korea my arts education was traditional and harsh.
What was your first paid assignment? I was lucky enough to have my first paid assignment from SooJin Buzelli of PlanSponsor magazine; she’s an incredible creative director who knows, understands and appreciates art. When I first moved back to New York to become an illustrator, one of the first things I did was look through the illustration annuals. To my surprise I found out that all the pieces I loved were art directed by her. So when I ran into her at a show, I handed out my promo card. She trusted someone who had no experience, and gave me an amazingly creative assignment with full regard to what I do. She just told me to draw whatever I want about bells and whistles. We’ve been working together ever since.
Which illustrator (or fine artist) do you most admire? There are too many but these are people you will also know: Matisse, Picasso, Henry Darger, Kiki Smith, Marshall Arisman, Milton Glazer, Mirko Ilic, Brad Holland, Takashi Murakami, Yuko Shimizu, Cristian Turdera... the list goes on. I also appreciate the moments that I accidently run into unknown treasures—on the Internet, the street or other random places.
What would you be doing if you weren’t an illustrator? I have a soft spot for graphic design. I appreciate type. I like that graphic design presents information while illustration presents stories. I am trying to figure out how I can have fun with both illustration and design at the same time.
From where do your best ideas originate? Honesty is the most important value in making art. I try to find a source outside of myself to expand my world, but I’ve found that I can be truly honest when I make art about something I’ve experienced, so my best ideas originate from my life, my experiences and my memories and I record them as art work. Drawing is, to me, like a ceremony.
How do you overcome a creative block? I first try to work harder, and if that doesn’t work then I do something that is not art: go shop for a pretty dress, eat Veniero’s cheesecake, watch a movie, or maybe chat with friends about nothing for a few hours. When I’m in a creative block, I know I’m growing. When I finally accept that it’s natural to feel pain during the process, I feel more comfortable with it instead of feeling like it's something I have to overcome. It’s something that is a part of me, and of art-making itself.
In one word describe how you feel when beginning a new assignment? Celebration.
Do you have a personal philosophy? The nature of truth is often double-sided and fickle; I create images that show conflicting moods (bliss and sadness, abundance and quiet), that reflect that duality.
Do you have creative pursuits other than illustration? I love taking pictures of silly little things with my unprofessional 35mm toy camera.
What music are you listening to right now? I’m a resident artist at the Chopping Block, a graphic design studio located in SoHo run by Matthew Richmond and Thomas Romer, and responding to this interview at the studio, so it’s Michael Jackson’s “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’,” which is not my choice but Tom’s. If I had a choice, it would be a song of Oh Ji-eun, a singer/songwriter from Korea. I can relate to her lyrics so much, she captures little treasures of ordinary life. I’d love to draw something like that.
What’s your favorite quote? “I tell you, the more I think, the more I feel that there is nothing more truly artistic than to love people.” —Vincent van Gogh
Do you have any advice for people just entering the profession? Prepare to work hard, and have fun with it. Whatever you do, if you feel happy then you are on a right path.
What’s one thing you wish you knew when you started your career? I need to stomach all the parts of this job: those that are fun and those that are not so fun. When I started out in this business, there was a time that I struggled with the idea that this is a job. I only knew that I loved illustration; I wasn’t yet aware that it was also work—with all that implies. Then Yuko Shimizu, my advisor from my MFA program, told me, “Don't forget that your work is Art.” She helped me realize that I still can have fun with my work and should keep a playful mind.