#artists feature

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Meet the team!!!

For your enjoyment during the flight, please be sure to check out our in-flight magazine where these talented people are featured!

• @himitsu-nk

• @dragonpigeons

• @shabbylines

• @artemids | AO3

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Artist Feature / Catherine Zhao

are you okay? (2015)

originally published in Sprout Magazine 

Catherine Zhao, the artist behind “are you okay?”, is certainly more than just okay at creating art. She’s the president of Lynbrook ArtReach at Lynbrook High School, where she makes crafts for communities around the Bay Area, and currently takes Studio Art in school. Catherine is an artist in 2D and 3D forms who isn’t afraid to explore new mediums, uncomfortable ideas, and insecurities. Besides this, she speaks English and Mandarin fluently, has a working knowledge of Spanish, and enjoys using her budding caricature and face painting skills to volunteer at school events such as homecoming or the school’s upcoming 50th jubilee. 

Parallel Ink illustrators were thrilled to exchange emails with Catherine to talk about her art series, the world of 3D art, and why - if she could talk to any artist in history - she would choose to talk with fellow art students.

Tell us about your art series!

The idea behind this series is that I have often noticed that while people ask me if I am okay when I am feeling down, it is often when I am laughing uncontrollably that they ask me this question. I wanted to present to the public the intense emotions I rarely show because of this mixup of emotions/irony and the fact that I always mask my true emotions, whether it is anger or sadness or surprise, with giggles.

Why do you make art?

For me, art is an outlet. Art is everything I cannot achieve in real life, a real life fantasy. I have always struggled with self-image and confidence, but through art, I am able to express myself. I am able to say all the things I’ve never said and do all the things I regret not doing. I am able to confront my fears and create without fear.

How would you describe your art style?

I admire those that can create a clean edge or a structured palette, but I would say my art style is very messy. It is loose and carefree, but not without a purpose. Art is a place where I can really let go, and I would say my art reflects that. I am someone who wants control in the real world, with my work and school, but I need to learn to let go. My path to being an imperfectionist is through stepping out of my comfort zone in art with the ragged, unfinished edges of my pieces.  

What’s your favorite artistic subject and medium? 

For a long time, I primarily focused more on technique with 2D mediums, such as graphite and color pencils. When I began taking art classes at my school, I was opened up to the world of 3D. The class made it seem like whatever I wanted to do, I could achieve. I wanted to hang photo frames from the ceiling? I created an installation from this waterfall of frames. I love transforming ordinary items, such as photo frames, by viewing them in a different perspective through art. Most of my artwork has to do with an internal challenge I face, usually something to do with my introverted character. By standing inside my frame installation, I wanted to express that I struggle with breaking free from my self-deprecating thoughts.  

If you could have a conversation with any artist (dead or living), who would it be and what would you talk about?

I would love to connect with art students my age all around the world, or even just at my school. I believe there is still much for me to learn about art. Just by following “The Sketchbook Project” on Facebook, I have seen many different styles of international work, but I would like to know the process behind people’s work. Just by chatting with the different members of the art department at my school, I have been able to experiment with caricature art and face painting, and I would love for this exploration to continue by talking to the unknown artists around me and in this world. 

Thank you, Catherine! Keep on making great art! 

This post is the first of a Parallel Ink series featuring up-and-coming young artists. Are you a young artist or know someone who would love to be featured? If so, please check out our submission guidelines here and send a portfolio of your work to [email protected]!