Felicia Chiao is a proud homebody. Spending time alone in her house in San Francisco, the artist usually displays on her internal life via her Copic marker drawings, which she then shares to the almost 700,000 those who comply with her on Instagram. Her remark part is full of folks remarking “Identical” or “I actually really feel this fashion proper now.” From the hideout of her bed room,Chiao is rarely really alone.
The ex-industrial designer lately opened a solo exhibition with Harman Initiatives in New York Metropolis all about being a homebody—the peace, the quiet, the loneliness. Earlier than the exhibition opened, Chiao spoke with Harman Initiatives about dwelling alone, if web fame has modified her, and if we should always count on a sequel to her Daniel Kwan collaboration.
Harman Initiatives: You titled this exhibition Homebody, desirous about the advantages and difficulties of dwelling a solitary life. To start out, what are the advantages and difficulties of being somebody who can spend a variety of time at residence? Have you ever realized something about your self via this shift right into a solitary life?
Felicia Chiao: I’ve been introverted my complete life, so dwelling alone and dealing alone has been the perfect factor to ever occur to me. I’m a a lot nicer individual for it. I clearly nonetheless must work with different folks often and I do have beautiful associates, however I’ve full management of my life and what I need to do daily. I get up after I’ve slept sufficient, I can play the identical tune out loud on repeat with out bothering anybody, I’ve time to go on lengthy walks day by day, and it’s all by myself schedule. One draw back for the time being is that I work out of my bed room so I keep in the identical room nearly all day. The urge to put down is fixed.
Any damaging feelings I expertise are normally from exterior forces, so holing up at residence with simply myself to take care of has been very peaceable. As I become old although, I do notice it’s tougher to get sick or have an harm while you’re alone. Typically once I actually cannot get a jar open, I do marvel if it will be useful to get a boyfriend. However in any other case, I’m autonomous.
You additionally appear to take pleasure in doing inside scenes, including little easter eggs and particulars within the nooks and crannies of your works. The place do you suppose you decide that up from? Did you develop up in a home with plenty of trinkets or household treasures?
There’s a variety of pleasure to be present in little issues. My sister and I have been the children who collected rocks and funky formed sticks; one time we discovered a hummingbird skeleton that was cleaned out by ants and we added that to our assortment of ins and outs. I’m undecided any of that’s worthy of “household treasure” standing nevertheless it did assist to gas my creativeness as a child. I’m not precisely a minimalist or a maximalist, however having little issues that convey me pleasure throughout the home is a stunning feeling.
You talked about that you simply beloved Richard Scarry as a child, and that his illustrations—notably his additions of gold bugs—could also be one of many influences of your packed interiors. Once you’re making an inside scene, do you add something hoping somebody would possibly fixate on them?
I don’t draw with the viewers in thoughts so there’s nothing deliberately added for the “gold bug” expertise, however I’ve had folks inform me they’ll sit with their children and search for acquainted gadgets in my drawings. Some quite common gadgets are issues like clocks, mugs, and oranges. I think my little pink worm character is a pleasant shock right here and there. When the little black bean character is lacking from a drawing folks will ask what occurred to it.
The net group that you’ve got constructed is big—not solely in numbers, however your followers have full conversations with one another within the feedback, discovering group amid an isolating algorithm. I do know you began drawing not figuring out that others would see themselves in your work. Do you’re feeling like this stage of recognition has modified the way you method a drawing or, now, watercolor? Or is it nonetheless the identical as while you have been filling a Moleskin and dealing a day job?
I don’t suppose web reputation has modified my method to drawing, however possibly I must do some earnest self reflection. This present has a few of my first horizontal items as a result of I had been avoiding the format as a result of they don’t put up so nicely on-line (which is basically foolish).
I’m actually dangerous at being instructed what to do, so I believe it retains me sincere to solely make work that I actually need to make. I do typically get a bit unhappy when a drawing I really like doesn’t carry out nicely on-line, nevertheless it doesn’t cease me from making or posting them.
The drawings and work are very sincere, weak. As your work has reached bigger and bigger audiences, do you ever maintain again; are there works that you simply actually do maintain for simply your self?
So far as honesty and vulnerability goes, I believed I used to be being discreet with my emotions in my drawings. It seems I used to be not. It’s loopy to see so many individuals connecting with my work in a technique or one other. There’s a quote that claims one thing alongside the traces of “probably the most private is probably the most common.” It’s a pleasant reminder to know that we as people all undergo comparable feelings—some folks simply want some assist understanding them.
There are some very private drawings that I maintain for myself, however now that [Paragon is] publishing my sketchbooks, folks will see them. I don’t fear a lot about what strangers on the web will suppose, however typically I do get a bit nervous about folks near me seeing them… or my therapist.
A lot of the works in Homebody concentrate on an avatar and their darkish nervousness pet inside the house. However there are a few anomalies: The Gatekeeper, Circle Vases, Golden Hour. Are you able to contextualize these works within the exhibition? Did they start from a distinct psychological place?
I discover the inside items are extra reflective, sort of outside-looking-in, whereas the opposite drawings are extra of a direct response to an emotion or a sure technical curiosity within the second. Once I really feel overwhelmed I have a tendency to attract scales as a result of they really feel very meditative, in order that’s how a bit like Golden Hour happened. For Gatekeeper, I used to be feeling a variety of irritation with unrelated issues and needed to check out my new shade pencil set on the identical time. I did hesitate so as to add these items to the present since they didn’t match into the theme as nicely. However the emotions that produced these works have been felt in a time the place I used to be engaged on items for the present, so I believe they belong simply as a lot as the remainder.
How do you push your self to experiment? I do know you’re utilizing watercolor work and mixing media, which is new for you. However when it comes to content material, are there sure processes or thought workout routines you employ to push your self to experiment?
I’m undecided I deliberately push myself to experiment or develop or something. I simply draw lots and I’ve a variety of curiosity. The leap into watercolor solely occurred as a result of Copic markers should not archival, so I made the change for gallery works so the items would final. I nonetheless use Copic markers for private work, however I attempt to solely do watercolor for originals now. I used to be a bit immune to watercolor at first however after getting extra snug with it, the method evokes new varieties of items.
I’m lucky that I don’t battle to supply new concepts—they only present up in my head and bounce round till I can get them out. I don’t spend a variety of time desirous about which means or ideas however that’s to not say there aren’t any.
The opening of Homebody may also mark the general public launch of Sketchbook 5, the second sketchbook of yours to be absolutely reproduced by Paragon Books. I do know folks usually ask if Sketchbooks 1 – 4 are popping out and the reply is: no. However, now that you’ve got a number of books underneath your belt, together with the well-known collaboration with A24 and Daniel Kwan 24 Minutes to Bedtime!, are you desirous about every other future books?
Haha sure, Sketchbooks 1 – 4 won’t ever be printed however I’m aiming to have Sketchbook 7 achieved for subsequent yr. I’m not pondering severely about every other books for the time being however I did see a quite simple and foolish kids’s ebook at my native library and thought “possibly I can do that”. We’ll see if an thought reveals up sooner or later.
No graphic novels?
I don’t have a lot of an curiosity in graphic novels for the time being. I actually like with the ability to full a bit and transfer on—books take time. If somebody cool reaches out sooner or later for a collaboration, like Dan Kwan did, possibly I could possibly be open to it!
Lastly, a query in regards to the future. I do know turning into a full time artist and illustrator was not your plan. Realizing that life has many twists and turns, I nonetheless marvel if there are any dream initiatives or collaborations you’d love to appreciate?
I dream of getting wealthy sufficient to outlive the autumn of social media and retreat into obscurity to only make artwork for me… till then I’m blissful the place I’m at. Having the ability to make the artwork I need to AND make a dwelling off of it’s really a privilege and if that is the perfect it will get, that’s happy with me.
That being mentioned, I’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with associates who’re doing very cool issues and I wouldn’t thoughts extra of that. My director good friend Sean Wang put out a brief movie and a function size movie lately and I used to be blissful to make artwork for each releases. It was actually cool to see my artwork present up on Disney+ (try Nai Nai & Wai Po) in addition to in theaters in every single place for DiDi. If I can help my associates with my expertise, that’s tremendous cool.
Felicia Chiao’s solo exhibition Homebody is open at Harman Initiatives NYC at 54 Ludlow St. via September twenty eighth, 2024