点击“Jingjobs”关注我们吧！
Name: Liuba Vladimirova
Job:Illustrator
Hi Liuba! Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you ended up in Beijing?
I studied Chinese in university, and during my studies I had a chance to participate in a students exchange program between my university and Liaoning University in Shenyang. Shenyang is not a small city but after one year and a half there I had a feeling that there was nothing left to explore, so after my graduation I decided to move to Beijing. I like how Beijing keeps hutongs and preserves the city’s history and a simpler way of life, but is at the same time very modern and full of opportunities.
What are the biggest differences between life in Russia and life in China? Did it take a while for you to adjust?
I first came to China in 2007 and I was in Shenyang. Let me tell you, back then it was impossible to find any decent chocolate except Snickers, there were no deodorants, no women razors, no decent tights and if you wanted to buy cheese,we had to buy it in huge chunks of 3-4 kg– but again, this was in Shenyang. I bet in Beijing it was different. When I came I wasn’t alone but was with around 60 Russian classmates and we shared our experiences together.
Actually I have a funny story: one day, one of my classmates came home from shopping in a really good mood so we asked her what happened. She told us she had found some candies similar to these Russian candies “Korovka”, which means little cow. In Russia they are made with cow’s milk and always have a picture of a cow on the wrapper.The paper was pink and shiny, but when she finally tasted it, she realised it was actually dry beef with a really strong, sweet taste.But living in Beijing is quite easy, I’m well adjusted now and don’t really miss anything from Russia.
You do illustrating part time. How did you get into that field?
I’ve been drawing obsessively since I was little, and still have a lot of boxes with my hilarious drawings back home in Russia. My mom is kind of a free spirit, so she left it to me to make all of the important decisions in my life, even when I was just 6 years old.
She asked meif I want to go to art school as my afternoon activity, but of course I decided I’d rather play outside then sit in an art school 3 times a week for 4 hours, I wasn’t stupid. But the older I got the less I drew, I was still pretty crafty,but not very consistent with it. After graduation we all started to think what to do with our lives, and I thought I want to draw more. So I started to draw every now and then and I became hooked. I love starting with just a white piece of paper and a few hours later I have something very unique, what I created myself – an artwork. I love to create things.
How does Beijing inspire you in your art?
I must say that regardless of Beijing’s air I love this city. Beijing changes so fast and I get to see all those changes. I like to explore the city with my sketch book in hand; I want to capture the city before it changes. I like to sketch in cafés and hutong areas. I like to think of my drawings as time capsules, when I look at them I get to remember how I felt when I was drawing, what was surrounding me and what Beijing felt like back then.
What are the three most important qualities an illustrator must have in order to succeed?
I do believe that if you want to be a self-employed illustrator you have to be really hardworking. I believe in the rule of 10000 hours and everyday I try to get as many hours as I can crossed off. Illustrators must be not afraid to self-promote,you must believe in yourself and in your brand and believe that people do need to know about you. You have to network and carry business cards with you.
Another quality I would think is curiosity- you have to never stop exploring new depths of your field, try to learn new techniques, read books, follow artists that you adore, trying to learn something from them, step out of your comfort zone. You can’t stop exploring new materials and mediums. I’m always afraid that I don’t have time to try everything I want, I wish there was more hours in a day.
What advice would you give people about working in China?
I would say: keep calm. There is about a thousand unexplainable things that happen in China per day, a lot of things may go wrong and when they do, you should see it as an opportunity to work on staying zen. Instead of feeling sorry for yourself and wondering why its happening to you, just think of how you can change the situation and solve the problem.
What are a few of your favourite places in Beijing?
I love Beijing’s hutongs, I think this is what everyone who comes to Beijing must explore, they must spend a whole day in hutongs and on foot only. You can get to see real Beijing and true Beijingers.
I mostly shop in vintage shops and vintage markets, even though vintage is so expensive here.Every now and then I do find some cheap steals. I eat out almost everyday; I cook like once a week because I just don’t really have time for cooking. I love a lot of different places like Mrs. Shanen for the freshness of their ingredients and their non-stop exploration of limits. Did you know they produce their own homemade butter, ricotta, peanut butter, kombucha, chaga tea, kefir,soy yoghurt (!) and much more? Also I would mention Veggie Table, try their sweet potato fries, vegan chilli, and burgers. I’d say that they have the best carrot cake in town and their chocolate cake is also very good. Juice by Melissa have really good guacamole and they made me love Brussels sprouts.
点击左下角，上Jingjobs查看更多工作机会！
↓↓↓