Through humour, Janice aims to bring a smile to people’s faces and makes serious subjects easier to talk about
Who
is Janice Chang?
Janice Chang is a California born and raised illustrator based in LA. Much of her work takes on an honest representation of the sometimes humorous and bendy limbs of her characters as a way to engage in conversations around social and interpersonal issues. Let’s get to know more about the illustrator.
Why
did Janice first get into illustration?
Janice: “My experience going to art school really was the first time I was introduced to the many facets of illustration. I grew up like most having a love for painting, drawing, and sculpting. I was always crafting or doing something creative, making my own jewellery or little sculptures of food. I also remember one of my favourite books as a kid The Mysterious Benedict Society, and how inspired I was by Carson Ellis' illustrations. I think a lot of these factors growing up led me to pursue a career in illustration.”
“My motivation to make work is rooted in wanting to bring a smile or provide a moment of joy for the viewer.”
How
does Janice use humour to portray meaning in her illustrations?
Janice: “My motivation to make work is rooted in wanting to bring a smile or provide a moment of joy for the viewer. Whether that be through exaggerated poses or quirky scenarios, I feel like humour is a great way to connect and have an experience with someone. Recently I've been exploring bringing my characters to life through animation, using these little moments of humour to hopefully brighten someone's day. I feel like I use humour as a way to look at my own life and understand the world around me, to not take myself too seriously and that is reflected in the work I make. Using humour as a way to introduce conversations around a more serious subject sometimes makes it more digestible and easy to talk about.”
What
is Janice's favourite illustration she’s done recently?
Janice: “I think one of my favourite pieces I've done recently was a collaboration with my partner who's an amazing animator. This was in the midst of last year when the pandemic was becoming a reality, that being at home will become the norm. We decided on this idea of a character walking and the moment you think she's going to step outside she's right back to where she started in the living room. This idea that every day tends to feel like an endless loop especially with everything outside being unknown and out of our control, I wanted the character to look confident that we can overcome this as she strides across the room.”
“Using humour as a way to introduce conversations around a more serious subject sometimes makes it more digestible and easy to talk about.”
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