Artist Interview: Jiatong Yao

With a background in fine arts and computer science, Jiatong Yao hones her skills in programming, digital art, and multimedia installations. She works with a variety of digital tools, including game engines, virtual reality, and augmented reality technology, to create interactive installations that engage viewers.

Through her work, she invites the audience to explore new forms of creative expression. She seeks a disturbance, innocence, simplicity, and tender space for the audience. Her creative process includes conceptualizing different aesthetics and real-time interactive media to express her feeling about the future of technology and body politics in digital space.

We asked Jiatong about her art, creative process, and inspirations.

*Digital art by Jiatong Yao, Beneath Starry Flow*

Can you tell us about your background as a digital artist? How did you get started in this field?

I started in 2020, after I graduated from college with a computer science major, urgently want to tell my own story about how I feel about life was full of technology. After four years of studying technology and computer science, I felt that I lost many things. Somehow I decided to make videos and graphics.

“I was supposed to use the computer to do my homework, however I decided to use it for art. My style was mad with distortion and felt like a beast. I try many experimental ways of combining different tools just to do cool things.”

*Digital art by Jiatong Yao, Little Island*

What inspires your art? Are there any particular themes or subjects that you enjoy exploring through your artwork?

I would say the inspiration is coming from my body. I want to trust my body and intuition, they can give feedback on the society and situation I am facing. I will grab that moment when my body trying to tell me something. I will use them as my motivation for my art project. Then comes the themes that are always about the body, technology, culture, and future. The body is the main subject, it is explained in different meanings both physic and conscious. Dance, subconscious motion, emotion, thought, desire, humanity. Technology, culture, and the future can be concluded in context, those are what I am facing every day. Overall “what I feel when I am facing something” is my subject.

What is an event which you consider a milestone in your digital art career?

I would say my work will be shown for the Digital Fashion Week film catalog. I did mostly experimental digital art and combined digital fashion which really opened my mind. I think digital fashion is to show a cool way of clothing, dressing style, and digital human. It could be customized and stylized I can try so many effects to it and I like making digital humans. It shows a potential career for a digital artist. Digital fashion started to become a big business and when it combines social media everyone can dress cool and feel comfortable with a customized digital body. It could be the future.

What materials, software, and tools do you typically use for your digital artwork? Are there any specific programs or techniques you specialize in?

I often use Unity for XR projects, and SparkAR for AR filters. For the video, I will use Blender, Resolume Arena, and Premiere. I specialize in the game engine and XR. Because I have some experience in metaverse developing and knowledge for game engine and research in computer graphics.

What does your creative process look like? How do you approach brainstorming and conceptualizing ideas?

Personally, the process is better than the result. I feel immersed and enjoy the process which can surprise me all the time. I always change or expand my ideas during the process. I try new tools and watch tutorials; and try new effects. I think digital technology is important in every project. I just keep it and save everything I enjoy into the work.

“I use mind mapping to brainstorm and conceptualize ideas, and conclude by creating slides to show my vision. And then, just try everything to find the effect I like. ”

What would we most probably find you doing if not creating art?

Technical artist in XR and the game industry. This is what I am doing right now. I like this job because it is the bridge between a developer and 3D artist, and I need to find solutions for both sides and gain knowledge for both sides. I like flexibility in this role and that I can learn from the structure and industry of how to manage and balance art and technology. It is a challenging job, and I like it.

How do you see digital arts evolving in the future?

I love digital art because it can happen everywhere and is easy to transport. It also opens immense creativity for people to try. Also, it can save more energy and material. It’s an environment-friendly way to create art.