Weiyi Zeng

I, Weiyi Zeng (b.2001,Chongqing,China), hold a BA in Visual Communication Design from Sichuan Agricultural University and am a member of JAI, Japan Association of Illustrators.

I use illustration as a tool to explore identity, communication and emotions through visual narratives. My illustrations are colorful, detailed and lively. I captures subtle emotions and moments and transforming them into visual works of art. Communication is crucial to the existence and survival of humans as individuals. In other words, communication is the exchange of information between two entities. Every human action can be seen as a means to communicate be it through speach, facial expression and art.

When trying to communicate, people must first associate with the same ideas, and generate associations around the same concept to achieve interpersonal communication. However, each person often has a different understanding of the so-called “same concept”, due to the differences in life experiences and cultural backgrounds. For example, if I were speaking to a Chinese person in Chinglish (a blend of Chinese and English) and we were talking about “Stonehenge” I would say “Huge Stone Circle”, which is a direct translation of “巨石阵” { ju shi zhen }. They would understand what I was referring to, but if said to a native English speakers, they wouldn’t understand.

Vogue, or Voguing, is a highly stylized, modern house dance originating in the late 1980s that evolved out of the Harlem Ballroom Scene of the 1960s through the LGBTQ+ community. It is a powerful way to express oneself through dance, fashion and storytelling with exaggerated gestures of the arms and legs. Voguing creats a new form of language that "speaks" about ones personal journey by deliberatly distorting the human body, facilal expression and eccentric costumes. It allows the individual to create his own narrative in the search of authenticity and self-acceptence. The miscommunication in Voguing and Chinglish both arise when cultural expression and language are not understood.

When the historical and cultural context of Voguing is overlooked or misunderstood, miscommunication frequently occurs. In marginalized communities, in particularly the LGBTQ+ community of color, Voguing emerges as a means of resistance and self-expression. Misrepresentations and a failure to acknowledge the struggles and identities that voguing embodies can result when the practice is appropriated in an inappropriate way or stripped of its cultural significance.

In a similar way, misunderstandings in Chinglish can occur when both English and Chinese are not fully understood. The unique combination of English and Chinese vocabulary, grammar, and syntax known as Chinglish can lead to misinterpretations, confusion, funny or awkward situations, and a lack of comprehension.

I was able to interview members of the LGBTQ+ community, and found this kind of language communication barrier is very common amongst introverts. Starting with myself, I have a hard time expressing my fellings though words and use illustration as an expression tool.

Throughout my work, I want to comfort people who feel similarly to me, and at the same time reassure them in knowing that they are not alone.