East meets West in an eye-catching fusion of colour, imagination and traditional-style brushwork with each painting Sija Hong creates for her clients. Whether it’s publishing, packaging, digital campaigns or outdoor murals, her work makes a great first impression but then calls on viewers to take a closer look at its incredible creatures, bright patterns and finer details.
Born in Changsha, Central China, Sija is now based in Brooklyn and takes inspiration from her Asian culture and the vibrant city environment she inhabits. Fantasy and social issues both play strong roles in her creativity.
Sija studied fashion design and has a Masters degree in Fine Art from Syracuse University in New York. Her work has featured in Creative Quarterly, 3x3 and Spectrum and tackling interesting illustration briefs, her aims are to explore America and learn to play the guitar.
Approach
Using traditional brushes, inks and watercolours to begin the process, Sija paints her patterns, creatures and characters in flowing line work. When the composition is complete, she scans it in and perfects the colour digitally.
Styles
The great strength of Sija’s work is in the way she combines Eastern and Western elements to generate something fresh. Chinese brushwork forms the foundation, but contemporary palettes and modern themes ensure each project is exciting and different.
Awards
Art Directors Club – The Young Ones Portfolio Award – Silver – 2018
Creative Quarterly 52 – Illustration: Student – Winner – 2018Client list
Sija’s client list includes Abrams, Scientific American, NASDAQ: NTES, Tencent, People's Literature Publishing House, Tsinghua University Press, Valiant Entertainment, UID Works and Quingdao Publishing Group.