The Art: Into the Storm
The Artist: Yuumei (Wenqing Yan)
About the Work:
Forced to learn to draw by overbearing parents while living in China, social competition had lessened since Wenquing Yan’s family moved to America, but her passion for art had not.
At the age of 12, she joined DeviantArt under the nom de plume Yuumei, meaning ‘the presence of light and darkness’.
In Japanese, it also happens to mean famous, which is what Yuumei started to become as her week was increasingly featured on the site.
That was 14 years ago, and Yuumei is still producing both digital and hand-drawn work in her distinctive anime-inspired style.
Into the Storm, created in 2015, is Yuumei at her best. Her ability to capture movement, accentuated by bold, masterful lighting is on display here, but what stands out about the piece is the breathtaking composition. Yuumei draws the viewer into the eye of the storm, subtly creating a sense of scale and the devastation the subject faces as they ride onward with purpose.
Visit Yuumei’s official site to see more of her work, which includes illustrations, tutorials, information on her graphic novels, and the iconic Cat Ear headphones she designed for her company, Axent Wear.