Today we’d like to introduce you to Alice Chui.
Hi Alice, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’m Chinese-American and first-generation! I grew up North, in good ol’ Concord, New Hampshire with my family. My parents immigrated from South China, the Fujian providence. Growing up, I spent most of my day exploring nature and making crafts with my mother and younger sister Pearl. Concord was a pretty small city surrounded by nature we would go hiking almost every week and hit the flea market every Sunday. Ever since I was little, I wanted to pursue the arts!
When I was 12, I started taking watercolor classes at my location art school Kimball Jenkins School of Art. In school, I would hang in the art wing and the band room. I am also part of the tech school for graphic design. When searching for a college, I never thought about SCAD, but they happened to visit my graphic design class. Now I’m a senior in illustration after maybe changing it a few times! Currently, I’m a freelance illustrator and working on a photography project with Aaron Williams.
I’m on two senior animation teams, Tea Dragons as a visual development artist and The Boy as a promotional artist! In the future, I hope to be an art director working on projects/start-ups that promote the idea of sustainable service design for small communities!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No, not at all and I wouldn’t want it that way. Growing up in New Hampshire, I felt like I was living in a safe bubble. It was predominantly white and most people lend to the left. As I grew up and moved to Savannah, I was exposed to more diversity and different points of view. But the issue of racism became more of a concern for me definitely when COVID-19 first started.
For Asian hate crimes have risen immensely over the past year. As the eldest daughter, the importance of higher education has always been pushed. For I’m the first to graduate high school and to go to college. The pressure of creating a path for my sister and helping my family has been difficult to investigate. Personally, for me, my struggles of responsibility to myself and my family have been hard to balance.
But as I grew over the year, I’ve been about to communicate better and healthier boundaries with my family. Which has allowed me to pursue the art and continue doing what I love but my parents only ask that I’m the best at what I do!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am an illustrator and my concentration is in advertising publication. However, I’ve done everything from poster design to visual development. I specialize in watercolor and honestly love traditional mediums. But over the summer, I developed my love for digital painting. I mostly use Procreate and carry my iPad with me everywhere.
I’m known for my shape language, texture, and whimsical style! I think what I’m most proud of currently is a children’s book I’m making. But in the past, I was part of a SCADpro which was a new venture for automated coffee service. I enjoyed working on something from the ground up and hope to do that again! What sets me apart from others is that I’m pretty flexible and I’ve worked with different types of creatives from animation, fashion design, and photography.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success for me is when I have to stop worrying about the basic things in my life. Such as paying for housing, a stable income, good transportation, and groceries! The basic needs in living! Once I feel confident in those things being met, I believe I can pay attention to my passions, my friends, and my family! I want to spend more time doing the things I love with the people I care about.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://alicechui.wixsite.com/mysite
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/c.coloration/
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/alicechui_
Image Credits
Mary McNamara
