Victo Ngai facts for kids

Victo Ngai (born in 1988) is an American illustrator who grew up in Hong Kong. Her artwork is known for being very detailed and precise. It often reminds people of comic books, classic children's stories, and Japanese paintings. Many people think her illustrations have exciting pictures and a special, unique look.

Early Life and Learning

Victo Ngai's last name, Ngai, is pronounced "nye." She was born in Guangdong Province and grew up in Hong Kong. She was the only child of her parents. When she was young, she often had high fevers and had to stay in bed until she was six. Drawing was her way to stay busy and have fun during these times.

Her great uncle was a surgeon who loved to do detailed Chinese ink painting. Drawing with him was one of her first experiences with art. She also visited many museum shows with her mother when she was a child.

Her family moved often when she was young. This made it hard for her to make lasting friends, so she spent a lot of time by herself. Victo later said that this changing life helped her become the artist she is today.

Victo's mother was the first to see her artistic talent. She worried that the strict art lessons in school might stop her creativity. For two summers, Victo went to a private art teacher in Shenzhen, China. Even though it was close, it felt like visiting another country because of the customs process. It was there that Victo started to feel more confident in her art.

When Victo thought about studying illustration, it was a tough choice. Her family believed that art and design were not always respected as careers in Asia. Her father hoped she would work in finance.

A friend who studied art at Yale suggested the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). This was the only school Victo applied to. She was accepted at RISD in 2006. There, she learned from Chris Buzelli, a famous illustrator. He taught her that her own unique art style was something she had to find inside herself, not look for outside.

Artists Who Inspired Her

Victo Ngai was inspired early on by the works of Utagawa Kuniyoshi and Hiroshige. Her college teacher, Chris Buzelli, also influenced her. She found ideas from Norman Rockwell, Windsor McCay, Mary Blair, and fashion designer Alexander McQueen.

Her Career as an Illustrator

When asked why she became an illustrator instead of a fine artist, Victo said, "One of my RISD professors told me this: 'Fine artists like to create problems for themselves, while illustrators like to solve problems given to them.' I love drawing and I love solving problems, so illustration was perfect."

Victo's first published work was in 2009, a year before she finished RISD. It was called Bells and Whistles for PLANSPONSOR Magazine. Her second client was New York Times. Later, she worked for The New Yorker. She started by illustrating music reviews and smaller pictures. Eventually, she got assignments to create full-page art for fiction stories. This was a new challenge for her, as she had no experience illustrating fiction before.

Victo has created art for many newspapers, magazines, and book publishers. She has also worked for big companies. Some of these include The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Penguin Random House, Apple, and McDonald's.

In 2018, Victo Ngai started The Victo Ngai Scholarship Award. This award helps students in the Society of Illustrators competition. It was created to honor her teacher, Chris Buzelli.

Important Artworks

How She Creates Her Art

When Victo gets a new art project, she first reads the text carefully. She then tries to find the main idea or feeling of the story. She usually focuses on just a few words or short sentences. After that, she likes to step away from the material for a bit. She finds that her best ideas come when she is not thinking too hard. When she has an idea, she shows her client at least three different sketches or options.

She draws her lines using nib pens or rapidograph pens. She creates textures on different pieces of paper using materials like graphite, acrylic, and oil pastels. Finally, she brings her drawings into Photoshop. She adds color digitally, often using a small number of colors.

When a piece of art is almost finished, Victo checks if it meets the client's needs. If she also thinks people would enjoy the art on its own, she knows it is done. She then sends the work to her client. Victo signs her art with a special symbol. It looks like a traditional Chinese seal. The symbol looks like the first Chinese character of her given name, "傳." But if you turn it counter-clockwise, it reads "Victo."

Because her work is so detailed, a finished piece can take three to four days to complete.

Teaching and Sharing Knowledge

Victo Ngai has taught at the School of Visual Arts in New York. She also gives talks and workshops at universities and conferences.

Awards and Special Recognitions

In 2014, when she was 26, Victo Ngai was named one of Forbes Magazine's 30 Under 30 in Art and Style. She has won many important awards, including:

Her Life Today

Victo Ngai lives in Los Angeles, California. She works in a converted loft space in the Art District of Downtown Los Angeles. She shares this space with her husband, who runs an architecture company.