Eszter Chen x Bright And Lively Art Under Her Brush

Eszter Chen is a visual artist born in Taipei, raised in Los Angeles.  She was graduated with Honor from Art Center College of Design Pasadena, US., majored in Illustration Art and Design. She is also a textile designer works for fashion label. She co-founds and works at her illustration and pattern design studio. Her colorful and playful style has been commissioned by clients including  Apple, Big Issue, Burberry, Condé Nast, ELLE, Eslite Bookstore, JumpFromPaper, Le Creuset, Marimekko, MILK X, Marie Claire, Media Arts Lab, Mitsukoshi Shopping Mall, Moppet Books, TBWA, Vogue, Fayaque, SHINKONG MITSUKOSHI, Eatogether, Huashan1914, Architectural Pursuer, and more.

Recently, she collaborated with JumpFromPaper for the Monochrome Graffiti Collection. Let's see her artwork below:

To know more about this talented girl, let's take a look at the interview.

• Could you please help us name your graffiti backpacks?

The Secret Garden.

• Could you please tell us more about the concepts of the design? Why a pink haired girl and a purple haired girl? Any details from the backpack you want people to know?  

Since I paint a lot of women figures and they are the main subject and focus in most of my work, so I chose to paint woman figures on each bag. women and portraits are my long-term practice approaching to art and they are invented in my imagination, I use fashion, scenes, and space, poses, textures and objects to develop their personalities and stories. I also get inspired by many women I know or my observation. 

• After you came back to Taiwan, what do you miss the most in L.A.?

Thanks for asking, so much! I miss the food, the weather, the freedom, street fashion and endless spaces. The most I miss about were the people I met there, talented friends and clever strangers. Oh and my white convertible beetle car named Daisy 

• How would you describe your style? 

The way we act, we are confident in what we are looking for and take it immediately; the way we feel, we need people’s attention not only petting but more of communication and interaction. The way we love showing our attitude, walking away, look happy and comfy or don’t give a shit about something. 

My style, in general, is comfy and semi-artistic, acceptable but personal and unique. I like to reference other people’s styles and sometimes try to be like them, somehow it eventually just turned into something else weird, and I will be like sure! I will take it.

• In your artworks, there are usually many women in different styles, who are they? 

yes, most of them are from my imagination.  I set up their personality, inner emotions, and styles for different scenes and stories.  As a woman, I love painting women figure because we are interesting, diverse, and hard to predict. 

• Could you please share with people why you want to become an artist?

• Is there any fun or touching stories when you wrote your first book ”Illustration Lab”?

It’s difficult to write a book, to function with writing other than painting, especially in Chinese.  My first intention to contact the publishing house was to introduce myself for book cover commission projects. Until almost one year later they replied to me with a big request for writing a book in Chinese about illustration art I thought that was amazing, and I did it. 

• Besides artistic creation, what is your greatest indulgence in life? 

I think it’s a difficult question because I feel besides artistic creation, I still do a lot of creating as indulgence such as embroidery, home decor and keep thinking and thinking. I also like to organize stuff and do planting at home. But I guess talking to people, exchange thoughts and understanding others is the most interesting indulgence in life. 

• Is there any interesting story about your dogs and you? 

I think every day is interesting when they are around. I have two Italian greyhounds girl named Bumbie with white/caramel hair, and a boy named Timmy with grey/white hair.  They are the best friends to hate each other. They are all fixed but they still feel like having sex.  Also, I think what’s interesting was people keep coming to me like my uncles and cousins saying hey your dog just look like you. 

• What would your dog say about you if we ask him for a reference?

I'm imagining Bumbie would say Eszter is very cool and sweet but kind of annoying because she will never stop asking me “how much do you love me?” happens every single day.  I feel Timmy would think I’m his godmother since I saved him from an awful shelter and brought him home so he is being super needy and nervousness. 

• If JumpFromPaper were a woman, what’s her style? 

I think she would be a modern, colorful, naïveté, and has very good fashion scenes. This woman could either be an artist or mathematician. 

• What advice would you give to young artists?

Keep looking, keep thinking and keep making, practicing and continuity is the key. Besides, try to hear more stories and get inspired by every little thing in the world. 

Check out more information on Ezster's Instagram Account @eszter_chen!   

Wanna design a unique cartoon bag just as Eszter?

Go check our Monochrome Graffiti Collection!