In a culturally diverse city, art is everywhere, but the artists behind it are often hidden, immersed in their creations and rarely in the spotlight. ZTYLEZ introduces the latest art program “Art City Chronicles,” hoping to lead everyone to meet these artists who wander day and night in the creative field through video, and see how they express their life insights through different creative mediums, transforming their feelings into works that connect individuals and communities. In a small city with many stories, today we only talk about the big and small things related to the creation of these artists.
In the first episode, we invited local illustrator Jasmine Tse to share her life and creations with us. In this generation, many people are eager to pursue fame and fortune, always striving to achieve something big. However, not everyone is determined to become a world-changing figure. Although Jasmine is popular on social media and well-loved, to her, the characters she draws are just minor roles, yet they hold extraordinary significance in speaking up for themselves. Reflecting on her original intentions for creating, Jasmine’s work has always been rooted in her own experiences. It is precisely because her artwork is genuine that we can find emotions we resonate with in those ordinary scenes she depicts. In life, we may just be a group of “small characters,” but our unique personalities make us appear great.
If you have seen Xie Shaipi’s illustrations, you will find that her style changes every once in a while. However, regardless of how Xie Shaipi’s image changes, her down-to-earth and humorous creative style always serves as a comfort to Hong Kong people. Since opening a Facebook page to share her artwork in 2012, it has been 9 years. In this not too short period of time, perhaps it is not enough to judge her achievements in the art world, but at least it can witness her growth in creation and life over the years. We are all curious, what kind of person is Jasmine when she takes off the identity of Xie Shaipi?
She said without hesitation, “Actually, it’s hard to separate them. Thanking the sun itself is thanking Wenxin.”
In the online world, Xie Shaipi is straightforward and outspoken. She speaks out against injustice and doesn’t mind showing her flaws to others. This carefree and honest personality has earned her the label of “careless,” but in reality, she is not as casual as she seems. Jasmine always appears lively and cheerful in public, surrounded by laughter. As she says, being able to make others laugh is an achievement. People may not realize that such a joyful woman is actually introverted. Jasmine admits that the real her is quieter, and it is through the role of Xie Shaipi that she is willing to open up and share her thoughts with others. Everyone expresses themselves in different ways, and for her, drawing is an outlet for expressing her feelings about life. Xie Shaipi in her drawings speaks for her, bringing laughter to others and bringing her a different kind of happiness.
“Every stage is my best state.”
Judging a person solely by their words and phrases cannot lead to a deep understanding of them, only by entering their living space can one understand their characteristics. The thank-you note on the painting often presents a wild image of “hair flying everywhere,” so everyone assumes that she must also be unkempt in real life. Jasmine, however, defends herself: “Many people think I am messy, but I am actually very neat.”
This year, she, who has always sought solitude, has started a life with one house and two cats. Occasionally extravagant in style, the real her, however, prefers simple beauty. The warm wooden furniture, white decor, green plants, etc., all create an atmosphere of simplicity and elegance in her home. When it comes to life philosophy, Jasmine shares that she used to spend money on external appearances, but now she focuses more on improving the quality of life, such as cooking a meal, cleaning the room, buying a bouquet of flowers, lighting scented candles, and other details of life, she does everything meticulously. Stepping into the so-called “middle-aged” years, she is more serious about organizing her daily life. Even though these little beauties in life may not be seen by others, she no longer lives for the approval of others, only to please herself. And recently, she has rediscovered the joy of hand drawing. She says, “Although hand drawing takes time, each stroke and ink has more texture.” This slow creative process is a meditation for her, and the finished product has become a part of decorating her home.
For Jasmine, having an independent living space holds great significance. She said, “Being alone takes my creativity to the next level, I start taking my life and existence more seriously.” The change is not about artistic skills, but a mental elevation. She shared, “Being alone has always been my norm, I am always busy when I’m at home.” Rather than saying she’s busy “getting by,” it’s more accurate to say she’s busy “living,” not about the basics of life, but the mental satisfaction of “treating oneself well.” When asked if living alone is the ideal lifestyle at present, Jasmine generously said, “I see every stage of life as the ideal state.” Pursuing an independent life has always been her greatest desire, now that the wish has been fulfilled, will she be in a rush to find the next goal?
Try to not try so hard, that’s what I’m trying hard to do.
Riding the wave of social media popularity, Jasmine gradually became one of the well-known local illustrators in Hong Kong. She jokingly refers to everything as “feng shui”. She admits that her journey has been anything but planned. From starting to create, publishing books, studying abroad, to teaching at university, what seems like a well-organized path has actually been a series of fortunate accidents. Despite being favored by the goddess of luck, she believes that seizing opportunities within luck is more important. Studying Chinese medicine, learning to play the electric guitar, her life is fulfilling and abundant, not to meet society’s expectations of an adult, but to focus on her own happiness. Even though these things may seem unrelated to her profession, they have become nourishment for her life and have allowed her to maintain a carefree attitude in a high-pressure society.
“Not necessarily to spend time making money, as long as you are happy in the moment, that is already fulfilling.” Jasmine also jokingly said that maybe in a few years, she will do things she never thought of doing. As for the societal concept of “effort,” Jasmine has a unique interpretation: “Try to make an effort to not be so effortful! Making an effort to break free from being dominated by the framework of ‘effort’ in our lives is what I am striving for.”
When you give up trying, it is only then that you can truly do well and rediscover the joy of life. Jasmine looks back on the past, not limiting herself in life. Many decisions are made with a burst of energy, right or wrong, she never thinks too much. Even though this stubbornness has led her to hit walls countless times, she looks back without regret, and eventually even develops new stages in life, exploring new horizons.
“Living in this era, minimalism is a harsh reality.”
Becoming famous because of the internet, her page has now accumulated over a hundred thousand fans. To outsiders, her creations seem inseparable from the internet. However, at the end of last year, Xie’s Facebook page was hacked, and it took several twists and turns to regain control of the page. Despite losing nearly three years of posts and memories of interacting with fans online, she received encouragement from a group of supporters. Having experienced the good and bad of the internet, does Jasmine have a more complex love-hate relationship with the internet than we do?
Jasmine said, “Actually, I have passed the stage of observing online trends, now the internet is mainly a channel for me to collect information.” In an era of diminishing news media, she values every independent platform where she can express her opinions. How does such a selfless internet creator view the relationship between social media and herself?
Modern people are often led by social media, opening their phones to either look at Facebook or Instagram. Whether as viewers or as those being viewed, our lives have been completely taken over by social media. She shared, “It’s actually impossible to completely give up social media, which is also unreasonable. Living in this era, minimalism is a cruel thing. When everyone relies on it to maintain relationships, there’s no need to completely abandon it, but also no need to be controlled by it.” If these words came from any internet creator, it would seem inappropriate, but for Jasmine, who values real life more, it is understandable.
“Showing off skin represents the young people in society who are unable to reach the upper class. These ordinary people have many stories, and I really want to speak up for them. This has never changed.”
Looking back on the creative journey, although she still cares about others’ criticisms, she has learned not to take external opinions too seriously. Instead, focusing on her own life is what she cares about most. “I used to find it hard not to compare myself to others, but I think I’ve started to do that now.” Letting go of external constraints has brought her a sense of peace in life. She openly admits that she used to be very self-centered, and her success made her even more arrogant. As for her current self, she says, “Now that my horizons have broadened, and I care more about the world, I feel much more comfortable.” Softening the sharp edges of her brashness hasn’t made this woman ordinary, but has added a sense of tolerance for the ways of the world to her work.
The world is in turmoil, Jasmine also creates works on public issues, but she doesn’t think too much about her role in society, nor does she feel that she has any significant social responsibility. She values more whether she can “voice out” everyone’s thoughts.
She believes that the role of Xie Shaipi only represents a group of young people in society who cannot reach the upper class. Her voice is a kind of “cry of young people”. They have many ideas about society, but they are in a dilemma of not being able to reach the upper class. They can only prove that their opinions are worth serious consideration through creation. As for the changes and constants in her many years of creation, she said, “I have always wanted to voice out, and this has never changed.”
“Illustration is something you can do for a lifetime.”
Living by doing what she loves, Jasmine boldly states, “Only gains, no losses.” She is grateful, saying, “This is a very fortunate era,” even when her illustrations are linked to commercial endeavors. She remains true to her inner creative spirit, never restricted in her artistic freedom. Or perhaps, one could say that as a “small figure” who never lives in constraints, she is not bound by any shackles because she knows better than anyone else what kind of life she wants.
For us, living in a constantly changing society, whether it’s trivial matters of life or social issues, we are fortunate to have such unique creators speaking up for us. In this era of self-expression, we are equally fortunate.
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Executive Producer: Angus Mok
Producer: Vicky Wai
Editor: Ruby Yiu
Videography: Anson Chan, Andy Lee
Photography: Anson Chan
Video Editor: Anson Chan, Andy Lee
Designer: Tanna Cheng
Special Thanks: Tse Sai Pei by Jasmine Tse
