My name is YuJun. I’m an illustrator based in Taipei, Taiwan. In college I majored in Fine Arts with a specialty in oil painting. After I graduated, I took a long trip across 16 countries in Europe, and was inspired by the many unforgettable experiences on my trip.
Near the end of my time overseas, I met a graffiti artist from New York. His sketchbook was full of beautiful drawings, and he encouraged me to do some sort of project of my own when I got back to Taiwan. Using the inspiration I gained from him, I began my book shortly after returning home.
Life is full of deep experiences, and as an artist I believe that a creating a meaningful story is the best thing we can do with them.
● My explanation of the book:
We all start out in life like the yellow bird, happy and carefree, but then we are faced with all the pressures and false narratives of society. They expect us to become people they see as better. So we often blindly follow these expectations, while ignoring our hearts. We end up not knowing who we are and realizing that we’ve been losing ourselves.
There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be better. It's also okay to make mistakes. Sometimes we fall into rough patches in life, though we feel sad and lost, these experiences are chances to make us stronger, and see ourselves more clearly. Just like at the end of the book, Apo saw himself clearly.
The story purposely ends with many things unresolved.
Maybe Apo will accept himself as a golden bird, or maybe he will continue striving to be a rainbow bird…
The answer is in your heart.
“No matter what stage of life we’re in, we can be thrown into chaos, but if we are brave enough to get through the storm, it can be a turning point on the way to something better.”
For those of us who used to be lost.
See more of my work here:
Instagram: @yujunillustration
Website: https://junleeftoer.wordpress.com
More info: junleeftoer.wordpress.com
“Sometimes we fall into rough patches in life, though we feel sad and lost, these experiences are chances to make us stronger, and see ourselves more clearly.”
Here’s a preview of my book, “What color?”
The story is about a bird, named Apo, that lived happily and free in the forest.
One day, he came across a stunning bird.
He started to feel insecure.
So Apo decided to find colors...
To dye his feathers.
After dyeing himself black, (which obviously was not his intention) Apo sank into despair.
Then it started to rain, and the dye washed off.
Apo was faced with a clear reflection of himself.
