SHAPING THE COLLECTIVE DREAMSCAPE
3D ARTIST AND DESIGNER JENNY JIANG CREATES DREAMLIKE WORLDS THAT UNLEASH THE POWER OF IMAGINATION
Jenny Jiang is an early riser. She usually starts her day around 6 AM before getting to her workstation around 9 AM. As a morning ritual, she enjoys watching 3D tutorials with her coffee. Her desk and workstations are an extension of her personality: Notebooks and desk supplies in colorful pastel palettes, flowers, and plants for well-being and peace. One of her designs is hung on the wall: A dreamlike imaginary world featuring a living room in an open garden. Jenny’s approach, just like her workstation, lives between two worlds: Inspired by the beauty of everyday life but looking onto a surrealist future. Today Jenny lives in New York, where she is a 3D Artist and Designer in demand. Before diving into the nitty-gritty of her practice and approach, we wanted to go back to the origin of it all: For Jenny, this means creating visual stories. “Storytelling plays a major role in my work as well as the emotional value of a piece. Through my personal work, I hope to instill a sense of serenity, calm, and joy. If I’m working with clients, I center the visuals around the messages and values of their brands, using art and design as a medium to visually communicate and reach viewers around the world.” she explained to us. From a young age, Jenny has always been drawn to visual elements and problem-solving: she was keen to “organize things together visually.” She specifies: “I didn’t know that these would be some of the things that designers do every day; all I knew was that the thrill of creating something beautiful — and practical — was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. When I was older, I realized that art and design were disciplines that I could use these skills in, and I’ve enjoyed being an artist and designer ever since.”
Fig 1. Jenny Jiang’s “Residency at Strawberry Dunes” Dreamscape Artwork
Jenny specifically chose 3D design art and motion graphics because the medium contains traditional aspects of design with 3D technicalities and real-world physics. A challenge Jenny is after: “ You can be highly creative but also have to focus on the technicalities of what you are trying to create,” she mentions. The artworks she creates also allow her to combine soundscapes and music into the world she brings to life. It is a very exciting and boundless medium for her, one that serves her creativity and allows it to reach its full potential. Jenny’s latest projects include commissions from beauty clients such as Herbivore, Aesop, EM Cosmetics, Kiehl’s, or Claire’s, and music companies such as Sony or Apple. Most recently, she has designed a campaign for the luxury brand Baccarat. For her collaboration with the brand, Jenny created a series of animations and artwork that spanned their entire interior and storefront for their Spring ’22 Campaign throughout all the stores in the US. She mentions the pride she felt upon seeing her work displayed as wallpaper and on window displays of the Flagship Store in Manhattan.
In the fashion world, Jenny has also participated in innovative projects like Space Runners. Space Runners is a fashion metaverse brand created by the New York-based award-winning Mue Studio. Jenny designed the shopping platform. With the metaverse expanding, Jenny actively participates in advancing her industry. She’s worked on another imaginative fashion project for The Marilyn Monroe Estate. In partnership with CR Fashion Book, a handful of selected talented 3D designers were approached to create new covers and dress the iconic Marilyn Monroe in modern outfits from Prada, Fendi, and more.
Fig 2. Jenny Jiang’s “Tea Party” Dreamscape 3D Artwork
Jenny has also won several awards, including 2 Bronze Best Design Awards. While she is extremely successful and works with high-end clients, she doesn’t rest on her laurels. She values the importance of side, passion projects. “Personally, there were a few factors that contributed to my success. One of them involves continuously creating artwork and learning new skills outside work, like passion projects. One of the biggest things is to really share the work in as many ways as you can, through social media, entering competitions, and introducing yourself to people, letting them know about your artwork, your story, and your style. “ She explains. Her personal project, “Notes I’ll Never Send,” is an animation design series that explores the journey of a romantic relationship. It was my first self-initiated project that lasted over a period of a few months and the first time that I had the freedom to dive deep into exploring different mediums of creative expression and inspiration. I wrote poems and short stories, which then influenced the artwork, music, and animations. All of this told my story of an experience that was very personal to me.” she adds. Her personal projects influence her commissioned work and vice versa. Altogether they participate in creating a world and a vision that is purely hers.
She also has a valuable piece of advice for up-and-coming Designers and 3D Artists: Make sure you share your work with your peers, put yourself out there, and never give up. Make room in your schedule to grow and learn new tutorials. In an ever-changing industry, it is primordial to adapt and stay relevant. If you live in New York and want to say hi to Jenny, congratulate her, or perhaps pick her brain, her current exhibition is now open at The Crypt Gallery in the Dream Downtown Hotel in NYC. We will make sure to keep up with her work and the magical visions she creates.
JENNY JIANG
NEW ZEALAND
