Wu Mingyan, a young illustrator living in SIP, is bridging traditional Chinese art with contemporary creativity through her ancient-style paintings.

Wu said the environment where she grew up and studied inspired her idea of pursuing a fusion of traditional culture and innovation.

“When I was a kid, I often watched Huangmei opera (a type of traditional Chinese opera originated in East China’s Anhui province) in the arms of my grandma, and the stories performed on the stage and the historical figures in the shows nourished my soul,” Wu said.

The girl left her hometown in 2005 for a six-year journey of studying traditional Chinese painting in the School of Art of Soochow University in SIP, where the integration of tradition and modernity boosted her motivation to embody traditional culture in an innovative way.

Since 2010, Wu has drawn many opera figures based on meticulous research on these characters and her own understanding of them.

Wu often shares her works on social media platforms, gaining a loyal following. She creates works based on fans’ requests, and sometimes transforms them into refrigerator magnets, keychains and other merchandise.

“Traditional culture isn’t outdated, but needs fresh expressions,” Wu said, disclosing that she is currently pushing on with a project in collaboration with several friends to create products incorporating traditional Chinese cultural elements.

May 28, 2025