Chinese freelance illustrator: "People say my life is their dream"
Staff Writer: Yima
Image Source: Supplied
Every overseas Chinese carries a miniature immigration story within them.
We interviewed Sandy Xu, a post-90s illustrator who moved to New Zealand with her parents during her childhood.
She studied, started her own business, got married, and had children in Auckland. Sandy also shares her daily life online, where she’s affectionately called the "embodiment of a happy life" by her followers.
Let’s dive into her story and experience the chill lifestyle of New Zealand.
From One Side of the Ocean to the Other
In 2006, Sandy was in the sixth grade in Qingdao, and just as the new semester was about to start, her parents suddenly told her, “You don’t need to go to school anymore.”
It was because the family was moving to New Zealand. Sandy wasn’t sure when her parents had started making this plan, but that didn’t stop her from feeling excited about moving to a new country.
Sandy was 12 at the time, and along with her, her younger brother and sister, who were about 7 or 8 years younger, also made the journey across the ocean, starting their new life in Auckland.
After arriving in New Zealand, Sandy’s English wasn’t very good, but she didn’t see it as a problem, saying, "If I don’t know something, I’ll just learn." She quickly adapted to the school rhythm there and fell in love with the lifestyle and learning environment.
Sandy comes from a loving family, and her parents provided her with endless love and support. She had always been interested in art, taking the initiative to learn drawing and piano. Her father proudly showed her works to his friends, while her mother gave her meticulous care.
Confidence and kindness are the greatest gifts she received from her parents. Armed with that love, she freely and boldly expressed herself in this new country.
Starting Her Own Business After Graduation
At 18, Sandy enrolled at Auckland University of Technology, majoring in visual arts.
In her first year of university, she had already started teaching art to children. Sandy’s outgoing and talkative nature made her popular among parents, many of whom became her friends. She was often asked, “When will you start teaching adults too?”
After graduation, Sandy chose to start her own business, opening a studio. It became her free creative space and a classroom for her students.
Her students come from all age groups: first-year university students, mothers with children, retirees… Many hadn’t touched a paintbrush in decades, and yet, they created their first artwork in her studio.
“Giving people who’ve never experienced painting a chance to express themselves freely.”
Beyond teaching techniques, what Sandy most wants to give her students is confidence, helping those who’ve never painted before to learn a new way of self-expression. With a brush in hand, they could record the little joys of life or relieve their inner anxieties.
Painting Daily Life on Paper
Sandy’s works rarely tell grand narratives. Instead, she capture the shining moments of everyday life. These fresh and colorful illustrations depict a beautiful and warm world.
The little details of her daily life become the source of her creativity.
Aside from illustration, Sandy enjoys cooking and sees it as a way to relax, finding healing and satisfaction in food.
Naturally, she incorporates food from her daily life into her creations, drawing a series of cute works. The ingredients she loves to cook with come to life as lively and charming characters, full of fun.
A keen observer, Sandy draws inspiration from the world during her travels.
Her series, New Yorkers and Their Dogs, inspired by the streets of New York, brought the city’s stylish and relaxed atmosphere to life, attracting fans from around the globe.
Like her favorite illustrator Naoko Takagi, Sandy also creates illustrations based on her own daily life.
She draws real-life scenes and uses her illustrations to convey her life philosophy and personal reflections, turning her illustrations into a vivid chronicle of her life.
As she’s grown older and experienced more, the themes of Sandy’s work have expanded.
Just like Naoko Takagi’s work, the protagonist in her illustrations grew from one person to two, and now, three.
On March 8,2022, due to the pandemic, Sandy and her partner held a small wedding ceremony. On their first anniversary in 2023, they welcomed their daughter into the world, as if by fate.
On March 8 2024, they celebrated their dream wedding, with Sandy personally illustrating the menus and gifts, bringing her love of art into this important moment of her life.
Sandy also shares her life online, and many who have seen her illustrations are surprised to find that her real life mirrors the scenes she paints.
When Sandy’s partner proposed, he formed a band with their friends and gave her a huge surprise in a theater. Later, the two music lovers kept the band going with friends, performing together and embodying harmony and love.
An Illustrator and a Life Enthusiast
After having her daughter, Sandy paused her studio teaching to focus more on her family and child, but that didn’t stop her from creating.
She plays piano and sings to her daughter, and the videos she posts online have attracted a lot of attention, with many people commenting, “This is what real peace looks like.”
Now, she takes her daughter to exhibitions and on photoshoots, nurturing her with art and documenting the growth of a new life.
Becoming a mother has not restricted her,instead, it has given her more creative inspiration and broadened her artistic forms. On social media, she describes herself as a “wife & mum, illustrator”, proudly embracing her roles with confidence and ease.
Sandy has family in the U.S. and China, and she’s been asked whether she plans to move to these countries.
“People shouldn’t be too greedy.” Sandy knows that moving to the U.S. or China could offer better business opportunities and a more commercialized outlet for her work, allowing her to make more money.
But that isn’t her goal. For her, creating is like climbing a mountain, and money is like the wild strawberries along the way. Finding some berries along the way brings joy, but the journey isn’t about the strawberries. Whether they’re there or not, she’ll continue her climb happily.
It’s this mindset that gives Sandy’s work a natural sense of freedom and relaxation, free from anxiety or pretense. Without marketing herself, she still receives collaboration offers.
Many of her works have been selected by well-known brands, and she’s been invited to design for numerous projects.
In winter 2023, Sandy held her personal illustration exhibition “The Healing Moments”.
She captured moments of healing, showcasing the relaxed lifestyle of New Zealand. Viewers in China glimpsed her everyday life through her art.
Her illustrations act like a magical door, inviting people from faraway places into her everyday life and the laid-back world of New Zealand.
While many are driven by the pressures of competition, Sandy lives at her own pace. When asked about freedom, she offers her own perspective:
“Freedom isn’t always about doing what you want; sometimes, it’s about not doing what you don’t want. New Zealand gave me the freedom to not do things I don’t want to do.
“I want freedom that goes beyond convenience, like easier shopping. It’s about the freedom to avoid the pressures of comparison and competition.
“In New Zealand, the pressure to compare is much less. I don’t worry about little things, like whether or not to breastfeed or when to wean. Rather than comparing with others, I prefer to learn and make decisions based on my own situation.”
Beneath her soft appearance, Sandy possesses a strong inner core and boundless creative energy. We look forward to more of the art and life moments she’ll continue to create.
