AMY YANG is a digital content creator, and photographer living in Melbourne. She was a Media student at RMIT University and also has a B.A. in Art and Design. She is keen to put her passion and skills into building a label that genuinely represents herself. In 2017, Amy started FunkyFunYou with her best friend, aiming to combine humour and a fun attitude through creative accessories and content design.
Our Deputy Editor (Poetry) Zoe Kingsley interviews Amy Yang about her cover art ‘Unfolding’ for #16 UNFUNDED.
The cover art you created for #16 ‘Unfolding’ engages with the form of portraiture in a dynamic way. I was wondering whether you could talk more about that form and what ideas developed in the creation of this artwork.
The initial inspiration came from an artwork created by the rubbish in the sea. I also got lots of resin pieces and other materials left over from making jewellery, I just thought: why wouldn’t I use them to create something fun? By using the form of portraiture, the different elements on her face and the pink tone, I think it shows the girl’s fantasy by showing the unfolding of her thoughts.
You created FunkyFunYou, a funky, unique and handmade accessories brand, with your best friend Simona. How has that experience of collaboration and working closely with textiles informed your practice?
At very beginning of FunkyFunYou, I think Simona and I both didn’t have a clear picture of what exactly we would create. We tried to find as many new and colourful materials as we could, such as sequins, small toys and architectural figures. I even remember that we were so excited about finding a bunch of stuff from the $2 store. Once we had plenty of materials in front of us, we reorganised them into different colours, and played with them to form various combinations, like in the cover picture.
It was a really fun process and a way to evolve. I always get something exciting and more than I expect through doing it. Just like people say, ‘you never know what you’ll get until you start doing it.’
I keep using the same method when I take product photos or do other work—naturally, by putting lots of irrelevant things together and letting them inspire me, like a mood board in real life.
What’s on the horizon? Anything in the works or events coming up that you’d like to let our TSR readers know about?
I’m currently making a yearly plan for FunkyFunYou, since we just moved to a beautiful and brightly lit space. I hope that more creative workshops and artist collaboration will happen regularly this year. I’m looking forward to it.