Yang Sio Maan’s Illustrations Have a Soft, Heartwarming Feel to Them

Yang Sio Maan illustrations are made to look textured, layered, and soft, making for a soothing effect. Colored in washed-out colors, they form dreamy landscapes and mesmerizing settings. As an emerging illustrator, Sio Maan’s works were awarded New Talent Category Winner at the World Illustration Awards by the Association of Illustrators (UK) and Best of the Best at Hiii Illustration by Hiiibrand (China).

View this post on Instagram

. Illustration for Voice & Verse Poetry Magazine Issue 48 | column by Emily Chau who writes about food, culture and literature. ————— . #關於早餐 . 大概是因為小時候吃「營養餐」的機會太少,我的早晨過得越來越匆忙,越來越沒有營養。小學回校是五分鐘,中學是二十分鐘,大學是四十五分鐘。現在沒有趕上特快巴士的話,則至少一小時才可以回到辦公室。出外吃早餐的日子,早已離我很遠。 ——鄒芷茵〈誰煎盤中蛋〉(節錄) . . 想想自己這些年吃的早餐,似乎也越吃越沒營養。 . 中學時,由於學校離家只有50米的距離,通常早上只有兩種情況:一,早起的日子我會很早到回到課室,優哉游哉地打開早餐,通常是腸粉、炒麵或餐蛋治,然後慢慢享用;又或者是第二種,因睡過頭而遲到,所以沒有早餐吃。到大學,每天要爬舊校區的奪命斜坡,早餐大多是小賣部的魚蛋、燒賣或零食;有點小錢時會去學校咖啡廳嘆件葡撻。後來去了新校區,當時新開沒啖好吃,我會和朋友一起分工:我開車,朋友買早餐,然後一起上學去。 . 在英國時,我的早餐大多是烘方包配巧克力醬、又或者是各類餅乾。特別的日子會專門吃傳統英式早餐,一定要有香煎黑血腸,體重會上升但會吃上癮。現在,我的早餐大多時是咖啡配餅乾(或各種零食),因為這樣最方便。早餐吃太好感覺像放假,整個人立刻散漫。我還是偶爾想吃個傳統英式早餐,但澳門好像都沒有黑血腸吃耶。#插圖小心情 #各種零食 . . 聲韻詩刊 Voice & Verse Poetry Magazine 第48期 【專欄 | 文字餐桌】—誰煎盤中蛋(文 | 鄒芷茵;內頁插畫|洋小漫) . Illustration for Voice & Verse Poetry Magazine Issue 48 . #Voiceandverse #yangillustration #illustration #聲韻 #洋小漫 #插畫 #breakfast #macauillustrator #editorialillustration #illustrations #magazineillustration

A post shared by 洋小漫 | Yang Sio Maan (@yangillustration) on

But though clearly talented, Sio Maan actually majored in English Literature in college, before going off to explore illustration. “I didn’t even know that there are college majors in illustration,” she admitted in an interview with My UM. So she first decided to take several painting classes and compiled her assignments from these classes into a collection. These painting assignments earned her a place at the University for the Creative Arts (UCA) in the UK, where she graduated with an MA in Illustration.

Now based in Macau, where she shares a home with two cats, she’s learning how to fully become a visual storyteller. “I never expected my works to end up on the other side of the world,” she says. “Pursuing arts full-time is not easy, but it gives me a lot of satisfaction, so I will keep going.”

As for her inspiration, she admits it varies. “It could be anything: the music I suddenly hear, a joke my friend tells, or something funny I see on the campus… they attract my attention, and I record what they make me feel at the moment by sketching.”

Take a look at some of her work in the gallery below:

https://www.instagram.com/p/Buny3XrgN8s/