Jiayue Yu is a visual artist from China who works with photography, 3D rendering, and video. Her work explores the complex relationship between personal experiences and the wider social environment, focusing on how economic systems, mass media, and urban settings influence our identities and perceptions of reality.

The artist earned her Bachelor's degree in Studio Arts from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2017. She is currently pursuing a Master of Fine Arts at Syracuse University in New York.

We asked Jiayue about her art, creative process, and inspirations.

*After A Tropical Wedding, from the series “Some Rain Must Fall”*

Can you tell us about your background as a digital artist? How did you get started in this field?

During my bachelor's degree, my major was photography, which has always been my primary creative medium. The enforced time at home during the lockdowns in 2020 sparked the new interest in 3D rendering as another way of image making. With extra time on my hands, I decided to teach myself the 3D software Cinema 4D.

*Along the Road, from the series “Some Rain Must Fall”*

How would you say your background in photography have an impact on your digital art?

Photography has long been my primary artistic medium. However, as I’ve begun experimenting with 3D rendering, I've become deeply fascinated by the connections between this digital technology and the photographic medium, and their shared relationship to the material world we inhabit.

My current project, “Some Rain Must Fall,” is rooted in exploring the dual role that images play as both symbolic and indexical representations of the physical world. The visual flaws that photography may inherently possess — noise, low resolution, underexposure, accidental motion blur, lack of focus, and so on — in many ways mirror the uncertainties and regrets in real life.

*Childhood, from the series “Some Rain Must Fall”*

In this series of works, I immerse myself in the memories and emotional undercurrents encapsulated within photographs that I have taken or obtained from family archives. Building upon these imperfect photographs, I use the 3D modeling software to virtually expand the sceneries, interweaving my own desires and nostalgia into the digital image-making process.

*Wave, from the series “Some Rain Must Fall”*

Rendered in a hyper-realistic style, the unconstrained digital image has become a more controllable, idealized space compared to physical reality. These virtual environments I construct function as space to confront, process, and make sense of personal desires, and the ambiguities and setbacks of real life. It is also a therapeutic outlet for me.

Can you talk about any collaborations or partnerships you've had as a digital artist? How do you approach working with other artists or clients to bring a shared vision to life?

While 3D rendering has become a significant part of my creative practice, it is still a relatively new medium for me compared to photography. I have not yet received as many commissions for 3D work as I have for my photographic projects.

*Windswept, from the series “Wake Up From Sobriety”, in collaboration with Xinyu Liu*

During the limited 3D commissions I've undertaken so far, I've found myself still relying heavily on more traditional methods to support the process. For example, I often create mood-boards and reference images using a combination of photography, hand-drawn sketches, and other 2D techniques. This allows me to showcase my ideas and creative vision to clients in a way that complements the 3D rendering work.

*Partial Eclipse, from the series “Wake Up From Sobriety”, in collaboration with Xinyu Liu*

How do you think technology is impacting creativity?

For me, technology is much more than just a tool — it represents a profound means of expanding critical and philosophical inquiry. I believe that engaging with technology, in all its complexity, pushes us to re-examine the assumptions and conventions we've grown accustomed to.

*Front Doors, from the series “Wake Up From Sobriety”, in collaboration with Xinyu Liu*

This process of inspection and re-evaluation can be fundamentally stimulating to the creative mind. It forces us to question the boundaries of what's possible, to uncover new perspectives, and to reimagine how we engage with and represent the world around us.

*The Denial of Joy, from the series “Wake Up From Sobriety”*

What is a profound childhood memory?

I would often find myself spending hours doing nothing more than quietly observing the natural world around me — underneath the tall grass, in the pond, and imagining the views and lives of the insects inhabiting those environments.