It took Acia Yang a surprisingly long time to realise that her calling was in illustration rather than design. Growing up in Taiwan, she originally studied fine art in high school before pursuing commercial design at university.

After graduating, she spent several years building up her graphic design practice but gradually it dawned on her that she didn’t feel passionate about the work she was making. “After reexamining my interests, I realised that my favourite thing was still painting,” she tells CR.

Having started experimenting with gouache and oil painting, Yang says, “at first, I didn’t think too much about whether or not I could make a career out of drawing, I just enjoyed the process of creating.” Giving herself the time and space to mess around has been a blessing, allowing her to develop a beautifully simple style that depicts familiar scenes and moments, yet makes them feel as though they’re frozen in time.