Irene Chung’s observational illustration diaries help her find comfort in spending time alone

Irene Chung’s illustrations are so charming and whimsical that you might be surprised to hear that they’re rooted in the experience of separation. Born and raised in Taipei, four years ago Irene moved to the US for education, leaving behind her artist parents – her greatest creative inspiration. Much of her work explores her relationship with them, but also her learning to live without them. “I feel strongly about the difficulty of separation and the strength we grow from solitudes,” Irene says. In June of this year she spent a month in Seattle, and created the series Seattle Diary. Depicting bakery queues, lone diners, picnics and bookshops, Irene familiarised herself with the city through drawing; the process helped her learn how to “be alone” rather than “lonely”, navigating the experience as a solo traveller.

While using a wide range of mediums – and often using analogue methods when drawing out and about to catch an “instant impression” – Irene finishes her work with digital methods, primarily as a means of capturing a variety of textures. Combining these techniques gives Irene’s work its alluring aesthetic – warm, yet clean at the edges.