My Plan B is to become a Pokémon trainer.

Zhi Yun Zhang

Zhi-Yun Zhang shows us how to turn animated films and cartoons into new forms of art. There is no doubt that the Lübeck-based illustrator has a fable for the quirky characters that livened up everyone’s childhood. Zhang takes you back to a time when he would wake up Saturday mornings, tear off his blanket and skip into the living room to turn on the TV; a time when the mere concept of missing out on Dragonball, Pokémon or Disney was unthinkable. Zhang has tried his hand in a range of styles, but no matter how far his creative eye wandered he always returned to characters on-screen. In his work he also draws elements from pop and hip hop culture. His success as a freelance illustrator can be attributed to his talent and favourite TV shows boosted by the likes of Pharrell, A$AP Rocky & DJ Khaled who have shared his work with the world.