Page 5: They can feel joy, pain, and fear
Artist: Claire Zhang.
​
Page description and purpose: Page 5 is a scene covering a double-page spread of a daily town setting with animal characters going about their daily activities while living on their phones. We’re more often than not fixated on a screen, and social media is a key reason. The sharing of a digital self and seeking connection and approval leaves some fraught with a need for likes or to keep up to date. Digital anxiety is ever-increasing for younger generations as they grow up in a world already integrated with the World Wide Web. Social media apps invoke feelings of joy, pain, and fear. Social media's online othering can segregate us into algorithmic groups, and by excluding opposing views and creating cliques, it can cause us to other our own authentic being while merging deeper into internet identities. Ultimately, the screen itself becomes a tool of othering, disconnecting us from the physical world and the people right beside us. I chose Claire for Page 5 because of her heartwarming animal characters and the emotional scenes she creates. For this page, she will create a digital painting layered with riso techniques, bringing to life a scene of animal characters using social media. These cute characters make the topic approachable. Children can see people they know—and perhaps see themselves—reflected in the animals. The scene highlights social anxiety in the digital realm and also shows that while social media is exclusive to humans for now, emotions are not.
​
A warm welcome, Claire. Your ability to infuse heart and emotion into your characters will bring this important message to life. So happy you're joining us. Rose
Claire Zhang is a vibrant Chinese illustrator whose artistic journey has flourished in the picturesque city of Cambridge. Armed with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration from the School of Visual Arts and a Master of Arts in Illustration from UAL Camberwell College of Arts, Claire has recently added another feather to her cap. She graduated from the Cambridge School of Art, where she pursued a second Master's degree focused on the enchanting realm of children's books.
​
Her artistic focus centres around vibrant colours and charming little animals. The use of Risograph and screen-printing techniques, renowned for their distinctive texture and colour overlay effects, has profoundly influenced many of her creations. Claire's goal is to convey messages of love, kindness, and self-acceptance, and she is deeply passionate about crafting heartwarming picture book stories that resonate with both children and adults.
