When we saw Yiting Nan’s work, we were struck by its smooth presentation. They come from humble observations of life itself. When people usually zoom out and think about life in general, there is always a lot of noise in it; complex, ambiguous, and obscure. Taking a step back and focusing on the beautiful details is where the simplicity unveils.

Some animations can take people far, far away from our reality. It takes us to the unknown and lets us discover the creator’s vision. This is one of the many approaches to animation. But on the other hand, some creators beautifully describe the world we live in. That beauty comes from simplicity, small details and wholesome memories. Both approaches enrich the animation field, which is why animation is such a powerful tool.

Chinese-born, New York-based designer and animator Yiting Nan shows these moments of happiness and stillness in her animations. After seeing her animations, you, the receiver, want to stay still and live in these moments as long as you can. Her connection with nature and flora reflects in her designs. Mountains, plants, and sunlight are strong themes throughout her works. Her Chinese roots distinguish her from the Western dominant themes and styles, but studying at the School of Visual Arts in New York City helped her combine her skills and vision in one cohesive visual style.

Yiting Nan has a graphic design background before she dives into illustration and motion graphics. That helped her to find her personal style to differentiate herself from others. As a result of this, her animation for SVA Motion Graphics Screening 2022 was selected as the winner of the Best-in-Show Award in Communication Arts Illustration 64.

Yiting Nan describes her work for SVA Motion Screening 2022 as “Each year, SVA hosts a celebratory screening event for the graduating class to showcase their motion graphics portfolios. This particular invitation animation was made for the SVA Motion Graphics Screening 2022. With a humble tribute, we honor every paper cut, every crashed file, every sleepless night, and every creative choice made over the four arduous and exhilarating years. This animation marks the third and final project that I was assigned to create for the School of Visual Arts. As I bring my four years of study to a close, I feel deeply honored to have had the opportunity to work on this animation.”

Follow Yiting Nan on Instagram and visit her website.