Welcome to my portfolio!
Preface
I am Yoshi Mei, I have been a creative individual for as long as I could pick up a pencil.
I am a traditional artist with a bachelors of science in manufacturing engineering and a minor in marketing and quality control.
I am an ambitious thinker, problem-solver, and storyteller that utilizes my love for art and engineering to imagine new ways to bring wonder and imagination into a world that would be lifeless without it.
"All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them"
-Walt Disney
Career and Aspirations
Since being a kid, I have dreamed of pursuing many different paths. I have dreamed of becoming a Disney Imagineer, a special effects artist, and a toy designer to name a few. No dream was too big for me, and no dream is too big for me now.
I still have so many paths to explore, and I don't intend on slowing down anytime soon! I am interested in careers that challenge and inspire me in new ways that allow me to grow as a person. I'd love to be a business owner one day and continue to create things that entertain others.
Currently, I have landed myself one of my many dream jobs. I am a toy designer at my favorite company! Towards the end of my sophomore year, I was offered a full-time job for after I graduate; I am very honored to have gotten this opportunity, and intend on making the most out of it. Becoming a toy designer has been a dream of mine for 7 years, and I ultimately chose my path in school to make it happen.
Interests
I enjoy collecting and customizing toys, painting, building dioramas, and designing animatronic characters, while also documenting my projects on YouTube.
I also love learning and am not afraid to dive head first into something I know nothing about. I am always looking for new opportunities to expand my knowledge and skills. People around me know me as the person who does what they say they are going to do.
I believe that the only limit to a person's capabilities, is themselves.
Fun Lore
Online and in-person, I am mostly known for engineering, but I have been both a fine artist and performance artist for much longer. I love to sing and put on shows! I still partake in drawing and painting on a regular basis, but I also used to write and perform slam poetry.
I have performed in front of audiences as small as 50 to as large as 4,000 people. It is a surreal feeling standing on stage and not being able to see anyone's faces in the crowd; for me, I like that aspect of it. I struggle with reading too much into things when I can see people’s eyes, so if I can’t see them, it’s better!
If you have attended any of my presentations or pitches before, and wonder where my confidence comes from... it's because I treat it as a form of performance art. Anytime I step in front of an audience, I am playing a character, which allows me to embody traits I wish to portray that I may not have on a day-to-day basis.
Fun Facts!
Favorite Medium: acrylic paint and fine liner
Favorite Subject to Draw: figures, portraits, and mechanical design
Favorite Artists: Salvador Dalí, Piat Mondrian, Andy Warhol(a), Vincent Van Gogh
Favorite Modern Artists: Axel Gimenez, Trevor Henderson, Elduardo Valdes-Hevia
Favorite Makers: Adam Savage, Distortions Unlimited, Stan Winston, Garner Holt
Art style: Pop-art realism, abstract, neo-plasticism, comic