21 years on Earth has been plenty of time to establish Lauren Tsai's place as a force to be reckoned with. With a portfolio of illustrations steeped in bewitching surrealism, a modeling background under her belt, an acting career on the rise, and an impressive track record of collaborations with Marvel, Marc Jacobs (I own one of her bag designs and it is my #1 prized possession), Nike & more, the multilingual beauty is destined for a life of splendor.
Lauren's catapult into the limelight began after deciding to take a gap year after graduating high school and moving to Tokyo which she had fallen in love with during her time growing up in the cultural melting pot of Hawaii. As a young teen, Tsai pursued modeling casually which led her to visit Japan a few times and get a taste for what the hub of all things fantasy and animation she had grown fond of was really like. At 18, she packed her bags, deciding to take modeling more seriously and happened upon the application for famed reality show Terrace House during her stay.
The reality TV gods were on Lauren's side and her experiences as a young girl struggling to share her abilities with the world while trying to balance relationships and stay grounded proved relatable as hell to viewers across the globe. Exposure of this degree opened doors for Tsai's innate artistry to soar after invitations to model, design, and interview with major publications and fashion houses came flooding in.
Back in 2018, Lauren revealed to Alexa Tietjen of WWD, “I always felt embarrassed to say I’m an artist because there’s a lot of negative connotation to saying that nowadays as a Millennial,” she says. “People thought it was weird growing up that I liked video games, fantasy, anime. Now everyone’s giving me a good response.” (wwd.com) It was difficult enough juggling how to identify herself as a Chinese-American, but even more so when garnering interests that felt alien to those around her.
She cites Studio Ghibli and Laika Studios as her main inspiration for her artwork, but also incorporates whatever her feelings or struggles are at the time into her sketches. Her "pop-surrealism" has the brevity and awe-factor of a seasoned artist despite never having made it to art school and barely having just reaching legal drinking age in the states. It's no wonder fans scramble to order her work on her site that often is only limited to 24-hour selling windows. Her first sketchbook 'It's All For You' released earlier this year completely sold out in both English and Japanese with few copies circulating the internet even several months later.
With more acting projects on the horizon, a plethora of designs to produce (including that sick sculpture she created pictured above), and dozens of fashion-related bookings, it's a wonder how Lauren stays sane, humble, and ridiculously beautiful. For more of her content, you can follow her on Instagram (or her art-specific Instagram here), Twitter, and her personal website. We'll be rooting for your passions, Miss Tsai.
Follow on Instagram
Posts
