Hongyu Guan
(She/Her)
Hongyu Guan is an illustrator and artist based between the UK and Chongqing, currently studying MDes Illustration at The Glasgow School of Art. With a background in Fine Art, her practice explores the relationships between people, everyday spaces and urban experiences through observational drawing, illustration, mapping and independent publishing.
Her recent work focuses on how illustration can move beyond personal visual expression to become a medium for participation and spatial exploration. Through on-site sketching, illustrated maps and publications, she documents overlooked everyday environments and encourages audiences to observe, navigate and experience the city in new ways. Her practice combines hand-drawn processes with printmaking and publishing, with a particular interest in participatory art and the relationship between people and place.
Coffee and Symbiosis
Coffee and Symbiosis is an illustration and publishing project exploring the relationships between people, everyday spaces and urban experiences through independent coffee shops in Glasgow. Using on-site observational sketches, illustrated maps and publications, the project documents how people interact with and experience these shared spaces. Rather than presenting cafés simply as places of consumption, the project considers them as social spaces where different people, activities and experiences coexist. Through the use of maps and publications, it also encourages audiences to visit, explore and develop their own connections with these everyday urban spaces.
