Ma Shuai’s sensitive, silly scenes are emotionally curious and ever-so cute!

We think it’s about time you meet Ma Shuai. Born in Guangzhou, China, the now Bologna-based illustrator has always been creative, from her childhood interest in her grandfather – a traditional Chinese ink painter who Shuai never met – to her lifelong love of cuteness. “To me, cute is a powerful adjective,” she says, “it touches people, it’s full of energy,” inadvertently describing her own practice in the process. “I think I’ve always had a lasting curiosity about emotions,” Shuai continues, often experiencing fluctuating emotions and, in dealing with them, asking where they come from. 

“Many of my works revolve around this emotional landscape,” transforming, translating and processing emotions into compelling, characterful scenes. “I’m not someone who expresses easily through words,” she adds, “so images became my other language,” one that allows Shuai to express what she cannot put into words. The mindfulness of Shuai’s practice perhaps comes from the space she’s afforded herself to be alone with her thoughts, having moved from Guangzhou to Florence to study Decorative Arts and then to Bologna to study Illustration and Publishing. “That solitude turned into something I wanted to express, it slowly became images, and then stories,” Shuai says. “The more I drew, the more I realised how much I wanted to express.”

Thoughtfulness aside, Shuai’s practice is profoundly sweet, satisfying and relentlessly heartwarming – putting its audience at ease and allowing them to find joy across her characters, settings and scenes – a tone that’s instinctive to Shuai rather than something consciously planned. “I always hope my work can bring people a light, joyful feeling,” she explains, “that kind of silly little smile you get after reading something quietly funny,” a sentiment she describes as healing. “Sometimes I feel like emotions need a place to go, and for me, images are that place,” both as an exit and an entry, manifesting in both the sweet and the absurd. “I often find inspiration in nonsense chats with friends too,” she adds, alongside random misheard words in conversations and puns. 

Behind Shuai’s cherubic work, however, is a gentle exploration of identity. Greatly influenced by Ang Lee and Edward Yang, especially in colour and composition, Shuai explains how resonant the latter’s portrayals of Asian families were to her. “In a way, I’m also looking for traces of the past in my present time,” she says, questioning whether that’s the reason behind the semi-nostalgic vibe of her illustrations. “When I was a kid, I played with Nintendo, Tamagotchis, water games, and old Windows games like Snake and Minesweeper,” Shuai recalls. “The visual elements and structure of those games, like progress bars and life metres, often find their way into my illustrations too,” resulting in an almost diary-like, earnest quality to her work.

Currently, Shuai is drawing a picture book about a perfectionist mouse who runs a supermarket, insisting on having everything under control. Beyond that, she hopes to continue to wield her practice in an effort to express and connect. “I’ve always been interested in emotional rhythm, inner life, and the subtle layers of human relationships,” Shuai ends. “I want to use images not just to tell stories, but to think, feel, and explore more deeply.”