Tan Zi Xi - Art Loft

Tan Zi Xi
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Artist Story
Singapore-born, London-trained, MessyMsxi is the moniker artist Zi Xi came up with while she was at Central Saint Martins as her course mates and friends had difficulties pronouncing her distinctively Chinese name. With its alliterative ring, MessyMsxi is not only memorable, it also hints at Zi Xi’s belief that the creative process is inherently messy, that the truest works spring from moments of spontaneity and inspiration. Since graduating in 2009 with an honours degree in Graphic Design (Illustration Major), Zi Xi has gone on to carve out a reputation for herself as an illustrator. Her works have won her acclaim almost from the start. Zi Xi was conferred “New Talent of Year 2010” in the London International Creative Competition for her seminal series Ten Years of Work for Every Minute on Stage, and was voted “Best Illustrator 2010” by JUICE Magazine Singapore. In 2013, she was winner of the “Most Inspiring Award” in the Great Women of Our Time 2013, an annual award by The Singapore Women’s Weekly that honours the achievements of the nation’s most inspiring women. In the same year, Zi Xi won “The Hedwig Anuar Children’s Book Award 2013” for her illustrations in Where's Grandma?. In recognition of her talent and unique style, Zi Xi has also been invited to work on numerous projects with collaborators as diverse as graphic designers, fashion labels and museums. In fact, her most recent accolade is a prestigious Gold from the Singapore Creative Circle Awards 2015 for her animation piece, dododo, commissioned by UNTITLED Japan. Never one to stand still, Zi Xi constantly seeks new ways to express herself, exploring media and forms out of her comfort zone. Striving always for meaning in her work she pushes beyond the decorative into the narrative, be it a personal view of a subject close to her heart or an acute commentary on larger social issues.
Location
Singapore
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Artist CV

Artist CV

Employment / Working Experience

September 2008
Internship, Ogilvy, London

September 2009 - Present
Independent Full-time Illustrator

Education

September 2006 - June 2009
Bachelor (Hons.) Graphic Design, Illustration Major, Central Saint Martins College of Arts and Design, University of Arts London, United Kingdom

March 2002 - May 2005
Diploma in Visual Communication, Temasek Polytechnic, Singapore

Awards & Achievements

2005
Director’s List - Temasek Polytechnic, Visual Communication, Singapore
Awarded only to top 5% of the cohort.
Best Final Year Project - Temasek Polytechnic, Visual Communication, Singapore
Best Of Design - Crowbar Awards, Singapore Awarded Top entry in all categories for Teri’s Most Beautifuls
Gold - Crowbar Awards, Singapore Awarded for Category Editorial Design : Teri’s Most Beautiful
Bronze - Crowbar Awards, Singapore Category Packaging Design , Awarded forTen Feet Tall
Merit - Young Asian Designer Award, Regional Category : Illustration , Awarded for Teri’s Most Beautiful

2006
Design Singapore Scholarship

2008
Finalist - D&AD Student Awards, London Awarded for An Effort Most Futile

2009
Second Upper, University of Arts London,
Central Saint Martins College of Arts and Design,
Bachelor Honors, Illustration

2010
Winning Entry for Student Notebook Vol.1 Design, AlsOdoMinie, Singapore
Highly Recommendation - 29th UOB Painting of the Year Competition, Singapore
New Talent of the Year -
London International Creative Competition, London
Category - Professional Illustration, Awarded for Ten Years of Work for Every Minute on Stage
Voted Best Illustrator 2010, JUICE Magazine, Singapore

2011
Merit - Art Directors Club 90th Annual Awards 2011, New York, Award for The Design Society Journal #1

2013
Nominated for ‘Great Women of Our Time 2013’ by The Singapore Women‘s Weekly Magazine
The Hedwig Anuar Children’s Book Award 2013
‘Most Inspiring Award’ of ‘Great Women of Our Times Awards 2013’ by Singapore Women‘s Weekly Magazine

Press & Publications

2005
Interview Feature in Oom Magazine, Thailand

2009
Cover Art for Amelia’s Magazine, London

2010
Feature Story on Juice 2010 April Issue
Interview Feature on I-S Magazine 2010 April Issue, Singapore
Cover Art and Interview Feature on Design Society Journal, Singapore
Interview Feature on SHIFT.jp www.shift.jp.org/en/archives/2010/10/messy_msxi.html

2011
Interview Feature on Daily Cyzo www.cyzo.com/2011/08/post_8135.html
Interview Feature on ActuallyMag, http://actuallymag.com/breakfast-beauty-the-most-important-meal-of-the-day-made-up/

2012
Interview Feature on The Design Society Journal No.4, Singapore
Interview Feature on Streething http://streething.com/news/3182

2013
Interview Feature for ‘Great Women of Our Time 2013’ by The Singapore Women‘s Weekly Magazine
Interview Feature on Sunday Times LIFE! Page 7, 9th June 2013

Exhibitions

2005
DesignEDGE Idn Conference & Expo in collaboration with Fashion Designer, Jo Soh, Singapore
Presentation at Rojak03, 3 Starlight Road, Singapore

2008
Under Construction, Central Saint Martins Graphic Design Exhibition, Truman Brewery, London
Work In Progress, Central Saint Martins Illustration Group Exhibition, Colom Art Gallery, London