Young Guns 20: Danica Tan Lijun

Awards

Young Guns 20: Danica Tan Lijun

Nov 02, 2022

Spotlighting the stupendous class of Young Guns 20

Spotlighting the stupendous class of Young Guns 20

Nearly 100 renowned industry professionals made up the jury for Young Guns this year. And after revealing the 84 finalists, it is finally time to unveil the 31 winners who make up the class of Young Guns 20.

Every year, we add another class of young talent from all over the globe to the exclusive Young Guns community. The winners of Young Guns 20 are your next project directors, animators, designers, editors, illustrators, artists, photographers, storytellers, coders, and writers. So this is your cue to follow them on Instagram immediately– because they are our industry’s future legends after all.

In two weeks, the winners will fly into NYC from around the world to celebrate their accomplishments, make new friends, have a few cocktails, and take home their official Young Guns Cube. We can’t wait to celebrate with them at Sony Hall on Wednesday, November 16, 2022, at 6:30 PM– and we hope to see you there too!

Before the party begins, we took the time to get to know each of our winners so you can read up on the highly creative individuals who make up Young Guns 20.

Danica Tan Lijun
ANIMATION DIRECTOR

Based:

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

Hometown:

SINGAPORE

SEE DANICA'S ENTRY

When did you first hear about Young Guns? What were your initial impressions of the Young Guns competition — the award and the community?

I was first introduced to Young Guns when I moved to New York from Singapore in 2016. My motion design professor brought up Young Guns during class and the awards became an outlet for me to discover incredible artists and learn about their journeys.

Witnessing the evolution of Young Guns like Michelle Higa Fox (YG7), Joyce N. Ho (YG17), and Victo Ngai (YG16) empowered me as a young female artist of color to work hard and push myself further. It is surreal to have won this year and a true honor to be a part of the community.

Congrats on winning COLORFUL and Young Guns 20! What motivated you to enter this year?

I entered COLORFUL: A Prelude to Young Guns and was fortunate enough to win the grant. Winning the grant felt truly monumental. It creates so many opportunities for BIPOC creatives, like myself, and it was a real privilege to be selected by artists I look up to. I'm so grateful to Rich Tu and the jury for believing in my work!

Winning COLORFUL gave me the confidence to enter Young Guns. This was my second time entering, and the quality of my portfolio has grown significantly since my first submission as a fresh graduate. I listened to my instincts and dedicated my time and energy to collaborating with artists I love and respect, and creating work that challenged and fulfilled me.

How did you choose which six pieces were best to enter and truly reflected you and your work?

The projects I chose are those I hold dear to my heart, and challenged me at different points in my journey. One of my submissions is an end title sequence for a film produced by my hero, Guillermo Del Toro. I also included my music video for Bright Eyes that raised over $40,000 for NAACP’s legal defense fund– a project that made me realize how important it is to create work that impacts and lifts others up.

Do you remember the exact place and time you were when you found out the news that you won?

The day I found out I won, I had just woken up after pulling an all nighter for a tight deadline. I read the congratulatory email with blurry eyes and thought I was dreaming. I haven’t had the chance to celebrate yet, but when I do it will be with a long night of karaoke and mahjong.

How would you describe your personal brand in one sentence? Now, try defining it in three words.

I seek to imagine (tender) and (ferocious) stories through a (phantasmagoric) lens.

What are some of the biggest influences on you and your work? Who may have had a hand in mentoring and supporting you?

Nostalgia and magical realism are currently the driving forces behind my work. My dear friends and creative collaborators always fuel the fire and push my boundaries. My parents have made many sacrifices so I can be where I am today, and have profoundly mentored me, even if they don’t really understand what I do.

Artistic heroes from my bible of inspiration, to name a few, are Neil Gaiman, Julia Ducournau, Shunji Iwai, Guillermo Del Toro, Bong Joon Ho, and Andrew Thomas Huang.

I have had the privilege of being mentored by incredible human beings. Singaporean artist Lee Wei Lieh was a guiding beacon of inspiration when I was a scattered design student. Samya Deb, a creative powerhouse, took me under his wing, gave me unforgettable opportunities, and taught me invaluable lessons during my time at Airbnb. Adam Gault and Debbie Millman’s teachings defined the course of my career. The legendary Kyle Cooper opened many doors for me and granted me the chance to work on dream projects with amazing artists such as Giovanni Bucci and Christian Antolin. Art Camp’s Santiago Carrasquilla and Jos Diaz took me on as their first intern in 2017, taught me what collaboration really means and have given me innumerable opportunities ever since.

Now that you’re in the Young Guns crew, are there any past winners you look up to and admire? What is it about their work that you love?

There are too many to list but a few off the top of my head I'd say Daniels (YG14), Eric Hu (YG8), Michelle Higa Fox (YG7), Jonas Lindstroem (YG16), Joyce N. Ho (YG17), Victo Ngai (YG16), Sean Wang (YG19), Santiago Carrasquilla (YG14), Saad Moosajee (YG18), and Danae Gosset (YG19). Their work always leaves me in a pool of emotions and wonder.

Name a professional dream that you have yet to fulfill — who would you love to collab with? What would you make together?

I would love to collaborate with a cinematographer and make a short film and more music videos! I’m currently directing a narrative music video that mixes live action with animation. It’s one of the most ambitious and challenging projects I have taken on and I’m excited to finish it.

This is YG20, but what do you imagine you’ll be up to when YG30 rolls around in 2032?

I’ll be soaring through a midlife crisis and deeply engrossed in creating something meaningful with wonderful people.

Any thoughts on how you are feeling about winning YG20? Best piece of advice you have ever received? Life motto? Goals heading into 2023?

I’m still in disbelief about winning and I’m hoping my nutty schedule allows me to travel to NYC for the YG20 party! Best advice: There is no playbook for success. Everyone has their own unique path, you have to follow your gut and your heart. Life Motto: Stay curious and fearless. And my goals for 2023 are to eat and sleep at a healthy hour, love wholeheartedly, and watch the sunset as often as possible.