Cloud Factory
Cloud Factory is a 24-page children’s illustration bookcompleted on April, 2011.
This project was started from a simple idea: Where doclouds come from? Overall, this illustrated book is based on the reminiscenceof the childhood fantasy. This general wondering in origin of clouds startedwhen I was little, looking at the sky. Growing up in the suburb of WesternCanada, I got a lot of chances to look at the sky in the environment surroundedby trees and fields. I observed the sky everyday with a disposable film camera,and I would enjoy taking photos of different clouds very much. And one day, Isaw white smoke coming out of the chimney. In naïve mind, I believed right awaythat the clouds were made from chimneys, and those were called cloud factories.I was very disappointed when I learned about the scientific facts about cloudsin school since I believed that there must be more exciting facts about cloudfactory. It is such a common experience for us that as children, we imagine wherethe things come from and be disappointed by ‘learning the fact’, which to beknown ‘to grow up’. After years and years, I still remember that I was moreexcited about looking at the clouds thinking they come from the cloud factory.Metaphorically, my Cloud Factory has been destroyed in my mind.
After years, I decided to rebuild the Cloud Factory again inmy illustrations. The personality of the book is poetic, quiet and subtle to approachthe readers in more peaceful and comfortable way. As an illustrator, I tend tomove away from cliché, so I decided to make this book without words and newstyle of illustrations that are not usually seen in children’s books. CloudFactory, I would say, is rather conceptual then narrative. Its ambiguous storyleads the readers to create their own stories in their mind. Surreal settings,objects and character move quietly and peacefully inside the cloud factory.They are not real, but there ‘might’ be some place up there with someonewho works to make clouds everyday. The unordinary color use of sky was to depictchildhood as well. To grown-ups, sky is always blue during the day and blackduring the night. To children, in their curious and observing manner, sky hasso many different colors even when it is dark. So in the end of the book, growngirl sees blue sky with regular clouds. Cloud Factory is an example of children's curiosity about where things came from. Based on my personal experiences, I wanted to question what it means togrow up and forget the childhood fantasies.
