Zhang Liang's cartoons sum up American pop culture

Date
29 September 2016

Illustrator Zhang Liang — who also goes by the name Ray — makes bold, vibrant, and, despite their often NSFW content, cleanly executed cartoons.

Ray graduated from Glasgow School of Art with a masters in illustration in 2012, where he studied with puppet expert John M. Blundall. He also spent a year at the China Academy of Fine Art. Now, Ray lives between London and Beijing, where he works as a freelance illustrator.

Despite his multinational background, Ray’s work is grounded firmly in an obsession with America and its pop culture: junk food, the Simpsons, disco, hip hop, dollars, shrimp, Bowie, Miley Cyrus, Rick Ross, Rihanna, Michael Jackson and even Playboy bunnies feature in his over-the-top acid-coloured illustrations. It’s work that laughs in the face of anyone who takes themselves too seriously.

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About the Author

Bryony Stone

Bryony joined It's Nice That as Deputy Editor in August 2016, following roles at Mother, Secret Cinema, LAW, Rollacoaster and Wonderland. She later became Acting Editor at It's Nice That, before leaving in late 2018.

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