Baopu #115: Creating, Towards Utopia

A six-panel comic that shows Baopu, an queer Asian person, as a teenager with a long Black bob in China and later as an adult with short red hair. The cartoon depicts their immigration to America. Throughout the image, there is poem: When I was a teenager, I dreamed of leaving. Not anywhere in particular... Just somewhere far, far away. a Utopia. I don't regret leaving. Even though the place I went to was no utopia. I remembered. I didn't run away. I'm not just looking for the perfect place. I'm making it into being. Creating, towards utopia.

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Yao Xiao

Yao Xiao is a China-born illustrator based in New York City. Yao Xiao creates artwork depicting a poetic visual world where complex concepts and human emotions are examined, amplified, and given physical form. Her work has helped people all over the globe connect at unique moments, from the celebration of the 20 Year Anniversary of the SXSW Interactive Festival, to the grand release of pop singer Katy Perry's single 'Dark Horse.' She has created deeply emotional and beautiful graphics for editorial print publications, pop music record covers, concert posters and book covers. Yao Xiao's serialized comic Baopu currently runs monthly on Autostraddle. It is an original comic exploring the nuances in searching for identities, connections and friendships through the fictional life of a young, queer emigrant. Baopu stands for 'holding simplicity,' a Taoist ideal of wishing to return to a simpler state. Find her on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Etsy or her website.

Yao has written 134 articles for us.

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