Explorations in colour and luminescence with Hoi Chan

Everything this New Orleans artist creates seems to have a special aura about it. We decided to find out more about his creative thinking.

Originally from China, Hoi Chan graduated from the School of Visual Arts in New York in 2016 and relocated to New Orleans during the COVID-19 pandemic. We featured him here on Creative Boom around that time, when he was creating artworks focusing on human connections. In 2025, his portfolio has shifted to a whole new level with imagery that handles light, colour and translucency uniquely. It’s full of beautiful, emotive artworks that seem to float up out of the screen (or off the page) and drift into the ether.

“After moving to New Orleans, with its abundant rainfall and vibrant natural landscapes, I started exploring fuller, rounder shapes, inspired by the humid environment where even the breeze feels heavy,” explains Hoi. “I also love marine creatures. They often have fascinating colour combinations that are both vibrant and delicate, and they’re a big source of inspiration for me.”

His image, ‘Symbiotic Relationship’ (above) – which began as an editorial sketch but evolved into a personal piece – is full of vibrant aquatic colours. “I used natural forms as metaphors for ourselves,” says Hoi. “In this case, the relationship between a clownfish and a sea anemone expresses mutual reliance.”

When ideas for commercial projects don’t pan out, Hoi holds onto them and they become fertile ground as he develops his style, attempts new techniques and applies his own thinking to the original theme. In Night Breeze, he explored colourways that were new to him, again taking inspiration from the world under the sea.

“The story was about human emotions, so I created waves that embrace the figure, almost squeezing it in the centre. At first, I tried warm colours – pinks, peaches – but they felt too heavy since the shapes were already abundant. Eventually, I drew inspiration from the iridescence of a seashell and built the final palette from there.”

While he applies high-energy colours and carefully crafts a glowing, ethereal quality in each illustration, behind every piece, Hoi aims to be as honest as possible. He wants to capture and share authentic feelings, ones that the viewer can experience through his art.

“My work often revolves around the relationship between individuals and the world – how we position ourselves within it, how we seek peace within ourselves and how we keep moving forward. That’s why many of my figures are depicted alone,” he says.

For example, you might sense the poignancy of an image like Bioluminescence. The artwork was inspired by the death of someone Hoi knew. Once again, deep-sea creatures serve as a metaphor for our existence – existing under immense pressure yet still maintaining their shape and glow.

Hoi uses textures from the natural world throughout his work – rocks, wood, other found surfaces – scanning and photographing them. They’re often very subtle within a piece but will serve to ground it. All his colouring is fine-tuned in Photoshop.

Many of Hoi’s clients are drawn to his distinctive personal work and support his desire to incorporate elements of the natural world into their projects. Creating imagery relating to AI for The New York Times and its magazine insert, Hoi enjoys using organic forms to define technological concepts.

Meanwhile, to create his own website, he drew inspiration from his upbringing in Hong Kong and collaborated with a feng shui consultant to organise the content and create a unique user experience under the heading ‘Auspicious Elements’. “For example, the landing page became the entrance, while my info page was the bedroom. Following her advice, I created spot illustrations with auspicious meanings and placed them throughout the site, much like we place symbolic objects in a home to create harmony.”

In future, Hoi would love to bring more of his works to life with animation, and he’d also like to create a zine or book, drawing on his old sketchbooks and developing ideas within them.