Singapore-born, London-trained, MessyMsxi is the moniker artist Zi Xi came up with while she was at Central Saint Martins as her course mates and friends had difficulties pronouncing her distinctively Chinese name. With its alliterative ring, MessyMsxi is not only memorable, it also hints at Zi Xi’s belief that the creative process is inherently messy, that the truest works spring from moments of spontaneity and inspiration.

Since graduating in 2009 with an honours degree in Graphic Design (Illustration Major), Zi Xi has gone on to carve out a reputation for herself as an illustrator. Her works have won her acclaim almost from the start. Zi Xi was conferred “New Talent of Year 2010” in the London International Creative Competition for her seminal series Ten Years of Work for Every Minute on Stage, and was voted “Best Illustrator 2010” by JUICE Magazine Singapore. 

In 2013, she was winner of the “Most Inspiring Award” in the Great Women of Our Time 2013, an annual award by The Singapore Women’s Weekly that honours the achievements of the nation’s most inspiring women. In the same year, Zi Xi won “The Hedwig Anuar Children’s Book Award 2013” for her illustrations in Where’s Grandma?.

In recognition of her talent and unique style, Zi Xi has also been invited to work on numerous projects with collaborators as diverse as graphic designers, fashion labels and museums. In fact, her most recent accolade is a prestigious Gold from the Singapore Creative Circle Awards 2015 for her animation piece, dododo, commissioned by UNTITLED Japan. 

Never one to stand still, Zi Xi constantly seeks new ways to express herself, exploring media and forms out of her comfort zone. Striving always for meaning in her work she pushes beyond the decorative into the narrative, be it a personal view of a subject close to her heart or an acute commentary on larger social issues.

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MessyMsxi