zhen

zhen

creating visuals in malaysia / manchester, UK

About

Graphic designer + illustrator. Interested in creating visual narratives with people that try to make sense of the world. From sunny Malaysia, currently based in Manchester.

When I'm not providing a service, you can find me reading slice of life manga, watching long youtube videos, or playing indie games.

lyzleong@gmail.com
(working on adding pictures...)

Contact

Website
LinkedIn

Work Experience

2024 — 2024
Junior Graphic Designer at Don't Panic Projects
Rawtenstall, UK

Designing print, digital and marketing collateral across various touch points for acclaimed awards in the UK: UK Company Culture Awards, UK Content Awards, UK Paid Media Awards etc.

2023 — 2023
Bristol

Worked on pre-intervention surveys for Extinction Silences project looking at the museum's taxidermy gallery in a colonial lens. Also analysed data from Museum Community Conversations, looking at barriers to participation.

2023 — 2023
Bristol

Co-designed a cohesive visual identity for a small-scale talks event focusing on the discriminatory past and present of graphic design, looking forward to more diverse and inclusive futures. Together with the talented Pedro Sousa.

2022 — 2023

Part time from April 2022–July 2023. Not design/illustration related, but sometimes life is more than that. Picked up a lot of soft skills: communication, teamwork, problem-solving.

2022 — 2022
Bath, UK

Through UWE's Design Buddy scheme, I had the great opportunity to intern at Supple Studio for a week. I managed to work on: a branding concept brief, some spot illustrations, research work, FA file-checking.

2021 — 2021
Kuala Lumpur (Remote)

Took over initial files for a card game, did further refinements such as content changes, visual edits, and final artwork preparation. Following their branding, I also designed the instruction manual, thank you cards, and stickers as collateral for the card game.

2019 — 2021
Kuala Lumpur (Remote)

To translate given brief requirements into visually engaging products in-line with Bingka’s vision and hand-drawn art style. My responsibilities include delivering projects from conception (drafting, revising) to pre-production (preparing silkscreen-ready files, creating product sewing specs), and working alongside co-founder Emmalynn through feedback.

2018 — 2018
Petaling Jaya, Malaysia

Helped in tutoring underprivileged children (aged 6 to 18) in an art enrichment programme to provide a fun experience for them through art expression.

Side Projects

2023

Co-organised and Co-designed by Carmen Ngooi and myself, gradient is a a weekend exhibition for creatives from the same Diploma cohort who graduated during the pandemic and missed the opportunity to showcase their creations physically.

2022
Subject Taster at FutureQuest

FutureQuest holds "Subject Taster Days" for primary students as part of their outreach programme. In collaboration with UWE's teachers-in-training, as a team of four, we planned a one-day activity workshop to introduce the field of graphic design to Year 5 (age 9-10) students.

2022

Together with my friend Claire, we both led a free paper making workshop aimed at kids (aged 5-12+) for 2 weekends at Arnolfini Gallery. We also had lovely assistance from Ha, Thao, Lander, and Arnolfini staff to run the workshop. <3

2020

Together with a dear friend <3, we collaborated on a short comic that would later be published in a Southeast Asian comic anthology themed around sound. Our story, titled Softly Sayang, tells the story of a young girl who begs a mysterious shopkeeper to take away her ability to hear her mother's voice.

Volunteering

2024 — Now
Manchester, UK

HappeningInMCR is an info hub for visual art events and opportunities in Greater Manchester, as well as organising and curating their own exhibitions.

2023 — Now
worldwide

Currently part of the graphics team making social media graphics (& more) to empower Asian youth into intersectional activism.

2021 — 2021

I lead their social media graphic design team, tasked with overseeing and creating Instagram posts. In the six months where I was part of the team, But Honestly’s Instagram page grew from 800 to 2,200 followers.

Exhibitions

2024
Afflecks Micro-Gallery at Afflecks
Manchester
2023
gradient exhibit at Wild Sheep Home
Malaysia
2022
Hari-Hari Malaysia at Balai Seni Negara
Malaysia
2022

Education

2024 — 2024
Executive Education in Editorial Design at Royal College of Art
2022 — 2023
Bristol, UK

Graduated First Class Honours. My final semester project explored cuteness and its complexities, while my visual culture essay focused on feminine bodies in horror manga.

2018 — 2020
Selangor, Malaysia

President for graduating batch's online exhibition during the pandemic. In charge of overseeing a team of 11, from fundraising to visual graphics. Had an...interesting time here.