帶點傻氣的人物、明亮飽和的色彩，以及充滿趣味的遊戲元素，讓 Ma Shuai（Instagram：@shuaiii.maaa）的作品第一眼看來輕鬆又可愛。然而，這些討喜的畫面並不只是為了逗人一笑。對她而言，「可愛」是一種富有力量的情感語言，既承載着她的情緒與自我表達，也包裹着她對成長和記憶的細膩探索。
Slightly goofy characters, bright saturated colours and playful game-inspired elements make Ma Shuai’s work (Instagram: @shuaiii.maaa) appear light-hearted and adorable at first glance. Yet these charming images are not created simply to make people smile. For her, “cuteness” is a powerful emotional language—one that carries her feelings and self-expression while also embracing her delicate explorations of growth and memory.
出生於廣州、現居博洛尼亞的 Ma Shuai，自小便對繪畫充滿興趣。她曾在佛羅倫斯學習裝飾藝術，其後前往博洛尼亞修讀插畫與出版。離開熟悉的生活環境後，獨處的時間讓她更深入地觀察自己的情緒與內心，而這些細微的感受，也逐漸轉化成筆下的人物與故事。對不太習慣直接以言語表達自己的她而言，插畫就像另一種語言，讓難以說出口的情緒得以透過圖像被呈現和理解。
Born in Guangzhou and now based in Bologna, Ma Shuai has been interested in drawing since childhood. She studied decorative arts in Florence before moving to Bologna to pursue illustration and publishing. After leaving her familiar surroundings, periods of solitude allowed her to observe her emotions and inner world more closely, and these subtle feelings gradually developed into the characters and stories in her work. As someone who does not always find it easy to express herself through words, illustration has become another language through which difficult emotions can be visualised and understood.
Ma Shuai 的創作源自個人感受。她喜歡從朋友間的閒聊、生活中的誤會或雙關語尋找靈感，再把這些微小片段變成帶點有趣的情節。人物有時顯得笨拙，卻總保留着一份溫柔。這種輕鬆與可愛，讓觀眾被畫面的趣味吸引。
Ma Shuai’s work is rooted in personal feelings. She often draws inspiration from conversations with friends, everyday misunderstandings and wordplay, transforming these small moments into playful situations. Her characters may appear clumsy at times, yet they always retain a sense of tenderness. This light-hearted and endearing quality draws viewers into the humour of her images.
在這些可愛角色背後，亦藏着她對過往記憶的眷戀。李安與楊德昌對亞洲家庭關係的細膩描繪，以及電影中的色彩與構圖，都對她產生了深刻影響，也啟發她在插畫中探索人與人之間微妙而複雜的關係。童年玩過的任天堂遊戲、電子寵物、《貪食蛇》和《踩地雷》，也化成插畫中的小元素。這些帶有年代感的符號，為作品增添了一層懷舊色彩，也讓她透過創作重新尋找過去留下的痕跡。
Behind these adorable characters also lies her attachment to memories of the past. Ang Lee and Edward Yang’s sensitive portrayals of Asian family relationships, as well as their use of colour and composition, have had a strong influence on her work. They have also inspired her to explore the subtle and complex relationships between people through illustration. Nintendo games, Tamagotchi, Snake and Minesweeper from her childhood reappear as small visual elements in her work. These nostalgic symbols add another layer of memory to her illustrations, allowing her to search for traces of the past through the act of creating.
找一個悠閒的午後，打開 Ma Shuai 的 Instagram——你會發現，原來可愛的畫面，也可以盛載如此細膩的情緒。
Spend a leisurely afternoon browsing Ma Shuai’s Instagram, and you may discover that even the cutest images can carry the most delicate emotions.
圖片提供：藝術家 Ma Shuai｜Courtesy of Ma Shuai Instagram：@shuaiii.maaa