Exploring the Unseen, the Ancient and the Personal – Through Illustration: Wen Xi Kong, Illustration

Left to right 

1. Nanotoxicology is an Adjunct Bubble 

2. Replication as a Contested Science 

3. Clouded by Systematic Ignorance  

4. The Career Stages of an Ambitious Nanoparticle 

From artwork on nanoparticles to the history of Jarlshof, Shetland, DJCAD Illustration Graduate Wen Xi Kong’s pieces simply leave viewers in awe through impactful visuals and the stories behind them. 

At the DJCAD Degree Show, Wen has four projects on the wall. The Jute Journal asked about her favourite one, and Wen said: 

Nanotoxicology is an Adjunct Bubble. Photo: Nirmi Parekh 

“My favourite is the collaboration with Maastricht University in the Netherlands, where I was matched with a social science researcher who was researching nanoparticles.” 

Being matched to such a complex topic can be challenging as an artist. Experimenting and trying to find ways to convey this through her art was all part of the process. She created a series of illustrations which explore the controversies behind the research of nanoparticles.

Replication as a Contested Science. Photo: Nirmi Parekh 

When asked about how she found the topic, she said: 

“It is a surprise, isn’t it? I was also very surprised on the first day I got it. I had to flip through an academic journal with pictures of nucleic acid inside, which was not on my bingo for 2026!” 

“It was quite fun, because it’s the first project that I ever did that was based on the real world, because it is not just you doing the work; you are actually collaborating with another person, and their input matters to how the project will go.”

Clouded by Systematic Ignorance. Photo: Nirmi Parekh 

Alongside the bold use of colours, there are several details which can only be seen up close in the pieces. Wen said: 

“For such a dry topic, I use bright colours to make it interesting.”  

The Career Stages of an Ambitious Nanoparticle. Photo: Nirmi Parekh 

Wen portrays a range of unique topics. One of her projects is a Viking-shaped board book called “Four Thousand Years in Four Acres.” It is a collaboration with Historic Environment Scotland, and her chosen heritage site is Jarlshof, Shetland. Wen said: 

“Jarlshof has four thousand years of history, just in one location. From the Bronze Age to the Iron Age to the Viking Age. I thought it was really interesting, because I have never seen anything like it, even in geography textbooks.” 

Viking-shaped board book called “Four Thousand Years in Four Acres.” Photo: Nirmi Parekh 

“Each flipping motion of the book is meant to represent time. Because rock layers were covering over each other through every generation of time that passed.” 

Flipping through the book is just as described; it takes you on a journey back in time. It is so much more than looking at artwork on a wall. It is interactive, and each page tells its own story, and the book’s shape will draw your attention from a distance. Wen said: 

“I hope people feel free to pick up the book and flip through it, because touching it is half the experience.” 

To truly capture the essence of her journey moving to Scotland, Wen’s personal project called “Average Genius” is one not to miss. She did a four-page comic strip based on her childhood in Malaysia, growing up into a young adult in Scotland. Wen said: 

“I wanted to showcase that back home, things are very result-driven. ” While here [Scotland] everything is very free, and when I first came here, the culture shock was quite impactful for me.” 

“I wanted to try to convey that transition between a strict academic life and a free and open one where you can do whatever you want. I got really stressed throughout this, but in the end, it will be okay, because I do not like to give up, so I tried to convey that never-giving-up attitude through the comic.” 

The comic is a true masterpiece with hundreds of details filled throughout it. Some international students mentioned that the comic is quite relatable to them on a personal level, and the transition of being educated in different countries is captured thoroughly in the comic.