Kai Zhang loves making art. He enjoys the sense of invention that accompanies transforming an idea into something tangible and unique.
But what really gives him joy is sharing the product of his imagination with others.
"To me, the magic of art is in the acts of sharing and receiving," said Zhang, a Yale senior and resident of Davenport College. "I love seeing my art in the hands of others. It's like little pieces of me that I give to other people."
In high school, Zhang began making zines - whimsical and sometimes silly handmade booklets on random topics of his choosing. One might contain a comic about making peanut-butter noodles. Another might argue that cats are preferrable to dogs. The well of subjects, he said, runs as deep as one's imagination allows.
"You can make something out of nothing on any topic you like and then share it with everyone," he said. "You can make a zine from one piece of paper that you fold or cut into certain configurations. From there, you visit a print shop, make as many copies as you want, and start sharing them."
