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Tian Gan
USA
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“Since childhood, I’ve loved creating vibrant, captivating, imaginative video game worlds.”
Tian Gan is a concept artist and illustrator currently working at Bad Robot Games, the video game division of JJ Abrams’ Bad Robot Productions. She has contributed to several well-known video game intellectual properties, including the iconic Silent Hill and Pac-Man franchises. At present, Tian is working on Bad Robot Games' first original video game IP, bringing her distinct creative vision to life in a groundbreaking project.
Los Angeles 2080-01 | Photoshop
17 X 33
This is a photo-illustration I manipulated one of my photo shot in Downtown LA, mixing it with other photos I took. In this piece, I use an alley as a miniature and try to visualize how Los Angeles in 2080 will look like.
Tian’s exceptional creativity and design expertise have been recognized through both national and international accolades. She has received prestigious honors from the Applied Art Awards, Creative Quarterly 72 and 73, American Illustration 42, the 3x3 International Illustration Awards, and the Art Directors Club 102nd Annual Awards. Her work has been featured in several respected exhibitions and publications, including Illustration West 62, Praxis Gallery, Ger Grief 15th Anniversary Show, Camelback Gallery, The Chateau Gallery, and Artdoc Magazine’s online exhibition.
Home & Mom | Photoshop
32 X 53
This piece was created based on the observation and memories of my hometown and my Mom. At the south of China, this is the old style living building built in 90s.
Tian’s passion for art and video games has been with her since childhood. The vibrant worlds and captivating characters she encountered in video games inspired her to one day create such content herself. Determined to follow her dream, Tian made the bold decision to leave her career as a product manager in a large tech company to pursue art. She taught herself the skills needed to become a concept artist, later moving to the United States in 2017 to study Concept Design at the ArtCenter College of Design. In 2020, she officially entered the video game industry.
“Artistic creation is challenging, but each breakthrough inspires me to continue.”
Tian’s mother, a lifelong photography enthusiast with no formal training, greatly influenced her journey. Her mother’s unwavering passion and dedication to photography inspired Tian to steadfastly pursue her own artistic dreams. While Tian acknowledges the solitary and challenging nature of creative work, each finished piece and artistic breakthrough serves as powerful encouragement to continue. This relentless drive fuels her ongoing commitment to the craft.
Dragon Island-01 | Photoshop
29 X 70
A boat encounters islands, but the islands are actually ancient dragons. This an imaginary scene.
When the boats passed by the dragon woke up and gazing them. This an imaginary scene.
Dragon Island-02 | Photoshop
$4,000
22 X 70
Since joining the gaming industry, Tian has worked on concept designs for a variety of games, thriving in the highly competitive environment. She remains deeply passionate about delivering exceptional designs to both players and audiences, constantly striving to push creative boundaries through persistent effort and innovation.
"I design lighting, blend familiar and unfamiliar, observe real-life details, create emotional scenes, craft unique shape languages, and strive to tell richer stories through still images."
"I have an endless passion for creating and will continue building fantastical worlds in the years to come. Right now, I’m especially drawn to sci-fi design and storytelling—a genre that challenges me to reach new levels of technical and conceptual mastery. For me, pushing creative boundaries is what drives my work and fuels my growth. My ultimate goal is to craft an original, fully realized universe and develop it into a distinctive IP."
Tian primarily creates her work digitally, utilizing tools such as 2D digital painting, digital drawing, and 3D modeling. Her professional focus is on designing imaginative environments, characters, and creatures for video games, animation, and film. Tian is particularly skilled in crafting lighting and set dressing for environment concept art, seamlessly blending the familiar and unfamiliar to spark boundless imagination.
Los Angeles 2080-02 | Photoshop
$4,000
27 X 53
This is another piece I created for Los Angeles 2080 project. Compared to the sunny and warmmer atmosphere to the other piece, this one has a different mood, which is rainy and colder.
Her attention to real-life detail is a defining aspect of her work, as she carefully observes the world to design scenes that evoke emotional connections with the audience. Tian also possesses a unique ability to develop shape language that visually expresses her imaginative ideas. Although her work largely focuses on still images, she aspires to deepen narrative and emotional impact, now venturing into CG short film production with the help of tools like Blender.
Hanging Temple for Egypt Princess Sahar | Photoshop
30 X 53
In a parallel universe, an Egypt Princess “Sahar” married a Babylonian King. So the king build a temple for her. And the temple was also for the social and political needs.
Tian believes that short films can expand the expressive power of her work while allowing her to collaborate with other talented artists in the industry. Through these projects, she aims to further challenge herself, refine her craft, and explore new storytelling possibilities that transcend static visuals.
An abandoned factory which was occupied by plants. But I used warmmer sunlight to make it feel different, instead of cold and sad, it is warm and hopeful.
Abandoned Factory | Photoshop
25 X 53
“I build fantastical worlds deeply inspired by observing everyday reality.”
Swamp Thing 1350 - Cursed Screaming Stone in the Cemetery | Photoshop
29 X 53
This is an imaginary scene. When you leave the graveyard and head toward sunset ruin, you will find the cursed screaming stone. It was inspired by the screaming stone in Celtic Myth. The screaming stone and the bull should bring fortune and power to people, but the endless desire of mankind led this place falling into a evil one.
While Tian’s creations often revolve around fantastical worlds, her imagination is firmly rooted in reality. She finds inspiration in every sensory experience—visual, auditory, or olfactory. By observing the world with curiosity, Tian studies and deconstructs real-life elements, distilling their essence and reimagining them into unique designs. Whenever creative inspiration wanes, she returns to the practice of careful observation, consistently rediscovering new sources of artistic energy.
This is a redesign for Swamp Thing but in Medievel. Alec went through the swamp to the town--- a place he would not be able to go back again.
Swamp Thing 1350 - Way to the Town | Photoshop
24 X 53
Looking ahead, Tian remains devoted to her passion for building imaginative worlds. She is particularly drawn to science fiction design and storytelling, a genre that demands greater technical mastery and conceptual depth. Tian welcomes these fresh challenges, viewing them as opportunities for growth. Her ultimate goal is to develop an original, fully realized universe and cultivate it into a unique intellectual property that resonates with global audiences.
Ho Diec Tribe - Tide Fish Farm | Photoshop
24 X 53
This is a redesign project based on "Horizon Zero Dawn". I intended to design environments for a new tribe which lives near the sea, and do fishing for living. This is the first location called "Tide Fishery". It is an iconic place in this area.
“I thrive in gaming, delivering exceptional designs through persistent creative effort.”
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