Artist Illustrates Everyday Life To Compare Chinese And Western Culture

“Tiny Eyes” is a comic series, created by the Chinese artist Siyu, that shares slices of everyday life from a Chinese perspective.

Why “tiny eyes”?

Because it’s one of the common stereotypes of Chinese, among many others. This generalised and often distorted image of China that we got from mass media is usually heavy, dull, political, and mystified. In contrast, this comic hopes to creates a fun, intimate and authentic space that serves as an alternative channel to people who are curious about China.

“I was born and raised in Beijing, and I’ve spent last 10 years traveling, studying and working abroad in the US, UK, and France. Many people that I met were curious about China, but their impressions of China would end up with words like ‘communist,’ ‘pollution’ and ‘no Facebook.’ While many facts are true, the contemporary, living and multifaceted Chinese life is rarely heard of.

I started “tiny eyes” comics a year ago in the hope of sharing Chinese culture through everyday life, To me, learning about other cultures has always been a fun experience, and I want to pass this feeling to people who are curious about China. In lots of my comics, I compare Chinese culture to western culture. Through comparison, we realise how differently we act in front of the same situation and how we tend to think in a certain way instead of another. In the end, every culture is “weird” in its way, but it’s also the weirdness that makes it interesting,” Siyu told Bored Panda.

More info: Tiny Eyes, Instagram (h/t: boredpanda)

When you are amazed by people who can speak another language that seems so difficult. #language #chinese #china #sliceoflife #absurd #webtoon #webcomic #comics #tinyeyescomics

A post shared by tiny eyes (@tinyeyescomics) on Jan 13, 2018 at 12:10am PST

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Can you name a classic Chinese design or a brand? Probably difficult. But have you bought anything “Made in China”? Very likely yes. Chinese products are often associated with the word “cheap” and not high quality, sadly. Many aspiring local designers have been trying to create original and valuable products, but problem such as the lack of copyright protection has complicated the process. Still a long way to go. #madeinchina #design #chinese #productdesign #brand #iconic #culture #sliceoflife #webtoon #webcomic #comics #tinyeyescomics

A post shared by tiny eyes (@tinyeyescomics) on Jan 9, 2018 at 11:33pm PST

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It’s hard for Chinese to directly express their love to their families and friends. Instead of saying love, we show care to the health of people we love, ask them if everything goes well, and buy nice things to make their life more comfortable. In history, Confucius enforced social orders by putting people in different relations/obligations, but the expression of personal feelings was never encouraged. Emotions need to be under control. How do you show people that you care about them? #love #emotions #family #expresslove #chinese #chineseculture #sliceoflife #eastmeetswest #americans #webtoon #webcomic #comics #tinyeyescomics

A post shared by tiny eyes (@tinyeyescomics) on Jan 6, 2018 at 12:26am PST

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I have hoped for very different things for the new year as I lived through different conditions, sometimes completely opposite. But no matter in what condition there’s one thing that hasn’t changed: to be better, at what I do, at who I am. This is something we do across all cultures, in all languages. Next year is going to be better. Let’s keep hoping. #newyear #2018 #2018goals #resolution #betterlife #hope #sliceoflife #webtoon #webcomic #comics #tinyeyescomics

A post shared by tiny eyes (@tinyeyescomics) on Dec 31, 2017 at 12:09am PST

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Problem of long tables : if you sit at the end of the table, you are going to miss all the conversation at the other end. In China when there’s lots of people eating together, we usually have a round table with all the dishes in the middle. The round table encourage the share of food as well as the share of conversation. #eating #habit #longtable #roundtable #sharefood #chineseculture #dinner #christmas #getogether #webtoon #webcomic #comics #tinyeyescomics

A post shared by tiny eyes (@tinyeyescomics) on Dec 27, 2017 at 3:33am PST

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I love French cuisine, but one thing I’m still not completely used to is the length of a formal dinner. Western meals have a very linear order while Chinese meals are not so much structured by time. (Though we do have the idea of “cold dishes” which in general come before the warm dishes) All dishes are shared between people, and it’s expected to have several dishes at the same time. You could eat at your own pace and never worry about if you eat too fast or too slow. #dinner #christmas #cuisine #frenchcuisine #eastmeetswest #chineseculture #longdinner #habits #sliceoflife #webtoon #webcomic #comics #tinyeyescomics

A post shared by tiny eyes (@tinyeyescomics) on Dec 23, 2017 at 12:22am PST

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There’s a Chinese saying “三思而后行”, which means to think twice before taking actions. In history, Chinese value highly reflection and past experience, but acting cautiously and staying wise didn’t save the people from the arrival of the early western explorers who sailed into the unknown and took chances at the risk of their lives. China was forced to take actions in its modern history, often times too fast in exchange for development. While too much reflection on the past slows down the process of change and innovation, too much action without thinking results in waste of resources and irreversible consequences. It’s time for thinkers and doers to meet and learn from each other in this increasingly connected world. It’s happening. #thinking #doing #thinktwice #justdoit #past #future #chinese #western #culture #history #eastmeetwest #webtoon #webcomic #comics #tinyeyescomics

A post shared by tiny eyes (@tinyeyescomics) on Dec 19, 2017 at 11:46pm PST

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I’ve experienced student dormitories in three countries: In the U.K. I have my own private room with shared public space; In the U.S. I shared my dorm room with one roommate; In China, I used to live with 5 girls in the same room. This lack of privacy must be shocking for some of you, but in a country with 1.3 billion population, space is always a problem. While there are many inconvenience not having enough private space, on the bright side, sharing a room with someone also makes you learn quite a deal about communication, responsibilities and tolerance. #studentlife #usa #uk #chinese #dormroom #space #privacy #sliceoflife #comics #webtoon #webcomic #tinyeyescomics

A post shared by tiny eyes (@tinyeyescomics) on Dec 15, 2017 at 11:33pm PST

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Beauty = Thin. “Gaining weight” brings absolute horror for many Chinese girls, even though most of them are already considered thin in other cultures. I’ve seen girls who eat only one apple a day and who drink special tea (which makes you go to toilet 20 times a day) in order to lose weight in a very short time. Movie stars and super models are pushing this aesthetic to its extreme through mass media. When will we be able to simple enjoy being who we are? #aesthetic #culture #chinese #fitness #gainingweight #looseweight #diet #beauty #comics #webtoon #webcomic #tinyeyescomics

A post shared by tiny eyes (@tinyeyescomics) on Dec 5, 2017 at 11:51pm PST

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There’s something mysterious and beautiful about a foreign language you don’t understand, regardless of the actual content. #foreignlanguage #communication #mysterious #sliceoflife #comics #webtoon #webcomic #tinyeyescomics

A post shared by tiny eyes (@tinyeyescomics) on Dec 2, 2017 at 12:06am PST

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It takes me sometime to get used to making constant eye contact when talking to people. Traditionally, Chinese people tend to avoid direct eye contact when talking to each other, which is a way to show respect and obedience, but in lots of western cultures, especially in English-speaking countries, avoiding eye contact signifies hesitation and dishonesty. (Correct me if I’m wrong) #eyecontacts #bodylanguage #social #sign #chineseculture #sliceoflife #comics #webcomic #webtoon #tinyeyescomics

A post shared by tiny eyes (@tinyeyescomics) on Nov 28, 2017 at 11:38pm PST

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In China, it’s not rare to see young people choosing to live with their parents after getting out of college. For one thing, it’s more economical than renting a house on your own. And for another, Chinese are very family oriented, so getting support from your parents it’s expected in the social norm. In the the United States, however, people value independence so much that it’s embarrassing to have things given to you while you have the ability to live on your own. #chinese #culture #family #parents #independent #value #society #collegelife #sliceoflife #webtoon #webcomic #comics #tinyeyescomics

A post shared by tiny eyes (@tinyeyescomics) on Nov 24, 2017 at 11:53pm PST

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Happy Thanksgiving in advance ! I remember spending my first thanksgiving with my American friend’s family at Tucson, Arizona. We had one huge turkey, three kinds of pies and lots of laughter. It reminded me of Chinese New Year, which is also about family get together and sharing food. We are not so different after all. #thanksgiving #2017 #wishes #turkey #food #family #happiness #sharing #sliceoflife #comics #webtoon #webcomic #tinyeyescomics

A post shared by tiny eyes (@tinyeyescomics) on Nov 21, 2017 at 11:39pm PST

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In Chinese schools, smoking is strictly prohibited and any student who smoke is considered “bad”. It’s not just in the sense of “bad for health”, but also considered a symbol for moral degradation. In France, I notice that there are lots of teenagers who smoke, and it’s actually considered “cool” among their friends. There’s even peer pressure to learn how to smoke. Smoking is also a normal way of socializing so there isn’t any negative moral aspect associated with it. #smoking #judgements #culture #chineseculture #frenchculture #society #sliceoflife #comics #webcomic #tinyeyescomics

A post shared by tiny eyes (@tinyeyescomics) on Nov 14, 2017 at 11:14pm PST

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Chinese have trouble taking compliments from other people, because they are raised to be humble, to be self-reflective, and to not stand out from the crowd. So when someone notices you and makes a compliment, you tend to lose the inner balance and get nervous very quickly. #compliments #chineseculture #habit #selfreflection #nervous #sliceoflife #comics #webcomic #tinyeyescomics

A post shared by tiny eyes (@tinyeyescomics) on Nov 1, 2017 at 12:59am PDT

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#interracial #interracialcouple #relationship #love #communication #sliceoflife #comics #webcomic #tinyeyescomics

A post shared by tiny eyes (@tinyeyescomics) on Oct 28, 2017 at 12:01am PDT

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If there’s a great opportunity to study abroad, but it takes 5 years to get there, and you may get lost on the way, or even die, do you still want to go? I don’t know, but I admire our ancestors who are curious and courageous enough to learn from foreign lands beyond their imagination. Now, we could travel to a different country within hours, talk with friends in a foreign language, and fall in love with a person on the opposite side of the world. It’s the best time to learn, to express, to connect with other human beings, and to expand the width of our lives. #explore #world #travel #connection #culture #history #modernlife #webcomic #comics #sliceoflife #tinyeyescomics

A post shared by tiny eyes (@tinyeyescomics) on Oct 25, 2017 at 12:22am PDT

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One time a friend asked me, “Do you pass a lot of time writing your name? Chinese characters looks so complicated!” This made me giggle, but in a way it’s true because each Chinese character is a structure on its own and does not follow a linear movement as the alphabet. What’s more, some of them contain lots of strokes, for instance, imagine your name is “魏嘉鑫”, you are definitely going to spend more time writing your name than your neighbor whose name is “Sam”. #chinese #name #chinesecharacter #alphabet #sliceoflife #comics #webcomic #tinyeyescomics

A post shared by tiny eyes (@tinyeyescomics) on Oct 20, 2017 at 11:47pm PDT

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Smog has permeated every corner of our life: In the cities, in the countryside, in our lungs, in the news, in the conversations, in the imagination of foreigners who have never been to China. It’s true, and it’s sad, but it’s not the end of the story: we are battling against it, and we are not letting it covering up the joy of everyday life. #smog #pollution #chinese #beijing #environment #news #sliceoflife #comics #webcomic #tinyeyescomics #yoursquaresunday

A post shared by tiny eyes (@tinyeyescomics) on Oct 10, 2017 at 11:21pm PDT

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Chinese tend to wait for their turn to speak, although in a foreign culture, that turn may never come because it requires taking initiatives. From an early age, we are told to be humble, to think about others first(our position in a relationship) and hide our own opinions. (It doesn’t mean that we don’t have opinions.) That’s one of the reasons we appear to be timid in a group discussion, and are generally not good at public speaking or debate. However, this situation has also changed gradually as society put less constrains on young generations and more chance for them to communicate with the world. #chinese #culture #opinions #publicspace #sliceoflife #comics #webcomic #tinyeyescomics

A post shared by tiny eyes (@tinyeyescomics) on Oct 3, 2017 at 11:48pm PDT

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People have less trouble naming Chinese political figures than naming great Chinese artists and scientists, who have also played a great role in shaping Chinese culture. Why? They don't learn much about it in school; they don't see them in the media often; and in China we lack initiatives and channels to communicate to the outside word. Can you name anyone ? #chinese #culture #people #mao #confucius #mulan #china #politics #media #influence #channel #sliceoflife #comics #webcomic #tinyeyescomics

A post shared by tiny eyes (@tinyeyescomics) on Sep 30, 2017 at 12:25am PDT

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Stereotypical image of Chinese portrayed in media: I can see where the hat may come from historically, but two teeth sticking out of the mouth? Someone explains to me please #stereotypes #chinese #culture #image #sliceoflife #comics #webcomic #tinyeyescomics

A post shared by tiny eyes (@tinyeyescomics) on Sep 26, 2017 at 11:28pm PDT

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What sauces do you put on your table ? #food #sauce #tablesetting #taste #habit #eastmeetswest #culture #chinese #sliceoflife #comics #tinyeyescomics #yoursquaresunday

A post shared by tiny eyes (@tinyeyescomics) on Sep 23, 2017 at 12:55am PDT

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We also have spoons, people! #common #questions #mademelaugh #chinese #culture #chineselife #sliceoflife #comics #webcomic #tinyeyescomics

A post shared by tiny eyes (@tinyeyescomics) on Sep 15, 2017 at 11:53pm PDT

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#chinese #tourist #shopping #paris #louisvuitton #luxury #brand #buybuybuy #sliceoflife #webcomic #comics #tinyeyescomics

A post shared by tiny eyes (@tinyeyescomics) on Sep 13, 2017 at 2:54am PDT

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"Beijing Bikini" is a term used by non-Chinese to describe grownup man who roll up their shirt and reveal their bellies in summer. (warning: what you see is usually bulging tummies instead of six-pack. ) Even though it's frowned upon by many people, these men are not ashamed of it at all. For them, it's just a practical way to get cooler when you don't have air conditioning, so what's the big deal? #beijing #bikini #beijingbikini #chineselife #beijinger #summer #airconditioning #habit #fashion #trends #comics #webcomic #sliceoflife #tinyeyescomics

A post shared by tiny eyes (@tinyeyescomics) on Sep 8, 2017 at 8:08pm PDT

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Chinese rely heavily on their network in the society(what we call "关系"). The first thing you do in a foreign place is to connect with your people so that you could “take care” of each other and get necessary help. Of course it also makes you feel more comfortable. On the other hand, the general lack of adventurous spirit (lack of individualism) results in an attitude that’s more reserved in a foreign environment. While some Chinese may not be comfortable enough to “mingle”, most of them are generally kind and tolerate towards foreign cultures 🙂 #chinese #culture #society #relationship #foreign #attitude #sliceoflife #webcomic #comics #tinyeyescomics

A post shared by tiny eyes (@tinyeyescomics) on Sep 6, 2017 at 3:32am PDT

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Some people find that Chinese talk loudly, especially in public space. While this is definitely not everyone and not everywhere, if you happened to notice the volume of someone's voice, one possible reason is a lack of notion of privacy and public space. Another reason is that when you are in a noisy city environment, you have to talk louder in order to be heard. #loud #chinese #publicspace #privacy #noise #city #sliceoflife #comics #webcomic #funny #tinyeyescomics #yoursquaresunday

A post shared by tiny eyes (@tinyeyescomics) on Sep 2, 2017 at 12:00am PDT

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It's funny how we answer the same question differently, and how that reflects our mentalities. #culture #mentality #pessimist #realist #optimist #british #chinese #american #sliceoflife #comics #webcomic #tinyeyescomics

A post shared by tiny eyes (@tinyeyescomics) on Aug 18, 2017 at 8:44pm PDT

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This does not only happen to Chinese, and not just to women neither. I’m sure you’ve heard things like: French men are romantic; American girls are open and wild; Asian women are exotic and submissive… For some people, if one has a certain culture background, he/she automatically bears the same cultural traits they have in their mind. While these cultural stereotypes represent everyone with the same image, true love, on the contrary, searches for individuality and appreciates differences. #cultural #stereotypes #chinese #asianwomen #fetish #love #sliceoflife #comics #webcomic #tinyeyescomics

A post shared by tiny eyes (@tinyeyescomics) on Aug 16, 2017 at 12:12am PDT

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What really matters is not the format, but the content. In France, reading is a habit. There are bookshops everywhere, people take books with them on vacations and give each other as gifts. There’s a great variety of popular books: fiction, science-fiction, history, art, philosophy, comics… In China, what people read mostly are news, practical books related to their professions, or “How to become the next Steve Jobs”. Of course there are also people who read extensively, but in general, reading hasn’t become a habit. (little sad face) #reading #habit #paris #beijing #france #china #books #popular #bookstore #culture #sliceoflife #comics #webcomic #tinyeyescomics

A post shared by tiny eyes (@tinyeyescomics) on Aug 11, 2017 at 8:53pm PDT

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Chinese people love their food, they spend lots of time savouring and enjoying their meals. Food is not just “fuel” for the body, but a pleasure, an art, and a way of socialising. If you want to make friends, go eat. If you want to close a business deal, go eat. If you want to pursue a romantic relationship, go eat. Since ancient times, food has been considered priority in Chinese culture. The government’s goal was to make sure that each person is taken care of and "has enough to eat”. From another angle, it also suggests the realistic character of Chinese: food goes before ideas, and this life is more important than after life. (Bravo you've read all this!) #food #culture #chineseculture #eat #work #priorities #relationship #民以食为天 #sliceoflife #comics #webcomic #tinyeyescomics

A post shared by tiny eyes (@tinyeyescomics) on Aug 8, 2017 at 9:10pm PDT

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Have you ever lived in a foreign culture? #culture #reference #difference #crosscultural #foreigner #foreign #expatriate #expat #sliceoflife #comics #webcomic #tinyeyescomics #featureongbc

A post shared by tiny eyes (@tinyeyescomics) on Aug 1, 2017 at 11:38pm PDT

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In a Chinese family, a child usually takes the central position and gets all the love and attention from their parents, which could also lead to ignorance and lack of communication between the couple. #happiness #love #relationship #crisis #twosides #children #parenting #communication #sliceoflife #chineselife #comics #webcomic #tinyeyescomics

A post shared by tiny eyes (@tinyeyescomics) on Jul 26, 2017 at 12:11am PDT

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Maybe you have heard that Chinese eat cats. A few horrible people in some obscure places maybe, but the majority, NO!! #cat #eater #cultural #stereotypes #rumorhasit #chinesefood #food #sliceoflife #webcomic #comics #tinyeyescomics

A post shared by tiny eyes (@tinyeyescomics) on Jul 21, 2017 at 11:54pm PDT

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#asian #aging #myth #hardtotell #difference #stereotypes #chinese #sliceoflife #comics #tinyeyescomics

A post shared by tiny eyes (@tinyeyescomics) on Jul 12, 2017 at 12:02am PDT

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#japanese vs #chinese #language #confusion #notthesame #sliceoflife #embarrassing #moment #comics #tinyeyescomics

A post shared by tiny eyes (@tinyeyescomics) on Jul 5, 2017 at 12:01am PDT

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In China, people don't say anything after someone sneezes. #sneeze #habit #cultural #differences #bless #chineselife #eastmeetswest #comics #tinyeyescomics

A post shared by tiny eyes (@tinyeyescomics) on Jun 27, 2017 at 11:55pm PDT

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#gift #receiving #tradition #cultural #difference #habit #eastmeetswest #chineselife #comics #tinyeyescomics

A post shared by tiny eyes (@tinyeyescomics) on Jun 24, 2017 at 2:00am PDT

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The post Artist Illustrates Everyday Life To Compare Chinese And Western Culture appeared first on Design You Trust.

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