Lauren Tsai and Her Surreal Pop Universe
written by Dhanurendra Pandji
Many people recognize Lauren Tsai from Terrace House or her role as Switch in the series Legion, but before all that, she felt more at home with pencil and paper than under the spotlight. Her illustrations evoke a sense of strangeness, surreal forms, and figures lost between dimensions. Her distinctive style soon caught the attention of the creative industry, leading her to projects such as Marvel comic covers and collaborations with various fashion brands. Though she is now known across multiple fields, illustration remains the place where she feels most authentic.
Lauren Tsai began modeling at the age of 15 during her summer vacations in Japan. At one point, she was cast in the reality show Terrace House, which launched her name into the public eye. She had never planned on becoming an actress or model—her dream was to be an illustrator and animator, which is why she pursued animation studies in college. However, Tsai acknowledges that being in front of the camera has helped her understand herself better. During her teenage years, she struggled with self-confidence and mental health. Even while participating in Terrace House, she was still grappling with her self-image. “For most of my time on that show, I was preoccupied with the ideas of what other people thought of me, so I wasn't fully being myself,” she admitted. Over time, Tsai came to see Terrace House as an opportunity to explore her potential and find deeper meaning in life. After spending nearly 12 years in Hawaii, she decided to move to Tokyo to fully dedicate herself to art and modeling. With more time to reflect on her path, she also used her free time during Terrace House to prepare for her first solo exhibition in 2017. “That was one of the greatest experiences for me because it was my first time showcasing my art to people,” she shared in an interview with Hypebeast.
Japan marked a new chapter in Lauren Tsai’s life, a place where she sought to break free from the self-imposed cage she had built. Having spent much of her life in Hawaii, she felt the need for new challenges. Tsai has always felt a deep connection to Japan—since childhood, her world had been shaped by Japanese anime, particularly Studio Ghibli films. She credits Ghibli not only for its visual influence but also for shaping her perspective on life. Growing up as an introvert, she easily related to the protagonist of Howl’s Moving Castle, Sophie Hatter—a seemingly ordinary girl who never expected anything special to happen in her life. Tsai once dreamed of being swept into a fantasy world, just as Sophie was. She described her move to Japan as an invitation for her dream world to merge with reality, where the creative visions we hold are just as significant as the real world itself.
Lauren Tsai’s illustrations serve as windows into an uncanny world, as if dreams had been meticulously drawn into existence. Like characters from the films of Tim Burton and Henry Selick, her artwork carries a distinct gothic quality—melancholic, mysterious, and slightly comical. Her lines are fluid and expressive, often resembling spontaneous sketches that evolve into intricate compositions using cross-hatching and scribbling techniques that add rich textures. She builds shadows and gradients with dussel technique or brush strokes, creating depth that makes her characters feel as if they could step out of the paper at any moment. Similar to Katsuya Terada, Lauren tends to fill every inch of space with tiny, intricate details, resembling the automatic drawing technique—where doodles gradually transform into increasingly bizarre and unpredictable forms. The characters she creates often have large, vacant eyes and ambiguous expressions, caught somewhere between sadness and alienation, wrapped in a pop-surrealist atmosphere. While her color palette is not always dark, it frequently leans toward muted tones, like a fading dream.
Since 2017, she has released various collaborative works with renowned fashion brands. The Massachusetts-born model, actress, and illustrator has worked with Nike Japan, painting her signature designs on Nike Air Force 1 and Nike Air Max, as well as creating illustrations for Marc Jacobs’ nylon bag line. Beyond fashion, she has also ventured into collectible toys, collaborating on the 38th series of Be@rbricks and releasing an original sculpture with Medicom Toy at DesignerCon 2019. Still immersed in pop culture, Tsai had the opportunity to illustrate Issue No.1 of West Coast Avengers and a variant cover for Captain Marvel No.1 in 2019. In recent years, she has also explored the world of animation, including directing a 3-minute, 23-second animated sequence for boygenius’ Cool for It music video in 2023. Most recently, she collaborated with 3D artist Michelle Recio on the animated project Astrid and Mar, bringing her signature aesthetic into a more dynamic visual realm.
Lauren Tsai curates her artwork through a dedicated Instagram account, @unreal.is.me, which reflects her artistic philosophy. To her, there is no need to be "real" in anything. Tsai refuses to confine herself to a single creative field, a belief she emphasizes in her creative approach: “This idea of ‘real’ is only gonna kill you, or constrain you.” To her, creating with love and curiosity matters far more than any label attached to one’s identity. This perspective has shaped the Lauren Tsai we know today—an artist who cannot be defined by a single discipline.
