Issue 32: How Rosena Fung Found Her Voice: Lessons for Toronto Creators  May 3rd 2025

The Art of Being Seen: How Rosena Fung Found Her Creative Voice

A Conversation with Rosena Fung

Spinning Forward spoke with Toronto-based Rosena Fung (@rosenafung), cartoonist, illustrator, and award-winning graphic novelist. She grew up in Scarborough in the late '90s. From a young age, she found solace in reading and drawing. She navigated undiagnosed anxiety, cultural pressures, and career expectations on her own. She says,

"No one was talking about mental health then. Creating art was my way of processing emotions I couldn't yet name."

"When I was in high school thinking about next steps, art wasn't really there," Fung recalls.

"I don't blame my parents for choices that I made because they were immigrants, and that's hard. They want the best for their kids and they want them to have stability that perhaps was denied to them."

Finding Her Path

Like many immigrant kids, Fung's early career choices were shaped by cultural expectations. She completed an English Literature degree at University of Toronto and pursued a Master's in Anthropology. During a challenging year in graduate school, art was her anchor. "It was such a devastating experience just for many reasons. It was very competitive, very isolating. Art in that regard was the only thing that kept me going."

After her Master's degree, Fung found herself at a crossroads:

"I just did not know what to do. I thought for sure this is what I wanted to do. I was gonna be, like, an English professor... And realizing, like, no, you are not suited for that was really crushing."

She felt lost for a year after graduating until she talked with friends, who were creatives and people of color. They were doing what they wanted. Seeing them gave her the confidence to return to school for illustration at OCAD University.

Representation: Creating What Was Missing Growing Up

Today, Fung creates the representation she never saw growing up. "When I was young, all I did was read and draw. I wanted to write a book, but I was only reading books of people who were white protagonists. And I thought to be Chinese Canadian and to be a child of immigrants was like a bad thing." Her first award-winning graphic novel Living with Viola (2021) tackled anxiety through a young Asian-Canadian girl's eyes, creating characters that looked like her. Through her work, she openly discusses mental health challenges: "Growing up, I had anxiety but lacked the terminology to identify my feelings."

Her latest graphic novel Age 16 (2024) spans three generations across Toronto, Hong Kong, and Guangdong, China. "The book was me trying to reconcile a lot of things," Fung explains. "It's primarily about women's relationships to their bodies and how our ideas are inherited through generations." The protagonist's struggles mirror both Fung's personal journey and the experiences of many immigrant families.

The State of Artists of Color in Canada

The 2024 Cultural Human Resources Council study reveals stark disparities between Black, Indigenous, and people of color and white artists in Canada.

While 64% of white artists report financial stress, this number jumps to 85% for BIPOC artists.

Additionally, 69% of BIPOC artists face systemic barriers due to race, and only 18% express satisfaction with housing affordability.

Fung notes,

"The publishing industry is slowly changing, but we need more people of color in decision-making positions. It's not just about having diverse authors; it's about who gets to decide what stories are told."

Redefining the Artist's Journey: Fung's Multifaceted Career Approach

Unlike the traditional "starving artist" path, Fung has always had multiple jobs that acted as a financial cushion and security blanket. Teaching at OCAD University, working at an art supply store, and creating graphic novels felt more secure.

Today, Fung continues to create spaces for diverse voices while balancing multiple roles. Her path reminds us that sometimes being a creator of color and embracing our anxiety and financial insecurity can actually pave the way towards success.

Fung's advice to emerging artists:

"If you find you don't fit in, you can always make things fit just for you. There is space for you, and you can demand it. It's about finding your community and supporting each other through the challenges."

Zainab Patel is a passionate educator pursuing a Masters in Education at York University.

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