Xingpei Shen grew up in mainland China, where he spent most of his time indulging in internet subculture and plotting his romantic exile. While priding himself on being the class misfit, he blames his sweet awkwardness on excessive Die Hard / Andy Lau moments and 90s anime girl power. He graduated from Rhode Island School of Design in 2017. He draws glamorous characters with sparkles next to their bubbly eyes, sends hearts emojis to his friends, and contemplates queer identity and vulnerability.