Enter the futuristic, vaporwave dreamland of illustrator Yu Cai

Yu Cai’s work is completely and utterly hectic – in the very best way possible. Like entering a feverish, futuristic dreamland, her works look freshly plucked from a hi-tech arcade console.

Despite being trained in traditional oil painting methods, it was when stumbling across one specific style that Yu’s perspective on art completely changed: vaporwave. “I felt like I’d found a home,” she says, “as all the elements and colours that I already loved were present in this aesthetic.”

Using her iPad and her distinctive colour palette – luminescent greens, neon pinks and eclectic blues – Yu creates work that reflects modern urban life, “where the pace is fast, efficiency is paramount, and anxiety and stress come unexpected”. But, nestled within her drawings are moments of calm, like reading on a rooftop, journaling and listening to music. She imagines alternative ways for us to live in this modern landscape.