Biography
Who is ZHC?
Early life and education
Born in San Jose, California, on January 19, 1999, Zachary Hsieh developed a strong interest in drawing during his youth. He drew inspiration from graphic novels such as Captain Underpants and aimed to pursue a career as a comic book artist. By the time he reached age sixteen, he dedicated at least twelve hours daily to refining his drawing skills.
He eventually enrolled at the School of Visual Arts located in New York City. While attending classes there, he started his YouTube channel in 2013. He later decided to discontinue his studies at the school to focus entirely on his online art career.
How ZHC became famous
Initially, his channel featured tutorials on topics like crosshatching and maintaining Copic markers. He achieved viral attention in 2018 after publishing a video where he made hyperrealistic copies of a friend's artwork. This success helped his content shift toward competition-based drawing videos and vlogs.
By early 2019, his channel surpassed one million subscribers. His growth accelerated significantly that February when he released big superhero illustrations of fellow creators MrBeast and PewDiePie. These videos brought him to the attention of those creators, leading to official collaborations where he customized expensive items like Tesla vehicles and iPhones.
Career highlights and business
His content expanded into larger stunt-philanthropy videos, including giveaways and marathon streams. In 2020, he signed with the creator management firm Night Media. Later that year, he launched a secondary channel called ZHC Shorts to host short-form video content.
In 2021, he took over hosting duties for the second season of the YouTube Originals series Instant Influencer. That same year, he launched a collection of digital art titled Critters By ZHC on the Nifty Gateway marketplace. These digital assets feature four recurring characters from his videos: Bun Bun, Fayur, Turkey, and Scrunchie.
Philanthropy and community projects
He frequently integrates charity into his art videos by customizing everyday objects for others. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he worked with a team of over twenty-four artists to paint classrooms at Strive Prep Montbello in Denver. Also, he created murals for AdventHealth For Children in Orlando, where he also donated iPads and a cash gift of $240,000.
His team also completed a large project in October 2021 at the Arroyo Seco Tiny Home Village in Highland Park, Los Angeles. They hand-painted every home in the village, which provides transitional housing for community members experiencing homelessness. Earlier that year, he hosted a competition involving 10-foot-tall PlayStation 5 consoles, donating over twenty-four units to Children in Need.
Personal life
Zachary Hsieh began a relationship with Michelle Chin on August 17, 2018. The couple became engaged on December 12, 2024, and married on May 23, 2025. They currently reside in Austin, Texas.
In June 2026, he announced that they were expecting a child. The couple revealed the gender of their son through a video posted on TikTok.
Birthday and age
ZHC was born on January 19, 1999, which makes ZHC 27 years old today. That birthday falls under the Capricorn sign. ZHC shares the date with 27 other famous people.
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