Welcome to Chinatown (2020)
Welcome to Chinatown is a volunteer initiative supporting Manhattan Chinatown small businesses in the wake of the pandemic. In June 2020, I joined as an illustrator and have gotten to work on a variety of different projects since. Below are a few of my favorites.
Food Guides
These are several cover images and illustration assets I drew for WtC’s guides on outdoor dining recommendations, snack recommendations, and where to buy goods for the Tomb Sweeping Festival . The illustrations are used across their socials and on their blog.
Lunar New Year Collection: EWA Trading Co. Inc
I was tasked with illustrating a poster for EWA Trading, a ginseng, tea and herbs store in NYC’s Chinatown. It was a wonderful experience learning about Chinese medicine and about the family behind the business. In the Lunar New Year spirit, I illustrated the family of 5 as their respective zodiac animals, and paid attention to the unique qualities of each type of herb.
From Chinatown, With Love
A calendar collaboration before Welcome to Chinatown, the W.O.W. Project, and Abrons Arts Center, featuring photographs by Mischelle Moy. I illustrated an ox for the cover and a zodiac animal for each month. The calendar celebrates the new year and the importance Chinatown holds for so many in the Asian American community.
Vote 2020 Sticker
A collaboration between Welcome to Chinatown, Sticky Locals, and ciaooo! Magazine to create a set of stickers aimed at empowering AAPI and New Yorkers to get the vote out for the 2020 election. All proceeds went to APIA Vote, a national nonpartisan organization mobilizing the AAPI community in civic engagement. I chose the symbol of a Lion Dancer jubilantly making her voice heard. I also had the opportunity to sit down with Sticky Locals’ writer for an interview.
In the Mood for Food: a Chinatown Blockwalk
In September, WtC held their first socially-distanced block walk, a hybrid of a food crawl meets walking tour, to promote foot traffic through Chinatown and introduce new customers to the vast array of businesses. In November, they held a second event due to the popularity of the first. My job was to create cover images for both events inspired by Wong Kar-Wai’s seminal 2001 film, “In the Mood for Love.”
Made in Chinatown x The Little One
WtC partners with many businesses to help them create merchandise lines as an additional revenue stream. I had the pleasure of working along with fellow WtC volunteer and graphic designer Lessa Chung to create a collection for The Little One.
Our goal was to highlight the individual character of each of the wide range of desserts and beverages, while providing a structured harmony. The grid layout of the designs mirror the structured composition of the way desserts are served at The Little One, arranged neatly on a wooden tray. Using their brand sensibilities, we aimed to create designs that were minimal and clean with pops of color. I’ve included sketches, a couple of directions we explored, and the final collection.
