Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do.
I’m a Seattle-born-and-raised artist and muralist. I base a lot of my work on the natural world and the idea that all its movements and elements are interconnected. What I do varies, sometimes I’m working on a small wood cut-out painting, a digital illustration, or painting a large-scale mural outdoors.
Are there any influences that are core to your work?
Growing up in the Pacific Northwest is a huge one, as well as being Chinese American. I like incorporating elements of both, or researching site/project-specific imagery – patterns, animals, plants, and even color schemes. Big visual influences are folk art textiles and pottery.
Your murals can be found across the country. How were you introduced to painting outside, and how does it interact with the work you do in the studio?
Something I love about my practice is how working on a small painting or drawing can fuel a concept for a mural or a set of illustrations and vice versa, it’s interesting to imagine how a symbol will come to fruition in multiple mediums and it definitely keeps the energy flowing.
How did you come to develop your style?
I developed my style by drawing and painting often. Animal and plant symbology is a cornerstone of all cultures and the Pacific Northwest, where I grew up, reveres its natural beauty.
Is there a moment you look back on as being formative to your identity as an artist?
I think probably the first large-scale murals I painted. I started painting them suddenly during the COVID-19 lockdown in my city since there were so many boarded up businesses. It was something like three or four in the timeline of a few days – it taught me a lot about designing for space and it improved my painting skills so much.
How have you seen Seattle and its arts community develop since then?
Arts has always been a big part of the city and I think people are more attuned to how much we all rely on art since the coronavirus lockdown. It’s great to be sharing spaces again and viewing art in person.
How does your creative community now compare to your creative community when you were younger?
My creative network has expanded over the years and traveled with me to many different places!
What is something you want to see more of in your world or in your community?
Color, more trust in an artist’s vision, and more money going to artists.
Is there an area of your work that you’re interested in exploring further?
I’m always interested in designing pattern treatments and textiles – I think that’ll be next.
Do you have any rituals when you begin working on a project?
I like gathering my thoughts by collecting images and making a type of mood board. Otherwise, not really!
What do you collect?
I collect miniatures of furniture, animal figurines, wooden carved masks, you name it.
Describe your current studio or workspace.
I work out of my house. It’s messy but I like having access to it at all hours – I work a lot.
What is one of the bigger challenges you and/or other artists are struggling with these days and how do you see it developing?
I think we all have similar complaints about our reach on instagram and how it has diminished over the years. People will always discover art in person but the change in visibility online is an issue.
Do you have a dream project?
I love painting big and I’m always down to paint a couple sides of a large building.
Interview conducted by Luca Lotruglio.