Community and collaboration are common themes in the illustration I've been putting out recently - I wanted to share the real-life events and projects I've been a part of that have helped build my creative world. It is a privilege to be able to share spaces and joy with people who are so good at what they do. My hope is that every creator is able to find community in their medium and feel reconnected with their craft by doing so.
Mary Lo (@himarylo) is an independent fashion designer local to Dallas-Fort Worth who sells the cutest designs - when her and photographer (and good friend) Lucy Gan (@ganlu_) were brainstorming locations to shoot, Lucy was sitting in my bedroom asking me if it was too hot to shoot outside. I said, "why don't you just use this room?" And that's how the photoshoot for Mary Lo's line of suede tabis became a production in my pink bedroom and the sidewalk across from our house.
Annie Nguyen (@tabetaaii) and Euny Bo (@eunybo) are a gift shop owning, pop-up market organizing power duo with their newest venture Lucky Bunny located at Vista Mall - we were lucky enough to be invited to vend at a back-to-school themed event called Bunny Elementary as the first pop-up event next to the new gift shop. Annie and Euny had both invited me to table at Sprinkle Trinkle Town - now a bi-annual art market comprised of over 100 artists - which is where I got to meet many of the artist I know now. Thank you guys for opening up my world.
Another market located in the event space next to Lucky Bunny hosted by our friend Paloma The Peach (@palomathepeach). Trinketaso was Paloma's first time organizing a market with artists vending cute, trinket and collectible themed merch and so much fun to participate in (maybe too much fun, the only footage from Paloma's vlog of my table doesn't have me in it because I was too busy frolicking around Lucky Bunny or visiting my friends' tables like a hooligan).
This last one is not so much of a collaboration as just a bunch of artists and friends I know gathering for Wamono Nights, a Japanese vinyl & rare groove night spun by DJ Oliver Garden (@chineseknees) and DJ Silph Scope (@kylethedesyroya) at the Ladylove vinyl lounge in the Bishop Arts district of Dallas. Though mostly an excuse to dress up and dance like fools, it also feels like a watering hole for the creative community with a city pop soundtrack to boot.
These are just what I've been doing between August to September '24, and I'm so excited for future collaborations that I will be apart of (but not authorized to talk about yet)! None of these things would be accessible to me without people inviting me in, and I cannot stress enough what a privilege and an honor that is. Thank you to everyone I've name dropped in this post (and also, sorry for name dropping y'all).
If you're reading this and want to reach out about working together - please don't be afraid to reach out! I'm always looking forward to working with people!