Odds + Ends
One of my favorite things about design is the way that it touches upon so many other fields and disciplines. I try to embrace a beginner’s mindset and approach each project as an opportunity to learn something new, and many times I’m surprised by where they take me. Along the way, I end up making lots of stuff that I’m stoked on and want to share, but is too random and uncategorizable to be neatly packaged for a portfolio. This is a collection of some of those miscellaneous odds and ends.
Made In Cambodia
Currently work in progress, coming soon!
There’s a vibrant visual art scene exploding in Cambodia, being pushed forward by emerging artists working across all different mediums. This short documentary highlights six artists’ stories, exploring their work, process, inspiration and influence, and the impact of their art.
Wing Luke House Party
Art direction, print, and digital marketing materials I produced for the Wing Luke Museum in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District. Working with a planning committee, we created an otherworldly oasis as vibrant and unique as our beautiful and diverse attendees. Wild patterns and textures inspired by the natural world invite guests into a strange and delightful world that feels at once inviting and strange.
Concepts / Drafts
Hold Your Comments
Hold Your Comments is a collection of hundreds and hundreds comments from Cut fans, profiles that stumbled onto the weird side of YouTube, trolls, and members of the commenting public. Collaged together, they tell the story of a little YouTube channel that bloomed into a chatty community of ten million subscribers. Collectively, the comments thread together a people’s history that is at once bizarre, emotional, revelatory, and slapstick. It was also a surprisingly painstaking undertaking to collect, compile, and organize.
Calligraphy
I've used calligraphy in a surprising amount of the projects that I've worked on. Whether it takes the form of violent jagged strokes, or elegant swashes, the human element inherent to calligraphy is palpable, and people innately connect with that. The process is fascinating to me — in many cases, the vibe that I'm after will be pretty well-defined in my mind from the get-go, but with calligraphy you can't meticulously craft the end product. Because It's visual appeal comes from the energy of the strokes, it forces me to work loose. This usually means that I end up going through dozens of iterations until the one that feels right magically reveals itself.
Kids Describe
I’ve worked on video productions, behind the camera, behind the scenes, and in the post-production process, but I never expected to be on the other side of the camera. While I was at Cut, we made an experimental video where we used illustration as a vehicle to help kids explore their imaginations. In the first episode, the kids described God — within days it had gone viral and amassed millions of views, and we knew we were onto something. From there, we went on to explore topics from love to aliens over the course of many episodes. It was a unique challenge to try to keep up with the kids’ fantastical visions, but it was also a delightful experience that reminded myself and viewers alike of the joy of childlike imagination.
Moments
A music video that I directed and edited for Seattle artist Ghost Soda on a no-string budget. Shot by Canh Nguyen.
