Story Artist | Director | Designer
250 artists come together to create illustrations from the Chinese Zodiac on Red Envelopes to celebrate the Lunar New Year. Grumpy Bert, former Brooklyn gallery owner, organizes this gallery show annually throughout NY chinatown and now in LA chinatown (along with a Lion Dance during the opening ceremony!). It's been my pleasure to participate along with other local NYC artists and enjoy being part of the community as well as celebrating my heritage in a new and meaningful way.
Official Website: www.grumpybert.com/collections/red-envelope-show
RED ENVELOPE SHOW
Illustrated Gallery Pieces
YEAR OF THE OX
2021
Haggard, beaten and worn, the Ox emerges out of the flames, fired and determined to take on the new year.
This piece was inspired by the hardships that we've gone through as a society in 2020. I drew the Ox in this light where they are beaten and torn yet holds a fierce expression and enlightened eyes, coming out wiser and stronger for the new challenges. The Ox also has a lot of significance to my family because it's considered a sacred creature to my ancestors from how hard working they are in the rice fields to feed our families.
Materials use: White Charcoal, White Color Pencil, Gold Inkpen, Black Inkpen, Grey Marker
YEAR OF THE RAT
2020
This year, I selected another popular American fairytale of the "Three Blind Mice" enjoying a Chinese New Year meal that is very familiar to my own family meals. (Steamed sea bass fish, Veggies with snap peas, taro, mushroom, Longevity Noodles, Poached Cantonese Chicken, Dumplings, etc... I'm getting hungry writing the list for this!)
YEAR OF THE PIG
2019
Growing up in America, I love the magic of fairytales and the adorable illustrations of children's books. I decided to combine my Chinese and American culture to re-imagine fairytales with a Chinese spin.
YEAR OF THE DOG
2018
The first year of my participation in the show, I decided to draw two dogs as Money Gods to bring in fortune for the new year. As Ronnie Chieng puts it "Hope You Get Rich!"
