Learn how words or a notion, moment or an event could become something that is unique for every person. It could even you can spark your own thoughts in the course of the.

Meet Jennet Liaw

Designer for Nike, Jennet currently runs her own business as an independent artist. She has worked with businesses including Adidas, Puma, REI, Harper Collins, Netflix, Airbnb, and Apple. In our interview Jennet talks about reconnecting with her Taiwanese heritage, her integration as an Asian-American of the first generation , as in how calligraphy has inspired her to develop a deep and lasting love for icons.

What word have you have chosen to choose? What is your definition for the people we work with and tell us what it signifies for you?

I chose to employ my own word"yuan" (Yuan ) which is a pretty ethereal concept to describe how it could be used in conversation. Instead of saying somebody has been "in your life because of something," in Mandarin you could say "you are both"yuan." The meaning is also broad from the natural affinity between friends and lovers who meet to the situations that led two strangers to sit next to each other on an L train -- all those relationships could be classified as"yuan..

I chose this word because it speaks to me about the limitedness of us relative to the random events that cause us to be a part of the lives of others. It's wonderful that a word can remind us the that the world exists mostly because of luck.

"It's great that there's an expression to remind us of the fact that the place we're at is mostly by chance."

We'd like to know more about the artwork that you've created. What made you choose to convey your message this way?

The simplest Chinese words are infused with depth, because not only are they made up of compound words (a accidental example is the phrase used"circus" that is actually a contraction of "circus" which breaks out to "horse-show-group") However, each character is composed of meaningful symbols which interact with each other. It was therefore logical to imagine these characters as sprites with brush strokes keen to connect with each other and discover the yuan that brought them to make the word. This is very Meta.

What influences have your roots had on your style and creativity?

Though I grew up being trilingual, it's not my ability to write or read Chinese. However, my Taiwanese parents taught me calligraphy at an early age. the importance of these letters will always influence my fascination with icons, and, overall having a background in calligraphy has allowed me remain committed to the idea that deeper meaning can be inherent in every object.

What ways do we as a society be able to acknowledge the contribution to art of API makers and artists during this month?

I'm thinking that a lot of API artists in the States don't have the experience of making use of their past to further their work -- 'assimilation' was an essential part of life for many first generation kids in their journey to the highest levels.

A person who sees me may think I could compose yuan in Chinese or speak its term easily, but that's not an accurate assumption. I had to confirm the definitions on Wikipedia, as well as my mother -- and I'm happy I had the chance to verify the definitions.

The process of offering API creatives the opportunity to be part of the general public to showcase their unique culture, in any way they can reconnect with potentially cut-off roots, as well as paving the way that allows them to be a valuable contributor to the whole creative community for the future.

Join Jennet in Class!

Digital Illustration: Playing with Adobe Fresco

About the author

Evan Neuhoff (he/they) is writer of the Philippines who is a resident of Houston, Texas. Evan writes about the intersection between gender, race and identity as well as the traumas experienced by generations, as well as the queer experience.

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