Learn how words or a thought, a moment, or a ritual can become something uniquely meaningful for each individual perhaps spark your own idea in the process.

Meet Jennet Liaw

Formerly a designer for Nike, Jennet currently runs her own studio as an independent artist, working with companies like Adidas, Puma, REI, Harper Collins, Netflix, Airbnb, and Apple. In our interview, she discusses reconnecting with her Taiwanese culture, integration as an Asian-American of the first generation as well as how calligraphy inspired her to develop a deep and enduring passion for iconography.

What is the word you picked to use? What is your definition for the community we serve and explain to us what it means for you?

I decided to use the word"yuan" (Yuan ) that is a pretty ethereal concept for how readily it can be used in conversation. Instead of saying that someone has been "in your life due to some reason," in Mandarin you could say "you two are an yuan." It's also broad -- from the natural affinity between friends and lovers who have crossed paths to the circumstances that brought two strangers to sit next to each other on an L train -- all these relations can be labeled as yuan.

I chose this word because it reminds me the smallness of us relative to the coincidences that lead us to play parts in each others' lives. It's wonderful that a word is there to remind us the world is ours mostly through luck.

"It's wonderful that there exists a term to remind us that we're all where we are, largely by chance."

We'd like to know more about your art work you created: Why did you decide to communicate your message this way?

Even the simplest Chinese words have inherent depth, because not only are the words compounded (a unintentional example would be the term used"circus" which is a contraction of "circus" which breaks out into "horse-show-group") however, each character is composed of meaningful symbols that interact with one another. Thus, it seemed appropriate to personify these character elements as sprites with brush strokes keen to connect with each other and identify the yuan that led them to form the word, which is very Meta.

How has your heritage influenced your style and creativity?

Though I grew up being trilingual, I'm unable to understand or write Chinese. But my Taiwanese parents introduced me to calligraphy at an early age. the significance of these letters inevitably influences my love of icons, and, overall, growing up with the language has helped me to always pursue the belief that deeper meaning can be inherent in every thing.

What ways do we as a community can recognize the artistic contribution of API makers and artists during this month?

I think a lot of API creatives here in the States aren't used to using their heritage to advance their work -- 'assimilation' was the name of the game for many first generation kids on the road towards the top.

An onlooker may assume I was able to write yuan or recite its term easily, but it would not be the case. I was required to verify the definitions with Wikipedia, as well as my mother -- and I'm glad I received the chance to verify these.

The act of giving API creatives the opportunity to be part of the mainstream arena to share their unique culture, hyphenated or otherwise, allows them to reconnect with potentially cut-off roots, while also paving their way that allows them to contribute richly to the entire creative community in the future.

Join Jennet in Class!

Digital Illustrative Typography: Playing With Adobe Fresco

 About the author

Evan Neuhoff (he/they) is a writer from the Philippines who lives in Houston, Texas. Evan writes on the intersection of race and gender identities, traumas of generational generations, as well as the queer experience.