Surround Yourself with Love (inspired by Sky)
2022
letterpress printed relief print, social practice
18 x 12"
Edition of 40

This special print created for Kala's auction grew out of my Christine Wong Yap's Print Public exhibition.

The text, "surround yourself with love," is from a reflective writing activity by Sky about how they coped with the grief of losing their Nonna. When prompted to share what they would tell a friend going through a similar situation, Sky wrote, "Surround yourself with love. You don't need to navigate hardships alone. Sharing challenging experiences with loved ones makes them easier to manage."

Sky's writing was in response to a prompt that I created and exhibited in the Print Public exhibition. I invited the public to to reframe a past adversity-an exercise which can foster meaning, reinforce a growth mindset, and help others. In exchange, participants could receive a free letterpress print which was based on my or other contributors' adversities and resilience. My vision was to create a virtuous cycle of words of wisdom which were grounded in lived experiences from individuals in the community.

I designed the lettering in shapes that reference expanding sound waves and a sense of envelopment. I used transparent pink and orange, which overlapped to create a more saturated red, symbolizing the healing power of connection.

Though this story comes from a place of grief (which is actually something I try to normalize), I tried to make a print which, on its own, would be visually appealing/desirable/collectible! Hope it achieves that for the fundraising purposes!