A bilingual book for babies and toddlers, written and illustrated by me. You can learn famous breakfast dishes in Shanghai, how to count from 1 to 10, and say family members in Shanghainese.
After having children of my own, I want them to know more about China and its diverse culture. However, when I searched the children's book market, I wasn't able to find anything written in Shanghainese or highlighting the unique cuisine and culture of Shanghai. Most Chinese or bilingual books focus on Mandarin or Cantonese, with food selections that are common across China or popular in the United States (such as dim sum). While my children and I enjoy reading them, I want something more personal - something that could transport me back to the place I grew up. So I decided to create my own and run a Kickstarter to sell it.
The campaign reached 5x of my original goal, with $3,836 funding with 112 backers' from 7 countries. 182 books were ordered.
I started my weekly comic in October 2020 after my first child was born. It’s about raising mixed-race kids and the things I find funny about my family. To read more, please check out IG @offramp_qaa.
Comic stories
In addition to the weekly comics about my family, I also made several comic stories in longer form: 2000 Movies, Missing Tutu, A Tale of 3 Bottles.
Every year, I design and hand-print holiday cards to send to family and friends. I design the card on Procreate, transfer it to paper using a pencil, then copy it from paper to a rubber stamp, then carve the stamp. After doing a few test runs, I print them on postcards. Learn more…
You deserve this card
I made a few dozen "Green Card" to pass around to people.
It was the 7th year since I moved to the US when I began the Green Card application process. It took me another 5 years to finally obtain it, which was the typical waiting time for a Chinese citizen. Conversely, individuals from India need to wait 12+ years to receive it if they initiated the application before 2020. The later one applies, the longer the wait. The Green Card operates on a quota-based system where a per-country cap is fixed, regardless of the country's size. For individuals from most countries other than China and India, it typically takes about a year after receiving sponsorship. I hope to use this card to raise awareness of the challenges people face in immigration.
Tear
'Tear' is an interactive artwork consisting of two parts: (1) a digitally created poster printed and hand-torn by me, and (2) interactive copies printed on letter-size paper.
The artwork has 42 words that represent barriers people face in life. They may be external, imposed by society, or internal, from personal struggles to inherent circumstances. The words lined up on the edge of the paper, representing a box we live in. Tearing the words apart is a metaphor for breaking free from the constraints that limit our potential.
The viewers are invited to create their own art. Through the act of tearing, viewers are making personal statements and symbolically breaking the barriers. I hopes to foster a sense of empowerment and self-reflection through this interactive experience. Her goal is to engage viewers not just as passive observers but as active participants in a creative space.
Birthday Magnets
For my kids' birthdays, I design a small batch of magnets to give to their friends and our relatives.
Zine "Q-tips"
A small zine about life hacks. A few dozen copies were printed using a risograph machine.
Happy birthday Chithra
A short stop motion anime made by household items.
