The United States of America was founded by immigrants fleeing persecution for their beliefs. Immigrants to this day are welcome, no matter their religion, race, or identity. These are the words written on the Statue of Liberty. This image was included in Posters for Change and had a full page feature in The Washington Post and featured in The Guardian.
Press:
The Washington Post Artful Protest Displays Dissent
The Washington Post The Art of Protest
The Guardian You can stick it: protest posters in the age of Trump - in pictures
Diverse City is a set of images displayed on the LinkNYC network that celebrate diversity across NYC. The bold and iconographic images re-envision the Statue of Liberty as marginalized citizens in the current political environment. The celebrated groups include Muslim-Americans and other immigrants, the LGBTQ community, women and children, the Black community and victims of structural racism, and people with disabilities. Collectively, Diverse City portrays this country’s most recognizable symbol wearing a cloak of fabric made of the diverse individuals whose lives interweave every day.
Baby to Brooklyn humorously compares the world of babies to that of the hip Brooklyn lifestyle. From baby bowls to Brooklyn Bowl, from toy trains to the G train, this pictographic board book takes cues from the famous landmarks and hipster iconography for which the borough is known. Through vibrant and playful graphics,baby talk meets street slang in this fun documentation of Brooklyn's millennial moment.
Publisher: Pow! Kids Books, 2017
Press:
Wall Street Journal Books for Grabby, Grubby Little Hands
Publisher’s Weekly
Available on Amazon
An assortment of images created in response to the Black Lives Matter movement and protests in 2020.
Words matter. Over the past year, we have seen the Chinatown community put at risk from anti-Asian rhetoric. Rather than focus on the xenophobic language, Catalyst Commission awardee Rajiv Fernandez spreads messages of positivity. Inspired by ShaoLan’s Chineasy, Rajiv’s designs use Chinese characters integrated with drawings to convey the impact of the words. These Chinese messages are paired with a single actionable word in English to empower AAPI communities. Rajiv notes “This is a way for both Chinese and English speakers to feel connected through a single message. The words chosen so far include ACTION, AMPLIFY, VOTE, RESILIENCE” and more.” Stickers and posters of the designs adorned Chinatown from June-October of 2021.
Public art project sponsored by Think!Chinatown and The Creative Sanctum.
Illustrating striking photos I come across posted by friends.
Commissioned by the landscape architect Lily Kwong, we sough to modernize the WWII-era Victory Gardens, reflecting a diverse, urban population in contrast to the suburban white one. The third image has a personal connection to me:
When I think of Freedom Gardens, it takes me back to when I was a kid and catching my father in a love affair - with his victory garden. All things around the house were devoted to the garden: the composting and dealing with maggots; saving the mowed grass clippings to lay down pathways between the beds; and shoveling a truckload of manure for organic soil. TV shows were preempted every Saturday afternoon to watch Victory Garden on PBS. And there were weekend trips to Earl May, Iowa's leading garden center where the whole staff knew him by name, to buy vegetables seeds not found in the grocery store, like blue potatoes, belgian endives and Japanese daikon radish. It was a regular occurance for him to rush home from work as the sun set, still dressed in a full suit, delicately squatting to not get it dirty, to pick his homegrown vegetables. An addition to the house centered around a greenhouse where wintertime gardening was done under fluorescent lights. A doctor and father, he put a lot of passion into the things he loved. But his patients nor his family could compete with his not-so-secret love affair I saw everyday of my life, his garden. It was a place where the only prescription was for wellness, it was where he wasn't judged for how he dressed. His garden was his place where he was free.
Press: Refinery29
Faces of Immigration is a piece that pays homage to the modern immigrant. The Statue of Liberty has been a symbol of freedom for generations for immigrants seeking to live in the United States. However, it is not the statue itself that makes this country great, rather the diverse people that come here from all walks of life. From professionals, to refugees and asylum seekers, the United States has always been a place to call home. However, home is not the place where one has shelter, but the friends and family that offer comfort and a safe environment. That is what this piece seeks to portray, that this country’s most recognizable symbol wears a cloak of fabric made of the diverse individuals whose lives interweave every day.
Omaha, NE | May 2019
This postcard design comes in packs of 10. You buy and support me as an artist, I ship by USPS to you, you buy stamps to fund USPS, they deliver mail to your friends - everybody wins! The postal service is severely underfunded and needs our support to provide services like delivery of mail-in ballots for the upcoming election.
Buy a pack of 10 here!
As I went dry in the month of January, I take a visual look at my relationship with alcohol.
A visual look at current events in the USA, taking inspiration from the elements of the American flag. Topics range from the Whistleblower, to the free fall of American democracy, the Mexican border crisis, and gun violence among others.
A collection of portraits of contributors to society and commissions. To commission a portrait for personal use, click here or email us at hello@lil-icon.com.
Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, celebrates the spiritual victory of light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance. A symbolic woman wearing a Pride-flag inspired sari stands in the shadows and looks to the light. This image was submitted as a poster for an exhibition themed “Protection”.
Following the recurring mass shootings in America, we hear from GOP leaders that it is not a gun issue but a mental health one. Everyone one of these GOP reps receives funds from the NRA.
So, has the political party gone from Grand to Gun? This image was used in a sticker campaign leading up to the March for our Lives rally in Washington, DC.
Be a super hero and use your Voting super power! This social media campaign is to inspire residents of the Super Tuesday states to participate in the primary election process.
Baby to Big is a high concept board book that translates familiar objects and ideas from a baby's world to that of their hip millennial adult counterparts, through bold, iconic images.
Publisher: Pow! Kids Books, 2017
Available on Amazon
The United States of America is a nation of immigrants. The Statue of Liberty is a symbol of the diversity welcomed into the country. This image portrays Lady Liberty wearing various cultural hats, symbolizing immigrants are welcome here.
Click here to support the organizations that fight for the cause.
Much of New York City’s identity is found in its architecture. This self-produced series takes a look at different neighborhoods, styles, and movements that make the city so iconic.
Icons made cute! During the COVID crisis we ran a promo for these custom drawings to help fund the production of PPE for local hospitals in NYC.
Lil’ Icon did a portrait series featuring women of color who have made inspiring contributions in politics, sports, entertainment and other fields.
Icons of political figures and themes.
A collection of drawings responding to COVID-19
Working with Generator Collective, a community platform to humanize policy, we created a simple guide to encourage people to fill out their US Census.
This design placed third out of over 700 submissions to be the new “I Voted” sticker in New York City. The contest which allowed the city to vote on the design in 2017 was sponsored by NYC Votes. This design celebrates the diversity of New Yorkers as they stand as icons for all that Lady Liberty signifies.
Press:
The Huffington Post One of These Designs Will Become NYC’s Next ‘I Voted’ Sticker
CBS New York Finalists for New York City’s ‘I Voted’ Sticker Are In
The turmoil surrounding the US presidential election of 2016 inspired an upswell of social activism. Advocating for people of color, immigrants, women, LGBTQ communities, and the environment, artists and designers from around the world contribute their most dynamic work (including Lil’ Icon’s Immigrant Lady Liberty) to create this timely collection of tear-out posters. Immigrant Lady Liberty also had a full-page feature in the March 25, 2018 print edition of the Washington Post.
Publisher: Princeton Architectural Press, 2018
Available on Amazon
Press:
An ongoing series of illustrated puns with relation to millennial lexicon.
Lil’ Icon collaborated with Future Coalition to produce social media content for the National Student Walkout to Vote for the midterm elections in 2018.
Lil’ Icon was asked by the Love Letter America campaign to design a postcard to remind our representatives (in the House and Senate) the reasons we love America and the values we expect them to uphold.
Build Bridges Not Walls was designed to spark discourse about the crisis of separating immigrant families at the border.
