Purpose
In collaboration with 🔗 Welcome to Chinatown and 🔗 Gotham Park for the 2025 Lunar New Year Fair – Year of the Snake, I was responsible for the key art for this project. My role involved creating brand illustrations as the foundation for the event’s visual identity for digital online promotion and vendor booth prints. The project aims to capture the essence of the Year of the Wooden Snake, the festival’s spirit, and the unique cultural landscape of New York’s Chinatown.
2025 NYC Lunar New Year/ Welcome to Chinatown x Gotham Park
Responsibility
Key Art
Character/Pattern Design
Branding
Timeline
6 Weeks
2025
My Role
Brand Designer/Illustrator
Credits
Welcome to Chinatown
Harry Trinh, Creative Director
Post on the Kelly Clarkson Show #WHAT I’M LIKING
Overview
Designed the key visual identity for the Lunar New Year Fair in collaboration with Gotham Park and Welcome to Chinatown, celebrating the Year of the Wood Snake. The goal was to create a culturally resonant yet modern brand system that would engage the local community and broader New York City audiences.
The New Look from Gotham Park
Development
Drawing inspiration from traditional Chinese paper-cut art, I developed a modular illustration system that could flex across different formats — from event signage to social media assets. The design combined traditional cultural motifs with a contemporary color palette and clean, graphic language to express the energy and inclusivity of the Chinatown community.
The photos from traditional Chinese paper cutting
Outcome
The visual identity was applied across physical and digital touchpoints, including event banners, vendor booth branding, and online promotion. The campaign helped the event attract 15,000+ attendees and was featured on The Kelly Clarkson Show and Meta Prosper.
Style and Elements
1. Traditional paper-cut style version
2. Minimalist lines version
3. Versions combining a sense of line and graphic
Style
In the early design stages, we explored ways to modernize traditional paper-cutting while preserving its symbolic yin-yang composition of hollow and solid spaces.
In Picture 1, I applied a traditional paper-cutting approach, emphasizing handcrafted details and detailed patterns. In contrast, Picture 2 simplifies the technique into a minimalist line-based style, maintaining key geometric forms while keeping the content.
Building on both, Picture 3 combines delicate handcrafted details (Picture 1) with organized curves and straight lines (Picture 2) to create a sophisticated and vibrant composition. In addition, the design incorporates elements inspired by New York's cultural landscape and traditional Chinese culture, enriching the design's various features.
Snake Style
The snake carries complex symbolism in Western culture. In the Biblical story of Adam and Eve, it represents temptation and the fall of human beings. In literature and mythology, it embodies duality, both protector and trickster, danger and renewal, wisdom and deception. But in the Chinese zodiac, the snake symbolizes wisdom, abundance, and positivity.
To avoid any negative associations, and discussed with Harry how to subtly incorporate the snake into the design. We kept it as minor elements, using soft, rounded lines to create a more welcoming feel. Additionally, traditional Chinese paper-cutting often decorates the snake's back with floral or geometric patterns, reinforcing its meaning as a symbol of good luck and prosperity.
Booths and Characters
4. Sketches and detailing one spot first
5. (Left) Monochrome illustration
6. (Right) Monochrome buildings and colorful figures blend
Fair Poster
The final part of the design process was creating the fair poster, combining the chosen style and elements to capture the event's spirit. The goal was to highlight the festive atmosphere and theme of the fair.
To do this, I illustrated various booths showcasing different goods, reflecting the lively marketplace experience and the design needed to emphasize inclusivity. Harry and I particularly wanted the characters to represent the city's diversity: shoppers, young children, trendy young adults, dog walkers, cheering crowds, and lion dancers, all coming together to celebrate.
This approach ensures that the 2025 Lunar New Year Fair feels vibrant, welcoming, and open to everyone, creating an exciting and inclusive celebration.
Click to Watch the Video
