Year of the Tiger: Hope & Despair, 2022

Limited edition hand-pulled screenprint poster for the 2021 Minneapolis Sketchbook exhibition at Gamut Gallery (sold out)

During the time I was ideating this poster, communities were starting to celebrate the 2022 Lunar New Year. I was inspired to illustrate a tiger surrounded by their lucky flower (cineraria) and the idea of Hope — but then Amir Locke was killed.

I realized I couldn’t just highlight Hope as I saw others (and within myself) Despair. This year Courage would take the form of bolstering hope while rising from despair.

We have to accept both of these emotions and that they exist for a reason. We cannot thrive on toxic positivity nor sink into the swamps of sadness. We need to take time to mourn, reassess our needs and values, and then move forward — and this is where Hope ultimately rises.