My love for words and images started early. I was captivated by stories told with words but even more by narratives told visually. Thanks to a De Beers commercial and Spielberg’s Empire of the Sun, being a filmmaker became my first grown-up ambition. It did not seem like a viable option for a Chinese-Filipino woman back then, however, so I settled on plan B.

I took up Creative Writing at the University of the Philippines and after graduation, I employed my skills in publishing, communications, and public relations. Meanwhile, my fascination with film (especially in the form of movie posters) remained, and no trip to the mall did not involve swooning over book covers and product packaging. I was a designer trapped in a writer’s body, and it was time to be one. Through a confluence of fortunate events, I was able to go to Parsons School of Design and complete a bachelor’s degree in Communication Design.

I do not regret studying literature and writing as these have led me to adopt a thoughtful and considered approach to design. Although I now work and make meaning primarily with images and typography, I am not far from where I began.