Sherry's Palette Celebrates Chinese American Nostalgia
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Time to read 2 min
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Hi! I’m Sherry, a Registered Dietitian by day, designer and letterpress printer by night. I am originally from San Francisco, but currently live in Fremont. I design and illustrate greeting cards and prints, which are all individually letterpress printed either in my garage studio or at a local studio, as well as enamel pins and tote bags. Fun fact most people don't know - I love dance! Ballet, modern, hip hop :)
When I was in college, I signed up to be a graphic designer with zero experience for the Asian American Film Festival Committee. This served as the first inspiration - to learn about graphic arts and applying it in ways to support something Asian American. Years later, I started to blog here and there about my food memories and thoughts, hoping to shine light on the diversity, complexity and history of Chinese food with accompanying art. When I got my hands on letterpress printing, initially for my own wedding, everything started to meld together. Printing one greeting card at a time, often with a food or Asian American theme in mind, led me to where I am now.
"To hold onto one of my cards, printed using a centuries-old technique and then write in them - it’s so special."
The ideas for my designs stem from my upbringing as a Chinese-Cantonese/Asian American, sharing my love for food as the daughter of restaurant owners (in SF!) as well as some everyday encouragement that comes from personal experiences.
I feel very much that…an Asian American person, meaning that my values come from both my Chinese parents and growing up American, not that I belong solely to one group or the other. It shows up in our food and in the way we speak, so I often try to bring components of that into my artwork. It’s why you’ll see cards that have both Chinese and English on them because frankly, that’s how I speak at home - a mix of both! It is meaningful to me as I believe many of us connect through nostalgia and shared experiences, especially in this fast-paced, online world.
I do my best to come from a place of honesty, so almost everything I make comes from something meaningful to me. While I think as a business, it’s important to have a cohesive look or brand, I also share that I am always working on improving my own skills in graphic design and illustration. That means my artwork may look different and evolve over time, but in a way that is still authentic to me. I would encourage anyone to ask me what some of my cards mean!
The moment I am almost done bringing to life an idea on Adobe Illustrator - creating work digitally is still my favorite - and the first time I pull a completed print from my antique printing press. I am also ecstatic when I vend at events and see a customer pick up a card with a knowing look, showing that we both feel that sentiment of that specific card.
I am excited to continue growing and weaving in experiences into my prints and artwork both from my upbringing and more recently as a mom of two little boys. Professionally, I am excited about building up on graphic design skills as well as exploring different ways of printing.
Instagram: @sherryspalette
Website: sherryspalette.com
