The Aloha Shirts

This artwork is inspired by the Bobcat Fire.

The Bobcat Fire started on September 6, 2020 as part of the 2020 California wildfire season. It burned through 115,796 acres of forest in the central San Gabriel Mountains.

Coincidentally, the first collection was designed around the same time. When the fire burned through the forest, you could barely see the sun through the smog-filled gray sky, and you could smell the smoke. It felt like LA was burning down. This artwork serves as a reminder of the power of nature and how we are only living at her mercy.

In traditional Chinese symbolisms. The Chinese translation “鱼”(yu) is homophonous to the character “余“ meaning “over” or “more than”. This makes fish an auspicious creature symbolizing abundance of wealth and prosperity. The motif of Koi symbolizes many good qualities across different asian cultures, and you can often find Koi ponds at homes and business establishments. They are a truly beautiful creature and add movement to the stillness of its surrounding. 

There is something beautiful, calming and soothing in the chaos of Jimi's music, perhaps it is his baritone voice. It is sometimes passionate and sometimes aloof. I was listening to Jimi a lot when I was designing for the first collection.

Being stuck at home because of the pandemic, I was always anxious and felt my head was filled with chaos. I seeked peace in Jimi’s music, maybe because it was so relatable. I don’t know what bothered Jimi. What void was he trying to fill? And why did God have to take him from us at such a young age?