THE VISUALLY INCLINED: YAKI MAN’S MOTION MASTERPIECES

Perfectly ostentatious, Yaki Man’s quirky creations fear no colour, attitude or surrealism. Bold creations to match her bright character, her designs reflect her very ideology and ability not to take yourself too seriously. From dumplings to footwear, she knows how to bring even the most mundane of things to life.

Originally from Guangdong, she split her time between Hong Kong and the United States before graduating with a Bachelor Degree in Graphic Design from California College of Arts. Now as a full-time Visual Designer, she works with a roster of high end and up and coming brands to craft graphic design works, branding, art direction and motion graphic pieces.

“I started making stop-motion works because of my thesis project. It was a 3-month long semester project, so we got the chance to explore different ways to convey a message. I found out how much I loved doing this and realised that it came pretty naturally to me.”

Inspired by Dadaism, the chaos of Hong Kong and vintage movies, when it comes to creating the library and internet is her playground. “I dig for something interesting, relevant or not relevant, and let what I find surprise me first. I mostly have a connection to old, ancient, historical stuff and art movements. I gravitate towards architecture, art, fashion, furniture, glass… anything but contemporary graphic designs to find my inspiration.”

No hue left behind, she describes her relationship with colour as one of pure love. She leans on colour to deliver emotion and build a narrative, it is the essence of personality. Simply put, “it’s a must in life!”

Having now recently launched a new creative sandbox with her partner, Antoine Navarro, they are creating an opportunity for brands to pair architecture and design seamlessly. Aptly named Navarro Man, their collective portfolio houses fantasy forges, gentlemen’s clubs and Szechuan chicken joints.

“Using both of our knowledge, we really want to bring branding naturally into architecture design or vice versa. As design has no boundaries, it’s always interesting to see what different kinds of creatives working together can achieve. I would love to keep on this collaboration and develop more interesting projects across industries and mediums.”

If you’re looking to keep your Instagram feed wild, bright and unpredictable, follow @yaki_man or dive into Navarro Man’s latest works on their website.