BANANA BLEND

Thanks to recent Hollywood films like Crazy Rich Asians, ‘Bananas’ are back in the spotlight.
But what does it mean to be white on the inside and yellow on the outside?

Being a banana to other asians can be an embarassing/shameful thing, but if you peel back the surface, you’ll find there are many people who struggle with who they are.

One of my main objectives is to change what red symbolises; being a ‘Banana’ meant red used to symbolise the embarrassment and shame this community grew up with.
I wanted to transform red to make it a source of pride in being a Chinese/Taiwanese New Zealander.

The Banana Blend logo was created & inspired by East Asia’s seal/stamp which contains Chinese characters to prove identity on documents.

The chinese character in my seal translate to ‘I AM’

Banana Blend is a non-profit organisation that welcomes the Asians throughout New Zealand to have a voice, be proud and confident. The organisation helps the Asian community take
an in-depth look at themselves by hosting cultural storytelling event, celebrate the journeys, stories and unique identities in the New Zealand environment.

This ‘Going Bananas!’ brochure not only is a promotional piece but it is designed & illustrated for the people who are walking in two worlds and not really belonging in either. By placing the cross cultural faces right at the opening, the act of opening up to find out more about the event, have a notion of embracing & unmasking their cultural identity.

Food has played an important role in the development of Chinese culture. Every year many traditional festivals and events are celebrated with special foods. Each food have particular meanings such as good luck, best wishes, unity and commemoration. So above, i have produced collectible cards that’s to be collected at each food stall (like street night markets, a popular Chinese culture). The concept of the food market is for you to soak in the atmosphere which is usually crowded and noisy with hawkers shouting and fast-paced music playing over loudspeakers and try the traditional snack food out. The collectible cards are just an informative thing to take away and learn about what you are eating because it’s the food that have the best representation about the culture.