2023 Poster Contest

First Place

Tammy Vickers

I am from Okinawa. I been united State for a long time. Some time It is not easy without Homeland. But, I am learning a lot without asking family. I learned more, I come more strong My self. Here I am today, I love doing arts, painting, Design clothing and I love Antique. Now, I am today, My Dream come true, My American Dream. I love it. 成美

Second Place

Liz Lee

Hi! My name is Liz. I am a self taught artist who moved to Knoxville, Tennessee almost six years ago. My interest in art started when I was pretty young and grew from there. I am always looking to challenge myself and learn new skills when it comes to all things art related. I love making not only physical art but digital as well. This creation was inspired by the ideas that come to mind when I think of Asian Cultures, Knoxville Community, and the idea of peace. For me growing up all Asian Cultures inspired me. Gave a sense of peace, serenity and community no matter what the world looked like at the time. Good tea and or connecting to your roots were always a part of impactful conversations I’ve had throughout the years. This piece is a culmination of those conversations and also my time here. It has instilled wisdom that I hope to pass on to my daughter as she grows up.

Third Place

Kory Flatford

Kory Flatford was born and raised in Knoxville, TN. From a young age, Kory was captivated by the arts and has pursued them throughout his life in any form he could. He spent the entirety of grade school in the Knox County school system and graduated a Halls High School Red Devil in 2016, when he had the honor of giving a graduation speech to his class. Kory went on to Pellissippi State Community College and acquired a certificate in graphic design and an Associates of Applied Sciences Degree in Communications Graphics Technology. Kory has been the Senior Graphic Designer at Fastsigns of Knoxville for 4 years.

Amiyah Tapper-McKelvey

As a published writer and freelance illustrator, at only nine years of age, I love expressing myself through my art. I enjoy the Asian Festival every year as I am from India. I have lived in Hawkins County since 2017. Having several autoimmune disorders means I don’t have the same life as my friends. I learn at home to avoid getting sick, which makes me flare up. I spend my time drawing, listening to music, and writing. I hope to be a famous YouTuber someday teaching others how to draw my characters.

Claire DeBord

Student at Shannondale Elementary, age 11

Zeik Cookson

Hi. I’m Zeik. I’ve spent most of my life working blue-collar jobs but decided I needed a change. I realized that design was the common factor among my hobbies so now I’m pursuing a degree in design and marketing.

Angelyn Smith

I was born and raised in the Philippines and now living here in Tennessee. I love arts & crafts so I got interested in graphic design too. During the beginning of the pandemic, I made graphic designs for masks, t-shirts, bags, chopping boards, and many more. It is my first time joining a poster contest and it is an honor to join this big festival.

Wanqi Zhang

I was born and raised in China and moved to Knoxville five years ago. I am also a mother of two children. My major is art design, and I am very interested in both ceramic and graphic design. This is my first time participating in this poster design. The reason is that my daughter loved last year’s poster so much, so I wanted her to try being a designer this year. Although she is only 5 years old, she did a great job, filling in a lot of the patterns in the design. She also gave me a lot of inspiration, and I am proud of her. I hope she can experience the joy that design brings.

For this poster, we used the Earth as the background and the Sunsphere, a landmark of Knoxville, as the main subject. When I first saw the Sunsphere in Knoxville, it gave me the impression of the city’s sun, bringing hope and love to people. At the same time, I hope the dove can bring peace and love to the entire city of Knoxville and the world.

Lynn Chau

My name is Lynn Chau and I am a biology student at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. When I am not studying, I enjoy making traditional and graphic art. I have been the creative director of an organization on campus for a year, which has inspired me to branch out to other opportunities like this. I am Vietnamese, so I was delighted when I first learn about this festival. I attended it last year and enjoyed meeting vendors from all over the world. I hope that this festival continues to be a center for education and familiarity for the Knoxville community for many years to come. In this poster, I wanted to showcase Knoxville’s Sunsphere, as it stands as a symbol of innovation and community from when it was built for the 1982 World’s Fair. Furthermore, I wanted to incorporate artistic motifs seen in traditional Asian art.

Juliet Odierna

Before starting the sketch I looked at the instructions and previous winners and entries from last year for inspiration. For the sketch, I took some elements from past winners and added my own designs and ideas. I used all kinds of media for the color and outlines. I tried to include some elements of Asian art designs from research that I did. I am an advanced art student so I also got the opinions of my peers.

Jasmine Rogers

Hello!
First, I want to thank this event’s organizers for many great years of celebrating Asian Culture! I have attended this festival for the last 3 years, and it has been a fantastic way for me to experience various Asian cultures in one place. I always enjoy the food and music, but especially the dancing. I would be honored to have this design put on marketing promotions for this event. I did extensive research on culture to better understand what to include in this poster, so I hope it resonates positively with you.

My design includes many hints to this year’s poster contest theme – World Peace. You will see symbolic koi fish in a yin-yang formation in the pavilion. Yin-yang describes the two complementary forces—yin and yang—that make up all aspects and phenomena of life. It encompasses the actual process of the universe and all that is in it. The Chinese pavilion (Chinese 亭, pinyin tíng) is a garden pavilion in traditional Chinese architecture.

The delicate floating lanterns are a central part of traditional Asian culture. The lanterns are surrounded by pink Japanese Cherry Blossoms which are the national flower of Japan. The cherry blossom – or Sakura, represents a time of renewal and optimism.

The waves depicted in the design remind me of the painting Under the Wave off Kanagawa by Katsushika Hokusai, a famous Japanese artist. Hokusai created a scene in which to frame Mount Fuji, which is a symbolic piece of Japanese culture. The large waves were meant to evoke feelings of respect for the powerfulness of the ocean from the viewer. Because it is vital to life, water and the ocean are deeply symbolic as it ties us all together as humans.

In the right-hand corner, you will see an Asian-inspired drawn dove flying over the scene below. The dove and the olive branch serve as a representation of peace. It also means calmness and serenity—-a new start, a new creation, new expectations, and new hope are all generated by this beautiful symbol of peace.

Not only does the color scheme match this year’s logo but these colors were also chosen because of their symbolic meanings in Asian culture. In Japanese and Chinese cultures, orange signifies courage, happiness, love, and good health. I tried to include this color prominently throughout the poster.

In the middle of the dates for the festival, you will find the Chinese translation of “World Peace.” I felt that this was a necessary addition as it not only clearly communicates this year’s theme, but also encompasses the goal of this festival. It is meant for the people of Knoxville and surrounding areas to come together for one purpose – learning more about the people we share this planet with. With more events like these that celebrate human life, glimpses of other cultures can be accessible to everyone – without a plane ticket.

I truly hope you enjoy my design and have a rewarding and fun time at this year’s Asian Festival!! 世界和平

Jasmine

Jessica Yan

I am Jessica Yan, 4th grader at Farragut Intermediate School. I was born in Knoxville and love this city. I hope there is no war in the world and everyone lives in peace. In my drawing, the dove and olive branch around the Earth means peace to the world. The Sunsphere is a symbol of Knoxville while the shaking hands under it means love and that Earth stands on love. The dogwood flowers are also a symbol of Knoxville.

Brian Toomey

Hi! My name is Brian Toomey. I am a graphic designer from Knoxville, TN. I operate PPJ (thephunkypinjunkies) and focus on hat pin designs for bands. I have been creating and selling art for about 4 years, and have official designs for Twiddle, Midnight North, Roots of Creation, Dogs in a Pile, and the Hoppy Possum Southern Brewers Cup. I have also created dozens of fan art designs for the Grateful Dead, Sublime, Billy Strings, Widespread Panic, and Phish. My only other previous experience in design was in 1997-98, when I won a design contest for Lamar Advertising focused on Organ Donation awareness. My design was featured on the side of KAT buses in Knoxville for about 6 months. I was a freshman at Bearden High School. Today, I am 40 years old, and a proud dad of two boys, ages 8 & 9. We live in West Knoxville, where I work from my home 24/7! Thank you for the opportunity to create art for your incredible event. This is a very important year to spread the message of PEACE and LOVE. Cheers!

Isaac Wang

Hello, my name is Isaac Wang. I am now eight years old. Drawing has been one of my greatest passions. I have been drawing for almost five years now. I enjoy playing the piano, origami, and ice skating. I currently live in Farragut, TN. The dove and the YinYang in my drawing are both symbols of peace, with the YinYang standing for how two different forces interconnect in the natural world. I hope all of different nations enjoy the festival!

Sierra Stanley

My name is Sierra Stanley I am a BFA Graphic Design Graduate of ETSU. I am 23 years old and have been doing art from a very young age. I have been doing graphic design work for the past four years but I have experience in many different mediums. I have lived in Knoxville all my life and am happy to have the opportunity to experience this community. For this piece, I decided to include mock orange flowers (representing peace) and Rabbits ( representing longevity and luck) so that peace will live for a long time.

Young Song

My name is Young Song. I am from S. Korea and moved to the US about 22 years ago. I moved to Knoxville about 21 years ago and lived in Knoxville longer than life (20 years) in Seoul South Korea.
I love to see that we have this wonderful Knox Asian Festival here in Knoxville every year to express and show the diversity of Asian Cultures. I personally believe that respecting other countries’ cultures comes from knowing them, learning from them, participating in them, and accepting their cultures & differences. I hope everyone enjoys and has pride in this Festival here in Knoxville Tennessee.

Savannah Jackson

My name is Savannah Jackson I am 13 years old and in seventh grade at Holston Middle School. Art has always been my passion. My very first school project was in kindergarten and it was a poster showing what I wanted to be when I grew up. Even then I knew I aspired to be the best artist that I could be. In the 4th grade, I won the Dogwood Arts Festival for my division and that really gave me the boost I needed to dive in even deeper with my art! I just heard about this poster opportunity 3 days ago and was extremely excited because of how much I already love Asian culture and love going to this festival each year with my family. I truly hope I was able to capture the beauty of this amazing culture, the beauty of our awesome city, and the unity and peace that can happen when we come together all in one drawing!

Tiffany Lian

My name is Tiffany Lian, and I am an 8th grader at Farragut Middle School. Originally from Lafayette, Indiana, my family and I later moved to Florida, where I spent my early years. However, my fondest memories are from the time we lived in Richland, Washington, where I grew up and lived for many years. Two years ago, we settled in the beautiful city of Knoxville, Tennessee. Art has been a driving passion of mine since I was young. I enjoy various mediums, including drawing, photography, acrylic painting, and animation. With my iPad Pro, I primarily create digital art, but I still love traditional sketching and constantly seek new techniques to try. While I haven’t received any awards for my artwork yet, my passion and dedication to it have only grown stronger.

Jacklyn Doyle

My name is Jacklyn Doyle. I’ve been an independent artist for around 4 years now and have had the honor of working with several bands and festivals designing logos and other merchandise.

Shuhua Xie #1

Hi, my name is Shuhua Xie, and I am from China. I am thrilled to be pursuing a PhD education in Knoxville since 2021.

I would like to share with you my design concept, which incorporates elements of Knoxville’s iconic landmarks, such as the UTK building, Sunsphere, bridge, and the Great Smoky Mountains. My design also features an orange Asian dragon head as a bold background. Thank you for taking the time to consider my design concept.

Shuhua Xie #2

Hello there! My name is Shuhua Xie, and I am from China. Currently, I am pursuing a PhD in Knoxville, which I started in 2021. I am thrilled to share my design concept with you, which is based on brush writing.

My design features the number ‘1’ on the left and the circle of the Sunsphere on the right, combined to form the number ’10.’ This represents the 10th festival. The brush writing style adds a unique artistic touch, evoking a sense of elegance and cultural significance.
I hope my design concept intrigues and captivates you. Thank you for taking the time to consider my work.

Shuhua Xie #3

Greetings! My name is Shuhua Xie, and I am from China. I am currently pursuing a PhD education here in Knoxville since 2021. I am thrilled to present to you my design concept, which I believe captures the essence of Knoxville while incorporating elements of Asian culture.

My concept features the iconic Sunsphere as the “O” in the word “Knox,” symbolizing the central role that the Sunsphere plays in the city’s identity. Beneath the tower, I have included a woman wearing traditional Asian attire, representing the vibrant diversity that Asian culture brings to Knoxville.

To add further flourish to the design, I have adorned each letter in “Knox” with colorful flowers and leaves, symbolizing the beauty and growth of the city. I hope this concept reflects the unique blend of Knoxville and Asian cultures and inspires a sense of pride and unity in the community. Thank you for considering my design!

Jamie Matsuura

Hi, I’m Jamie. I’m a stay at home mom to 3 boys, and a collector of hobbies in my spare time. I have a degree in Graphic Design which has given me experience in branding, layout, photography, bookbinding, and letterpress. I am going on my 3rd year of living in, and loving Knoxville. The beauty of East Tennessee, combined with traditional asian patterns, inspired my design. I used imagery that’s representative of Knoxville (the Sunsphere and Dogwood blossoms) in patterns that are reflective of traditional Chinese and Japanese design. This year’s festival theme of peace and love is represented throughout the design. The colors and patterns are diverse and contrasting, but are harmonious and beautiful as they come together. I also chose colors that are significant in many Asian cultures. The bird might be my favorite element. The style of the illustration is a nod towards Origami Cranes, which represent peace, love and hope. The color of the bird is inspired by the Great Blue Heron. I am always excited to see Great Blue Herons on the banks of the Tennessee River, as they are symbolic of inner peace and have many beautiful spiritual meanings. I had so much fun creating this visual representation of my love for Knoxville, and my Japanese Heritage. I hope that love shows through my design.

Gianne Santos

My name is Gianne Santos, and I am in nursing school. I love to draw and make music to express myself. I was born in the Philippines and moved to the U.S. when I was young. The flags in my poster represent all the countries coming together in peace.

Alexa Miles

I am an 8th Grade Art 1 student at Bearden Middle School. I have been using Procreate on my iPad for about 2 years now. I first discovered Procreate during quarantine and started using it. I’ve been using it ever since.

Sofia Mazzouccolo

I am a junior at HVA. At school I am a member of the newspaper, the literary magazine editorial board, and the student leader of the Asian Student Association. While I do not have a degree in graphic design, I do have to create info-graphics, flyers, and posters for the clubs I am in about once a month. I also sketch a lot in my free time. I am a fourth-generation Japanese-American so I wanted to tie that into the poster. The orange-red color behind the Sunsphere is meant to represent the rising sun. The color scheme is also meant to match the Knoxville Asian Festival logo.

Lisa Ng

Lisa Ng received her degree in graphic design from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA. After 10+ years of working on many big brands (including Amazon, Microsoft, Nintendo, AOL, Weight Watchers, and PepsiCo), Lisa left the design studio environment to pursue her new day job: raising four future leaders. She now does freelance design and gets very little sleep. For Lisa’s poster design, she wanted to create a vibrant and joyful design since the 10th annual festival is a big one to celebrate. The Sunsphere makes up the “1” in the “10” and the dragon emerges from the “0”. It is holding up the peace symbol to show one of the important themes for this year’s festival. The rabbit and monkey are making a heart symbol to represent love which is the other key theme. Good luck to all the other poster designers and thanks for considering!

Georgi Georgiev-Arshata

Name: Georgi Iordanov Georgiev-Arshata (Note: “Arshata” is artistic pseudonym)

Education:
OCTOBER 2022 – PRESENT
Visual Communication, National Academy of Art, Sofia Sofia, Degree/Level: Master
OCTOBER 2018 – JUNE 2022
Poster and Visual Communication, National Academy of Art, Sofia Sofia, Degree/Level: Bachelor
SEPTEMBER 2013 – JUNE 2018
Advertising Graphics, National Art School “Tsanko Lavrenov” Plovdiv, Degree/Level: Professional

Awards and exhibitions;
2015 – 2nd place in a competition for the creation of a logo for a children’s clinic at the St. George UMBAL Plovdiv. Currently the logo of the donation campaign of the hospital “The best for our children and cancer patients”.
2016 – “Romfeya” gallery award in the “Graphic Design” category.
2016 – 3rd place in the competition of Junior Achievement Bulgaria “Best student company”.
2017 – Participation in the “Poster 11” exhibition at “C??” Sofia (Union of the Bulgarian Painters).
2017 – Participation in an exhibition of the National Art School “Tsanko Lavrenov” in Skopje, Macedonia.
2018 – “13 Centuries Bulgaria” “Atanas Staykov” award for graphic design.
2018 – Participation in the final selection and exhibition of the “3rd International Theater Poster Competition” in Moldova.
2019 – Finalist in the festival “Via Pontica” poster competition.
2021 – Participation in final selection and exhibition of “XI Triennale 4th block”
2022 – 1st place in the Burgas Art Bazaar logo contest
2022 – 1st place in the poster contest for the 20th anniversary edition of the “Plovdiv reads” festival
2022 – Participation as a creative collaborator in the project and exhibition “Trademark – Dimitrovgrad and Haskovo”
2022 – Participation in the final selection of “Art World Turkiye- NO TOBACCO
INTERNATIONAL LIFE POSTER COMPETITION”
2022 – Participation in the traveling exhibition “Moliere without borders” organized by
“International triennial of the stage poster-Sofia” in partnership with
The French Institute in Bulgaria and “State Cultural Institute – MFA”
2022 – Participation in the jury of the “24th International Fair Poster Competition – organized by “International Fair Plovdiv” and UFI”.
2022 – Award for debut, presented by “Gallery 88” at the “10th International Triennial of the Stage Poster – Sofia”.
2022 – Participation in the final selection and exhibition of the poster competition on the occasion of the 400th anniversary of Moliere’s birth in Rzeszów, Poland “POSTER
MOLIERE’S PLAYS COMPETITION
Moliere2022- Theater im. Wandy Siemaszkowej w Rzeszowie
2022 – Participation in the final selection for the “10th World Biennial of Student Poster 2022” exhibition in Novi Sad.

Maribel Frasure #1

Former Visual Coordinator, Layout, Graphic designer and illustrator at De La Salle University Press, Manila Philippines. Awarded poet and writer, Manila Philippines.

Maribel Frasure #2

Former Visual Coordinator, Layout, Graphic designer and illustrator at De La Salle University Press, Manila Philippines. Awarded poet and writer, Manila Philippines.

Maribel Frasure #3

Former Visual Coordinator, Layout, Graphic designer and illustrator at De La Salle University Press, Manila Philippines. Awarded poet and writer, Manila Philippines.