I hope your summer has been going well. These past few months I have been working on new art and am excited to finally announce that I will be having an ☀️ End of Summer Shop Update ☀️ on Wednesday, August 20 at 11 am CST!
It’s been a while since I made new things, so I am excited to be bringing 8 new stickers and 4 new prints!
Inspired by summery things like boba tea and gardening, cute kids, and my birthday month (August)!
Mark your calendars, and I hope to send some of these goodies your way soon!
Recently, I had the privilege of designing and having my design chosen as one of the four button design contest winners for Hmong Museum’s Button Design Contest held during the month of April 2025.
The theme for the button was “commemorate resilience and remembering Hmong American experiences in the last 50 years.”
Design requirements included having the art fit with the theme, creating the artwork to fit onto a 1.5 inch circle button, and including the words “Commemorating 50 Years”.
PROCESS
While designing this button, I reflected on what in the Hmong community have stuck with us during our time here in the United States? Immediately, I thought of the Hmong New Year celebrations. Even before arriving in America, the Hmong New Years have always been a way our people celebrated our hard work and reconnected with family, friends, and the community. It is a tradition we carried with us across oceans and generations. The dance, music, food, and Hmong clothes we wear to these events are ways we stay connected to our roots. Although many of us are scattered throughout the country, the new years are our annual reminders to come together and commemorate our resilience and accomplishments as Hmong people.
Above are two initial sketches for the button design.
After refining the colors and design more, I had a few colleagues helped me narrow down one to proceed with. When designing the button, I wanted to use themes and colors that were present in the Hmong culture. Magenta and lime green were two colors that were prominent in some traditional Hmong attire, so I decided to move forward with those colors.
The final design is a reflection of a typical Hmong New Year experience.
First, the “ball toss” exchange between two hands throwing a ball from left to right. Traditionally at the Hmong New Years, ball tossing was done between two people as a courtship activity. Nowadays people do it for fun, to reconnect, or to pass time.
The rice plants shown behind the hands are a staple plant traditionally harvested during the Hmong New Years.
The brown “qeej” instrument on the bottom left represents music played at the Hmong New Years. Sometimes there will also be other entertainment such as singing or dancing.
The “xauv,” a traditional Hmong necklace in the middle, represents Hmong clothes worn.
Finally, the rice and chicken dish on the right represents food served at these events.
The design is encompassed by a ring with magenta and white triangles. The triangular “mountain design” is inspired by those seen on Hmong clothes and embroidery, which Hmong people carried with them for many generations. To me, I see these designs as a symbol of strength and unity.
I had so much fun creating this design and am glad I was able to create something meaningful to commemorate 50 years of Hmong people in America!
First post of 2025! Although it’s already a quarter of the way into the year, I finally have some NEWS to share!
Recently, I had the privilege of working with the Cut Fruit Collective on illustrating a piece for a group exhibition! The Art of Belonging Exhibition is an exhibition highlighting the Asian American Stories of Diaspora and Community care in the Oakland, California area. “The exhibit is an intergenerational oral history and multimedia exhibition that traces 11 stories of Asian immigrant elders” -Cut Fruit Collective. I was one of 11 artists chosen to illustrate and bring to life an elder’s story.
The story I was assigned came from a Karen elder where she shared about her upbringings in the Thai refugee camps to her life in America. Some things she highlighted in her journey were the importance of healthcare, education, and community.
Line art sketch
Rough draft with colors
Final art
Artist Statement: “In this illustration, I want to capture the Karen elder living her best life. Important things to her are good health, community, and education. To her, good health means being able to walk, move around, and help others, like taking her children to school. I picture her walking her children to school or Chinatown and strolling past a mural. Oakland has a strong presence of street art and murals, which is a perfect way to capture her life. Each tier reflects significant parts of her journey, from her upbringing in the refugee camps to the support and sense of community she receives from the Asian Health Services and her church.“
Below is the flyer information regarding the opening reception and exhibition dates. While I will not be able to attend this event in-person, I wish to share this wonderful event with everyone!
Duachaka
Several photos from the exhibition. Photo credits to Ngan Vu.
A lot has happened since the last time I posted something. Here’s a quick recap from the past few months! Near the end of September, I attended my solo art exhibition reception…
I also did a book festival talk about my work as an author and artist…
…taught a comics class…
…and attended the Minnesota Comic Book Association’s FallCon, a 2-day comic convention!
Phew! Now that those events are over, there are only two more events I have scheduled for the rest of the year!
On Saturday, November 9th to Sunday, November 10th, I will be vending at my local Hmong New Year in Wausau, Wisconsin! It has been almost 10 years since I vended there, so I’m excited to be bringing new work back to the Wausau community!
Venture through the imaginative world of Duachaka Her as she explores memories and life transitions. Her’s collection of work navigates through childhood innocence, growing pains, and adulthood, offering a small glimpse into meaning-making at the crossroads of spontaneity and the expected.
Hello all!
It’s the last month of summer for most of us, so I want to update you all on an upcoming event happening soon!
I am excited to announce that I will have my FIRST curated SOLO ART EXHIBITION “Then and Now” at the Center for Visual Arts in Wausau, Wisconsin!
It has always been a dream of mine to have my work featured inside a gallery space! Also, it would be 10 years since I created my comic book Then and Now. You can say part of this exhibition is a celebration of 10 years since it’s creation!
“Then and Now” exhibition will feature new and familiar works.
EXHIBITION DATE: August 21-October 19, 2024 You can go see the show anytime within those dates during gallery hours!
BUILDING LOCATION: Center for Visual Arts (Vault Gallery, 2nd floor) 427 N 4th St, Wausau, WI 54403
Join me at the ARTIST RECEPTION: Friday, September 27, 2024 Anytime from 5 p.m.-7:30 p.m. to celebrate, ask questions, and enjoy art!
It’s an EXCITING and BUSY time of year for most folks, so I want to make this short and sweet for you all.
This summer, I have a few events happening!
UPCOMING EVENTS
MADISON CHILDREN’S MUSEUM “NICE AGE TRAIL” EXHIBIT (Madison, Wisconsin) Saturday, June 1st, 2024
Last year, I had the privilege of being one of the artists involved in the upcoming “Nice Age Trail” nature exhibit that will be held at the Madison Children’s Museum in Madison, Wisconsin this summer!
“Inspired by nature and designed to teach kindness, this interactive exhibit invites kids to explore four Wisconsin seasons across four habitats—and the world of the animals who live there.”
For this exhibit, I created a board book called “Too Quiet for Kou,” a story of a restless Black Bear venturing through the forest at night only to discover the creatures that are still awake.
The exhibit opens SATURDAY, JUNE 1ST, 2024 to the public!
If you’re in the Madison, Wisconsin area this summer, be sure to stop by and check it out!
LITTLE MEKONG NIGHT MARKET (St. Paul, Minnesota) Saturday, June 22 (5 pm – 11 pm) & Sunday, June 23 (3 pm – 9 pm), 2024
Little Mekong Night Market is Minnesota’s first and original night market held in the heart of the Little Mekong District, St. Paul, Minnesota. The event celebrates Asian culture, fosters community engagement, and provides everyone who attends with an unforgettable and memorable experience featuring:
• Exotic Street Market Food • Cultural Performances • Artisan Marketplace • Competition Events • Family-Friendly Fun • Community Connections • Night Market Vibes
It will be my FIRST TIME tabling at this night market! I will be debuting some NEW stickers and prints along with my comics!
If you’re in the area around that time, be sure to stop by!
The year started out busy, but I assure you…it just keeps getting busier!
I wanted to take a little time to update you all on what has been happening in my life! I actually have several events planned for this year, so below is a quick glimpse of what they are.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Saturday, March 16th, 2024 – EmpowHer POP-UP (Weston, WI) This will be my FIRST in-person event of the year! I plan to sell some of my merchandise along with several other women-owned local businesses! The event is FREE and open to the public, so do plan to stop by if you can!
Screenshot
June 2024 – Madison Children’s Museum’s “Nice Age Trail” Exhibit (Madison, WI) Last year I had the privilege of being part of an upcoming nature exhibit that will be held at the Madison Children’s Museum in Madison, Wisconsin this summer!
“The Nice Age Trail will foster kindness to all living things—animals, plants, yourself, and one another. Discover how our exhibits staff are creating an indoor journey through the four seasons and four Wisconsin ecosystems.”
More updates regarding the exhibit will come in the next few months. Be sure to check out the museum website and social media to find out more regarding more information!
There’s also other things happening later this year, but I will disclose them when the time comes.
You can always follow me on Facebook or Instagram for more frequent updates!
Thank you again for joining me on my art journey, where I take it day by day. :)
Boy did the year flew by. I felt like these past couple of months had just been me catching up with life, and now that it’s fall, things are getting busy again!
With that said, I just wanted to let you guys know that I’ll be having my next shop update this coming Thursday, October 5th at 4:00 p.m. CST!
I have a few new die cut stickers, mini art prints, and a new Halloween mini comic!
I’m excited because it has been a while since I last created a printed comic. The 32-page mini comic follows a witch and what she does on Halloween night.
Also, since it’s Hmong New Year season (months of October-December), which celebrates the end of the harvest season, I created some stickers of kids wearing Hmong clothes!
This will most likely be my last shop update of the year as I will be busy finishing up other projects.
I hope you are excited as I am about the launch!
Currently my shop is closed for updating, but if you would like to receive an email notification for when it goes LIVE again, please subscribe below to my shop newsletter if you haven’t already done so!
Wow, we’re about 3 months in and I FINALLY feel like I got some decent news to share! I felt like I haven’t been very productive the last two months due to various reasons (like work…taxes…life…and just planning out my year sort of thing)!
But if you haven’t seen on my social media accounts already, I had posted that I will be attending TWO in-person events in April (yes, that’s next month)!
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
The first event will be Saturday, April 1st to Sunday, April 2nd in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. I will be attending the Eau Claire Mini Flea Market selling some NEW merchandise (see below)!
My second in-person event will be in Eagan, Minnesota on Saturday, April 29th at the Hmong Arts & Craft Fair.
So if you have time to stop by either of those events, it’ll be great to meet you!
On another note, for the past few weeks, I have been working on some NEW stickers! They have finally arrived to me not too long ago. Below is a sneak peak!
And usually, I post a bit of my process here. The idea for these new stickers came about after making my first Sun and Moon holographic stickers last year.
Those stickers sold out at an event I tabled at least year, so I thought it’ll be cool to make more, but this time, with an elemental theme instead. Here are the initial sketchbook sketches.
And below are the colored files before they went to print. I decided to go with the four elements: Fire, Earth, Air and Water. I also threw in two more themes: Light and Dark or Angel and Devil (however, you want to interpret it). Plusssss, I came to realize that all of these make for almost all the colors in the rainbow, so it looked really cool and cute together!
But yeah! I hope you enjoyed this little process post and also me sharing my plans for the next month. This year I plan to focus on tabling more (maybeeee) and working on my comics (I know I say that every year, but it’s SO hard for me to focus and just commit)! *Fingers crossed!
I hope you all are doing well and getting the ball rolling with what you want to accomplish this year! Best of luck~! We can do this!!
EXHIBITION DATE: August 21-October 19, 2024
BUILDING LOCATION:
Join me at the ARTIST RECEPTION: Friday, September 27, 2024 
Reception Event Link: 
UPCOMING EVENTS 
Black Bear venturing through the forest at night only to discover the creatures that are still awake.
DUACHAKA HER 