Bubble Bay
Bubble Bay is inspired by a local Hong Kong street food called 雞蛋仔 (Gai Daan Jai) also known as bubble waffle or egg puff. In Cantonese, 雞蛋仔 means little eggs. Growing up, when they visited Hong Kong to see their family, Kelcy and their sister enjoyed combining 雞蛋仔 with Oreo Mcflurrys. The sweetness of the ice cream paired so well with the 雞蛋仔. When they look back on that, they see it as a perfect fusion of their two cultures.
The artist does not support Mcdonald’s and how the corporation has helped fund the genocide and erasure of Palestine. Kelcy included a Mcdonald’s symbol because they wanted to remain authentic to their childhood experience. Given this, Bubble Bay print sales will be donated to help purchase e-sims monthly to help support Palestine until they are free.
The BIG FOOD series was developed after the artist painted a mural for a local business called Simple Burger in 2021. The people behind this family-owned spot inspired them to develop a larger series about small businesses, immigrant culture and the love language of food.
Small businesses work above and beyond to operate their shops and produce meals. Behind all of them are people working tirelessly devoting themselves to their businesses. Food feels a lot more precious when we see all the work that has gone into it.
Food is also a love language. It falls under “Acts of Service” and yet it could be entirely its own. Many cultures use food as a form of care and to develop stronger bonds with loved ones. It is what builds our cultures and gives us space to belong to, especially for folks away from their homes. Food paves the way for our communities and often defines what home feels like.
The BIG FOOD series is an unlimited illustration series and will continue to speak to these themes and represent a vast array of cultures and people. As of now, the series is comprised of eight illustrations, each inspired by a specific small business or story.