Today we’d like to introduce you to Phung Banh.
Hi Phung, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I have been an artistic person most of my life – from performing arts and bullet journaling to graphic design and illustration; I always find myself engaging in creative projects that fuel me. Yet, growing up in an Asian family, I was never encouraged a creative career. My parents are business owners, and my uncle works in tech – so, the idea of becoming an artist never once crossed my mind. It wasn’t until I moved away from home and exposed myself to a new environment that I started to consider the possibility and allowed myself to explore my skillsets.
I started at Austin College as a Psychology-major. However, after two and a half years, I realized that Psychology was not something I want to pursue in the next ten years, even though the human mind and behaviors have always been fascinating to me. It was not enough. Then, the COVID-19 pandemic occurred and that was when I began to take my creative career seriously and completely fell in love with the idea of being an artist/designer.
One good thing about quarantining was the free time at hand that allowed me to work on more art projects. I started posting one illustration a day, every day, at the beginning of 2020 on my Instagram page @PB.Journal. Fast forward a year later, I am now a freelance illustrator, small-business owner, and creative intern, working remotely at a creative agency in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
If anyone asks me what is the most courageous decision, I would say, “Becoming an artist.”
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
My journey has been relatively steady. However, I have been in a constant state of change ever since I switched gears to create art and design full-time. I grew up with a student mindset – I asked questions, followed instructions, and asked for advice at any chance I got. However, once I got into college, I came to realize that I struggled to stay open-minded when it came to problem-solving and trying new ideas whenever I wanted to. That was when I developed my learner mindset.
Under Mark Monroe’s mentorship, I began to practice the “doing before asking.” Whenever I came to him for guidance on any art projects (primarily sculptures), he would ask, “Have you tried ___,” and when I answered no, he replied, “Well, go do it.” I was frustrated, wondering why this man would not tell me what to do to save some time. Later on, I realized that it is a necessary mindset to have – you have to try until you fail.
Now, I have learned to detach myself from all the ways I think I should work and follow what’s exciting. Honestly, I’ve found that the best work I make comes from doing it out of exploration and curiosity. And, my identity in arts is a result of such effort.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a digital illustrator and graphic designer with a solution-driven mindset. I have a love for visual storytelling and specialize in conceptual art, branding design, and custom illustrations. As a Vietnamese woman with parents of Chinese descent, I was raised to embrace the duality of my identity and celebrate other cultures aside from my own. This upbringing fuels my goal and efforts to address the lack of diversity and racial discrepancies in women’s representation.
I am most proud of my ‘Asian Cultures Celebration’ series, where I illustrated Asian women from various countries in their traditional cultural attire. The message I want to convey with the series is that not all Asians look alike. Most people tend to lump all Asians into one, forgetting that East and non-East Asians have very different features from physical appearances and customs to languages and religions. This is why a lot of people exclude certain ethnicities because they do not fit their stereotypical “Asian” standards. As a Vietnamese artist, I am thankful for the opportunity to contribute to the movement of bringing recognition to all the richness and diversity of the Asian traditions through my illustrations.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I am nervous about taking risks. I am afraid of putting my vulnerability on the line, and I tend to focus more on what I might lose or have to sacrifice than what might go right. So if I have to choose between taking risks or staying in my comfort zone, I prefer the latter. However, I do believe that being courageous in risk-taking is worth it. All the small risks I have taken so far have led me to see that I can achieve anything I set my mind to.
When I changed my career trajectory during my last semester of college, I risked picking a path not knowing if I would succeed, but at the same time, I allowed myself to explore the unknown and follow my calling. It is definitely not the riskiest decision, but I am proud of myself for overcoming my tendency to play safe and trusting my intuition. I aspire to build up the courage to take more risks that would further improve my life in the future. To wrap up, here is a quote worth noting: “Fortune favors the bold.”
Pricing:
- Commission/Custom Illustration starting from $100
- Art prints are available for purchase on website: www.phungbanh.com/artprints
- Branding Design – Contact Phung at hello@phungbanh.com for more information
Contact Info:
- Email: hello@phungbanh.com
- Website: https://www.phungbanh.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pb.journal
