While in design school, I created a conceptual identity for Chinatown's Lunar New Year celebration. Visuals included scanned photos of orange peels and lettuce—produce flung around during lion dances to bring in good fortune. I wanted to use dynamic and unexpected imagery to show another side to the festivities to pique curiosity for the uninitiated. When I showed this work to a field professional, he said the scanned elements looked like "garbage." This comment always stuck with me—did my culture really look like garbage to others? Years later, I have revisited these motifs to reclaim my cultural identity, and showcase its unconventional beauty.