POSTER • SF GATE • 2026
Cover art for SF Gate's annual "Best of the Bay" newsprint, celebrating the top local businesses, restaurants, venues, and experiences across the region.
From after living in San Francisco for ten years, every single day I step out my front door, I am still amazed by how separate and distinct every building looks. It's as if every single one of them had a different architect design their details—building with absolute abandon and sensitive detail—an idea that inspired the choice for this piece as a way to recognize our diverse array of modern, classic, and local businesses. And a theme that instead could perfectly be the purpose of the "Best of the Bay" issue.
I began by playing with simple geometric shapes. Drawing inspiration from 1970s and '80s, I challenged myself to break the cityscape down into simple lines and shapes while using a limited color palette to give each building an individual identity, playing with how two distinct colors placed next to each other can completely transform a look. The colorful palettes, Tenderloin building blocks, and striped buildings mix together a playful nod to my childhood memories mixed with the everyday playbook magic of the city.
The final illustration was published as the full double-truck cover of the "Best of the Bay" physical newsprint edition, distributed all over San Francisco. Seeing my artwork out in the wild at newsstands across the city was an incredible milestone.