Tyrus illustrator @bao___haus’s distinctive style is heavily influenced by both past and present Chinese art—from Chinese mythology and folk art to Art Nouveau, wuxia, and anime/manga. She shared with us how her style is reflective of her identity. “I have a deep genuine love for [Chinese art], as well as a distance as an American. This has become a personal desire to reinterpret it through the experience of a second generation Chinese-American. So it's really these two elements that are constantly at work in my personal practice. It's a process of appropriating, retelling or subverting—all of which require destruction of elements of the original. It's just a matter of how far I can push to create something new, while still honoring the integrity and spirit of the original.” All of these influences converge to allow Sarula to tell a story with each illustration. “I love storytelling, and I try to bring that into my work through the use of frames and panels, and character/trope/thematic/stylistic elements specific to the genre I'm referencing. Regardless of what is happening in the illustration, it is the idea of a story that I want to embody, from genres such as wuxia, fairy tales, or a sparkling romantic shoujo. These fantastical narratives interest me as a queer, female leftist because they are influenced by and in turn influence the understanding that people have about gender, sexuality, and ideals.” To keep up to date on her personal work, follow her at @bao___haus, and check out her Tyrus illustration in the Nail the Brief section of Tyrus at tyrus.design (link in bio). #Airbnb Tyrus