This Graphic Designer from Negeri Sembilan Is Making Waves Internationally with Her Quirky Illustrations

A quick scroll through Vanissa Foo’s Instagram page will show you that its vibrant colours and quirky character stand out in a sea of minimalism. The 26-year-old has made a name for herself through a character fondly dubbed ‘Humana’, a fictional character which embarks on different adventures such as performing in the theatre or simply wandering through a private garden filled with exotic plants.

The character has been featured in numerous local and international brand collaborations, and it recently received an accolade from Taiwan’s Golden Pin Design Award, the most influential design award in the global Huaren market. 

Hailing from Negeri Sembilan, Vanissa is now based in KL where the graphic designer-cum-illustrator has transitioned to focusing fully on Humana since April 2022. Being interested in the graphics and illustration fields since she was a kid, Vanissa went to pursue it seriously and graduated with a degree in Graphic Design. Rojak Daily spoke to Vanissa to find out more about her eye-catching character.

The Birth of Humana

Born out of a moment of spontaneity and through her studies of art history, especially of the Bauhaus period, Humana is an alter ego of sorts for Vanissa, who uses the character to live out her own colourful realms of imagination. Often dressed in polka dots, and colourful garments with bows and ribbons, with a bright and cheerful nature, Vanissa quite literally personifies Humana.

“Humana was born during my time in college, originating from one of my assignments. He/she is a fictional character representing the fantasy world within my mind. Humana's style evolves based on my personal preferences, so I myself can’t predict how they will look in the future.” Humana’s success is such that Vanissa doesn’t have any plans to create other characters.

Wonder-Foo-l Illustrations

These fantastical drawings have been turned into merchandise, which are sold on her Shopee store and various platforms like pop-up booths. This includes items such as stickers, art prints, and badges all bearing the image of her distinctive illustrations.

She elaborated on the process of creating her products such as her washi tape, “I start by sketching ideas on paper, move to digital work, and then find a supplier, which typically takes 1 – 3 months for the entire process. The manufacturing stage usually consumes the most time. I source suppliers both locally and internationally.”

One of the items which is a labour of love is a Zine, annually produced with limited copies (200 for the first edition). Last year, the set collection contained 16 wacky and wonderful performances, presented as a zine, playbill, entry ticket, mini theatre backdrop, and two art prints.

Its description charmingly reads, ‘Humana Theatre is a series of performances presented by Humana. Each performer has put in months and years of training, so every ticket purchase means a great deal of support to them.’ This year, the upcoming volume 3 revolves around a private garden owned by Humana filled with exotic plants.

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A post shared by ✿ Humana ✿ (@humana_art)

The Golden Pin Concept Design Award

The Golden Pin Concept Design Award gathers innovative design concepts from all around the globe and creates a platform for future innovation in design. This prestigious event featured a distinguished panel of 30 expert jurors, who meticulously evaluated thousands of entries to determine the deserving winners. Although it didn’t receive the highest honours, one of Vanissa’s artworks, the Humana Theatre Zine won a Design Mark from the awards in the Publication, Communication Design category. Way to make Malaysia proud on an international stage!

“I’m very happy that this artwork received professional recognition. I was surprised because it was my first time participating international award, and I wasn’t expecting to win the award. As a Malaysian, I am honoured to receive this achievement and happy that my work was recognised by international judges. I hope to achieve more in the future. Fingers crossed!”

Humana Theatre Exhibition in Guangzhou

The Golden Pin Design Award isn’t the first time that Humana made its way to international shores. From 8 to 23 April, Humana held its first solo exhibition in China. Floor-to-ceiling windows were filled with the huge decals of the character, with splashes of pink, yellow, green, and peach shades which transformed it into a Humana world.

“The solo exhibition in Guangzhou was a unique experience. I connected with new friends from China through my art in person, not just through online social media platforms like Xiaohongshu (sometimes referred to as China’s Instagram). Meeting the organiser, LinLin from InkyPixel who also introduced me to their local art events helped to shape my future creative direction and exhibitions,” she said.

Cool Collaborations

Naturally, her striking and spectacular character has caught the eye of many brands, resulting in some pretty amazing collaborations for Humana which concurrently boasts almost 28k followers on Instagram. “My first collaboration was in 2020, with a local pet food brand DouSnack.

I became a full-time artist when my Humana art style grew stronger and more people recognised my work,” the artist shared. Next, she will be launching her new Zine and merchandise at an upcoming event in Bangkok and the Kuala Lumpur Art Book Fair.

Check out the list below:

Casetify

The mega-popular brand carrying user-customised phone cases and electronic accessories used by the likes of Kylie Jenner (which naturally we can’t afford personally) worked with Vanissa to create a line of iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and AirPod cases. Want!

Anatomy

The popular local premium stationery brand which has even previously worked with Disney carries customisable Humana notebooks.

Bukit Jalil Tsutaya Books

The atas Japanese bookstore also featured her as their July Opening Artist in 2022.

The Olive Tree Company

For the 2023 Holiday collection for the natural body and hair care brand, they worked with Vanissa to create a Dreamland theme and she even designed a store for them at One Utama!

We really love the energetic spirit that Vanissa injects into her work, and we can’t wait to see what she does next!

Follow Humana on Instagram. Shop Vanissa’s products on Shopee or Casetify.

Image credit: Vanissa Foo