I have been an illustration contributor to the Paueru Gaizette (パウエル街ゼット), run by the Tadaima Collective x Powell Street Festival Society from 2024 - Present. Created and run by Olivia Chupik and Kyle Yakashiro with the purpose to share and celebrate Japanese-Canadian culture.

Cover for the eighth edition of the Paueru Gaizette (パウエル街ゼット), “nanakorobi yaoki” (七転び八起き）

About the cover: "The idea for this cover was inspired by the proverb 'fall seven times, get up eight.' I imagined a group of little creatures on a kind of clumsy march - tumbling, falling, and getting back up together, imperfectly but persistently. The small sumo boy is saying よいしょ, a phrase often used when exerting effort or trying your best. I’m reminded of how my grandma used to say it in the sweetest way when getting up from her seat. For me, this page softens the heaviness that often surrounds failure and hardship, allowing those moments to simply exist (without needing to be overcome perfectly) in order to move forward."

Special thank you to the Tadaima Collective for their continuous hard work & collaboration!