Young Guns 18: Chan Wai Hon

By Alixandra Rutnik and Brett McKenzie on Nov 18, 2020

Highlighting the creative superstars that make up the class of Young Guns 18

2020 has been one rollercoaster of a year, but fortunately, the spirit of creativity can't be dampened. Want proof? Check out the winners of Young Guns 18!

Beginning with our largest and most diverse jury in history, acclaimed creatives from across the globe spent three months reviewing hundreds of submissions from insanely talented young professionals seeking validation for all of their hard work. After narrowing down the field to 83 top-notch finalists, the jury engaged in virtual discussion and debate, deciding who will win one of the most career-impacting honors in our industry.

In the end, we are honored to present the 31 incredible winners of Young Guns 18, a diverse collection of artists, filmmakers, animators, designers, illustrators, and others, all of them representing some of the very best that their fields have to offer.

We invite you to learn about all 31 Young Guns 18 winners in this series of interviews.

CHAN WAI HON
GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Based:

HONG KONG

Hometown:

HONG KONG

SEE CHAN WAI HON'S ENTRY

When did Young Guns first pop up on your radar?

I heard about Young Guns from my director, Javin Mo, who is also a Young Guns winner. This award is a milestone for young artists and designers.

Congrats on winning your second time around! What made you enter this year?

I just turned 30 this year and I was a finalist in YG17, so I wanted to try it again. It was now or never.

Young Guns is as much an exercise in self-curation as it is in sheer creative talent. After all, you are only allowed to submit six projects. How did you go about deciding which pieces to submit and which to leave out?

I selected each project to represent my different stages in life. It's quite challenging for me to add new and satisfying work especially in this difficult time. Thank God, some good projects have been born. I've included both professional and personal work in my entry. Most of the projects I included are a result of team work. I wouldn't say there have any specific visual style. These projects solve different problems and propose important messages, but my portfolio is colourful!

What went through your mind when you discovered that you won, knowing how difficult it is to make it into Young Guns?

I got this message at 5:27am (Hong Kong time). I thought it was a dream.

If you had to pick one of the six projects that you entered as your favorite, which one would it be and why?

I would like to pick the M+ Rover 2020. This is a project for kids and communities that I worked on with my director, Javin Mo. We tried different forms and colours. I really enjoyed the time we spent working with on this project together - I played like a child to create the graphics.

If you had to describe your creative style, the part of your work that’s most distinctively “you”, what would it be?

Energetic and poetic. Good work can engage with the audience itself.

Who are some of the biggest influences on your work and career, people who may have had a hand in mentoring and supporting you?

Javin Mo - Milkxhake - my director in the design studio. Sam Baron, the director in design department in Fabrica Research Centre. Otto Ng, director in LAAB Architects.

It goes without saying that 2020 has been a pretty crazy year, with a global pandemic and social upheaval shaping so many facets of our lives. Aside from the positive news of winning Young Guns, how has this year been for you?

There are many possible avenues for everyone to take. For example, I started to develop my illustration work and publish it on Instagram during the pandemic. The pandemic has reminded us to be flexible, just like water.

Name a creative/professional dream that you have yet to fulfill — hey, maybe Young Guns can help propel you in that direction!

To develop my illustration work and have a solo exhibition later on.

Any last words about winning Young Guns 18 that you'd like to share?

Good job, YG18! This is an unforgettable year.

WORDS FROM THE JURY

"Chan Wai Hon does something in his work that we as designers should always strive to do. Specifically in his work "A Guide to The Hollow Earth", he breaks through the expected structural conventions of layout design and contributes something new to the evolution of design. His use of form, space, and color is refreshing, to say the least. It's a beautiful, playful, electric feast for the eyes."

Chad Michael
Designer
Young Guns 15 Winner

"Chan Wai Hon is not afraid to deliver exactly what is necessary. I am surprised by the way he manages to strive to deliver what the project needs, always in a consistent and striking way."

Giulia Fagundes
Graphic Designer and Partner
Daó

"I want to live in the brightly colored world of Chan Wai Hon’s work. Deceptively simple and deliciously bright, the use of color has an inviting effect calling attention with the visual identity M+ Rover or constructing a world for MT Tape. But the more mellow project, ‘A piece of Vase’ is my favorite - calling for a mini meditation to pair a color field and vegetable matter for the day. "