Meet An Chen: Vintage Vibes Meet Modern Graphic Design
Pinlord Artist Feature · Taiwanese Illustrator Based in London
Meet An Chen, a Taiwanese illustrator based in London whose bold vector artwork brings together nostalgic print design, contemporary colour and playful geometric storytelling.
Inspired by 1950s and 1960s matchbox graphics, typography, British modernist linocuts and organic forms, An creates illustrations that feel retro, energetic and unmistakably modern.
What Defines An Chen’s Illustration Style?
An’s visual language is built from bold shapes, carefully balanced colour and tactile textures that give polished vector artwork the character of vintage print.
Geometric Shape Language
Clean, angular forms reinterpret plants, objects, people and other organic subjects through a strong graphic structure.
Mid-Century Influence
Vintage matchbox graphics and modernist print design inspire the simplified forms and striking compositions found throughout her work.
Bold Colour
Energetic colour combinations help her illustrations feel playful, immediate and visually memorable.
Textured Finish
Grain, monoprint effects and handmade marks prevent the work from feeling overly polished or mechanically perfect.
Where Nostalgia Meets Contemporary Design
An’s illustrations feel familiar without appearing dated. Vintage visual references are not copied directly; instead, they are reworked through modern composition, colour and digital production.
This balance allows her work to carry the charm of old printed objects while remaining relevant to editorial, branding and commercial audiences today.
Vintage inspiration becomes most exciting when it is transformed into a visual language that feels new again.
How Does An Chen Create Her Illustrations?
An combines vector precision with handmade texture, using Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop to build artwork that feels structured yet tactile.
Vector Illustration
Adobe Illustrator allows An to refine shapes, experiment with scale and construct balanced compositions with clean edges.
Monoprint Texture
Print-inspired surfaces introduce irregularity, variation and the physical character of traditional image-making.
Handmade Masks
Custom masks help her control where textures appear while preserving the spontaneity of handmade marks.
Vintage Brushes
Carefully selected brushes add grain and tonal variation that soften the sharpness of digital vector forms.
Typography as Part of the Illustration
An’s background in graphic design shapes the way she approaches every composition. Typography is not treated as a separate element but as another source of form, rhythm and visual personality.
Serif-Inspired Shapes
Bracketed serif forms influence the curves, joins and decorative details inside her illustrations.
Italic Movement
Slanted forms introduce direction and energy, helping otherwise static objects feel active and expressive.
Graphic Hierarchy
Scale, spacing and contrast guide the viewer through each composition with the clarity of strong editorial design.
Shape as Communication
Simplified forms allow complex subjects to remain readable, direct and visually engaging.
What Professional Work Does An Chen Create?
An works across editorial, commercial and self-directed projects, applying her distinctive visual language to publications, global brands and personal storytelling.
Editorial Illustration
An creates concept-driven artwork for publications including The Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe and Harvard Business Review.
Brand Collaborations
Her bold graphic style has also been applied to projects for internationally recognised brands including Apple and Gucci.
Zines and Pop-Up Books
Self-published projects give An space to explore sequencing, physical interaction and narrative outside client briefs.
Still-Life Collections
Personal series inspired by nature, objects and typography allow her to keep refining her shape language.
How An Chen’s Illustration Journey Began
An originally trained and worked in graphic design, where she developed a strong understanding of typography, composition and visual communication.
Her creative direction began to shift as she discovered how much she enjoyed playing with shapes and using images to build narrative.
In 2019, she completed an MA in Children’s Book Illustration at Cambridge School of Art. The programme gave her room to explore storytelling, print, sequence and image-making beyond the boundaries of traditional graphic design.
Early projects such as exhibition maps helped An realise that illustration offered a natural sense of flow, allowing her to combine structure with imagination.
From Graphic Design to Illustration
An’s graphic design background did not disappear when she moved into illustration. Instead, it became one of the strengths that makes her work distinctive.
Her understanding of grids, typography and visual hierarchy gives each image clarity, while illustration gives her more freedom to experiment with character, narrative and emotion.
Changing creative direction does not mean abandoning your previous skills—those skills can become the foundation of your new voice.
Achievements and Industry Recognition
An’s work has been recognised across respected illustration platforms, competitions and professional organisations.
World Illustration Awards
Her work was shortlisted for the World Illustration Awards in 2022.
Society of Illustrators
An’s illustrations have been featured through the Society of Illustrators.
American Illustration
Her professional recognition includes selection and awards from American Illustration.
Communication Arts and Creative Quarterly
Additional recognition reflects the strength and consistency of her modern-retro visual language.
Overcoming Perfectionism Through Iteration
One of An’s biggest creative challenges was waiting for work to feel perfect before allowing it to move forward.
That pressure slowed her momentum and made experimentation feel more risky. Over time, she learned that imperfections are often where personality, texture and discovery begin.
An now embraces iteration, allowing ideas to evolve through drafts, tests and unexpected results rather than demanding a perfect answer immediately.
Creative momentum grows when you allow the work to be unfinished, imperfect and open to change.
What Is Next for An Chen?
- Textile patterns: An hopes to adapt her bold shapes and repeating motifs into fabric and surface design.
- Merchandise collections: her graphic illustrations can expand into products that make the artwork more accessible and collectible.
- Packaging illustration: vintage print inspiration and strong typography make her style well suited to memorable packaging.
- Children’s books: future projects may combine image, sequence and narrative through illustrated publishing.
- Immersive storytelling: An plans to explore formats that allow audiences to move through stories more interactively.
- Eastern and Western influences: she hopes to continue combining Taiwanese visual traditions with modern graphic storytelling.
An Chen’s Advice for Other Artists and Makers
Do not wait for perfection—share your work already. Connect, submit and reach out. Every step leads to growth.
- Share before everything feels perfect: opportunities often come from work that exists publicly rather than ideas kept private.
- Build connections: conversations with editors, artists and creative communities can lead to learning and collaboration.
- Submit your work: competitions and professional platforms can introduce your illustrations to wider audiences.
- Reach out directly: thoughtful communication can create opportunities that may never appear through passive waiting.
- Embrace iteration: every version teaches you something about the idea, the medium and your own visual voice.
- Keep moving: consistent action creates more growth than waiting for confidence or certainty.
Turning Modern-Retro Artwork into Collectible Merchandise
Illustrators can transform geometric shapes, vintage-inspired icons and bold editorial artwork into products that preserve the visual identity of their work in a compact format.
Enamel pins are especially effective for strong silhouettes, limited colour palettes, typographic forms and simplified objects inspired by mid-century graphics.
Connect with An Chen
Follow An to discover new editorial illustrations, personal projects, zines, commercial collaborations and explorations of modern-retro visual storytelling.
An Chen is a Taiwanese illustrator based in London and is represented by Grand Matter Agency.
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