One city bus is about to get a little more artistic.
Artist Koy Sun's illustration shows a family on a bus, surrounded by grocery bags of familiar Asian products — drawing on the rich diversity of Asian food and culture in San Diego.
"I included things like halo-halo, Yakult, to reference my Thai culture, the Three Ladies rice bag, incense, bánh mì — just things like that. I tried my best to have the big and obvious icons that are recognizable, and I started slowly finding more and more niche things," Sun said. "If I could, I'd draw a million more things in the illustration."
Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) collaborated with Pac Arts Movement to select an artist to celebrate AAPI heritage. Pac Arts' Carmela Prudencio said choosing Sun made sense — not only for his love of food and culture, but also for the admiration he's earned in the community.
"The first artist that came to mind for me was Koy because of just how bright and bold and really just the ability to capture somebody's attention on the street," Prudencio said. "It felt like such a natural fit, and I think that Koy has truly earned so much respect in our city for the work that he does, and it's been so exciting to see an artist like Koy grow so much."
Sun's vivid and whimsical sign painting can be found throughout the region, adorning restaurants and bookstores. Connecting to the local community — whether it's shopkeepers, people who follow him on social media or someone on the street — motivates and informs his art.
He's also inspired by what San Diego has to offer, especially its abundance of Asian grocery stores. Sun, who grew up in a small town in North Carolina, was amazed by the local access to both ingredients and culture when he moved to San Diego.
"One of the deep appreciations that I wanted to inspire others to consider is how much access we have to Asian ingredients, Asian culture — things like Seafood City, H Mart, all these different types of grocery stores just kind of mean a lot to me," Sun said.
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, which celebrates and amplifies AAPI communities across the country.
"What AAPI heritage means to me is a mixing pot of all different types of culture, just because of how broad Asia is in general and how people immigrate to the U.S. — and how their cultures are inspired based on what city they're in," Sun said. "It is just kind of like this really dynamic acknowledgement of both the heritage that was passed down to us by our parents along with the things that we picked up culturally here in the U.S. contemporary culture."
The art-wrapped bus will run on various MTS routes throughout May. Sun's design will also be featured on a collectible Pronto card.
The card will be available for purchase for $2 starting May 1, online or at select MTS Transit Store locations. Cards will also be available at Pac Arts Movement events, including Thursday's Spring Showcase Closing Night at UltraStar Cinemas in Mission Valley.
