My name is Yas and I’m half Thai and half Iranian.
I was born and raised in Bristol, UK and I spent most of my time traveling between Chanthaburi in Thailand (where my mother is from) and the UK.
I am extremely close to my Thai side of my family, due to all the traveling back and forth since I was little, although my Iranian grandparents spent many years coming to visit us in England too. Unfortunately, due to political difficulties, I’ve never been able to travel to Iran, for which I am extremely sad; I would love to embrace both sides of my heritage, but I have faith that in the future I will have the opportunity to do so!
I spent 3 years living and working in Thailand as a primary school teacher, where I was able to fully embrace my Thai side, learning the language, soaking in the culture and spending time with my family. It was amazing to be able to spend the time in one of my home countries not as a tourist or visiting family, but actually being fully submerged into the working and living environment. I loved it, even when there were a few culture clashes between East and West, as I was brought up mainly in the UK!
I have always been artistic and I have always loved the stories that my Thai and Iranian grandmothers used to tell me while I was growing up. I find it all so interesting; Eastern culture is so rich in beautiful imagery, that I decided to pursue art and illustration when I returned back to England after I finished teaching. I am currently working as a freelance illustrator in Bristol, where my Eastern designs are very popular.
I really love that my art inspires people and that through my illustrations I can spread awareness of how beautiful other cultures are.
Hapa Voice 