Michelle Pang
Michelle Pang is a textile designer and artist based in Vancouver, Canada. After graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design with a BFA in Illustration, she founded Misheo in 2016, aiming to merge art and fashion by creating functional wearable pieces from her original illustrations. The brand celebrates uniqueness and biodiversity by featuring her illustrations of rare wildlife, local flora and fauna, and at-risk species on art scarves and prints. Recognition that Michelle has received on her scarf design journey has encouraged her to continue her craft. In 2022, Michelle’s work was selected as the gold winner for the International Design Awards (IDA) in the fashion category. Additionally, she has been a Western Living Designer of the Year finalist in the fashion category for the past three years in a row. In 2021, her work was selected as a finalist in the Etsy Design Awards and the Wolf and Badger Animal Protection Brand of the Year.
Before starting Misheo, Michelle immersed herself in freelance graphic design and illustration work, painting for local gallery exhibitions and maintaining her own scarf felting business. It all came together a few years later when she decided to combine her interest in making high-quality scarves with her illustration skills and her love for animals. Now, her artwork can be worn as colorful accessories that promote nature’s beauty. Illustrating for scarves has really helped her find her voice as an artist. She loves the challenge of depicting animals and plants in unconventional ways, and each detailed artwork reflects the long process that goes into its creation. Michelle’s slow fashion wearable art appeals to animal and plant lovers, art collectors, and environmentally conscious women.
Artist Statement
Michelle’s designs all stem from original works of art and are characterized by elegant arrangements of natural motifs. Drawings are made completely from scratch using traditional media such as pencil, ink, and watercolor. A drawing is considered finished after the designer is satisfied with every detail, but the process is not finished. She then moves on to the coloring phase, and if the coloring is not done with watercolor, the art is converted into a digital painting, where different colors are tested until harmonious combinations are created. The whole process can take up to a month per design.
The artist chooses to digital print her works in small quantities on natural fabrics only. This method saves water, minimizes color wastage, reduces the amount of chemicals used, and ensures the scarves are biodegradable should they reach the end of their cycle. Additionally, since Michelle is passionate about the natural environment, 5% of net profits from the sale of her works are donated to wildlife in need. The funds go to organizations such as the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Wildlife Preservation Canada (WPC).
What is your relationship to your medium? What draws you to it?
Greetings from Vancouver, Canada! I wear the hats of both an illustrator and scarf designer, seamlessly blending my love for creating wildlife-inspired art with the luxurious touch of natural fabrics. Nature, with its endless wonders, is the heartbeat of my creations, sparking a sense of responsibility within me to protect our environment. My artistic medium is chosen with great care, considering its ecological footprint and ensuring that my creative process is harmonious with nature. The media I use for making the majority of my art these days are either watercolor or pencil and digital. Watercolor doesn’t contain polymers or require the use of toxic solvents, so it is an ideal choice for me. It feels therapeutic for me to paint with. I am particularly drawn to the fluidity of the medium and am captivated by the transparency of the paint, which allows for the delicate layering of colors. I also enjoy using pencil and digital processes since I can add a lot of detail on paper, and then digitally experiment with different colors until I find the best combinations. The detail translates well to wearable art, and a few good colorways make a big difference.
What is the main thing you hope your audience takes away from your art?
My wearable artwork celebrates the incredible biodiversity of our planet Earth. I am particularly interested in making illustrations that feature rare wildlife, local flora and fauna, and at-risk species. My primary goal with my art is to inspire a sense of appreciation for the beauty of wildlife. Each piece is a tribute to the richness of life in the natural world. I hope that my audience can connect with these magnificent creatures on a deeper level and feel compelled to contribute to their preservation.
What is your first memory creating?
During my elementary school days, we had a class project where we were to research a place in the world and make a presentation on it. I chose the island of Madagascar, off the southeastern coast of Africa, and to make a painting of the now-endangered ring-tailed lemur as part of the project. Looking back, I feel like it was an ambitious choice since it was my first attempt at painting this exotic animal, but it was also an exciting learning opportunity. I now actually have a scarf design in my collection that features various endangered lemurs of Madagascar. You could say I was influenced by this early memory!
Tell us about a challenge you overcame last year.
It is not uncommon for me to occasionally encounter a creative block, as I’m accumulating more designs but want to avoid repeating previous themes at the same time. Over the years, I’ve developed strategies to overcome these hurdles. While traditional methods of conducting in-depth research, collecting inspiring images, and studying the works of fellow artists remain valuable, more recently I’ve found a new appreciation for embracing the lulls in my creativity. During these periods, I engage in activities relatively unrelated to the active pursuit of inspiration, such as going for a walk in the garden, exercising, or traveling to a new place. These moments not only offer a mental reset but serve as an opportunity to divert my attention to other meaningful tasks. When inspiration naturally flows in, often in the quiet moments before bedtime, I make sure to keep a sketch or a written note of my ideas right away. This holistic approach to my creative process not only fosters a rejuvenated perspective but empowers me to explore and push creative boundaries.
What is your main goal or resolution this year in terms of your art practice?
I would like to strive to continue to stay motivated—to seek inspiration in unexpected places, explore the beauty all around me, and create a deeper connection with nature through my work.
