Who We Are: Joanne Chan
illustration by Agnes Lee
Name: Joanne Chan
Location: Berkeley, CA / hometown: Oakland, CA
Profession: Mom of Sonia & Marcas and publisher of ILLUSTORIA
Happy Together: Marcas, Mark, me, Sonia
Favorite artist/illustrator: Pina Bausch and Hayao Miyazaki
Best book you’ve read in the past year: A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki
Kids’ book you could read every night: Spider & the Fly by Tony DiTerlizzi (because we really do), Animals Should Definitely Not Wear Clothing by Judi Barrett & Ron Barrett, Mr. Tiger Goes Wild by Peter Brown.
Best memory of being a kid: shaking the blossoms off our plum tree and pretending it was snowing in Oakland; generally being out in the backyard and helping my dad water the garden, picking and eating apples, plums, mandarins, loquats and the sweetest cherry tomatoes on earth…catching butterflies and, sad to admit, putting them in jars to admire.
Favorite weekend activity: making granola and watching the kids play pirate-Harry Potter in the yard (a trip to the art museum at some point is a plus)
Marcas as pirate-Harry Potter with Dumbledore's staff
Song currently on repeat: Three White Horses by Andrew Bird (at home) and Piggies by The Beatles (in the car)
Favorite meal: any pasta dish made by Mark shared with family and friends, darkest chocolate and mint tisane for dessert
Last time you made something with your hands: lavender satchel necklace + denim tote bag + pencil case for Sonia’s 10th birthday
Birthday lunch note
Fun fact about you: I once choreographed and danced in a duet (with my dearest friend) in an abandoned subway tunnel in Brooklyn.
