Meet Alina Tang | Visual artist and big boss at pansy

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alina Tang and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alina, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
I love sharing and inviting people into my colourful, friendly world both physically and online, and I think this has really contributed to the success of pansy. I was very intentional in creating a space where I could connect with people, hear their stories, and share my thoughts and journey too! I’m not afraid to share funny and vulnerable moments, especially when things are a bit tough or there’s an issue I feel really strongly about, moments which I think people can relate to, which hopefully creates a space for them to feel more comfortable to share as well.

I find this exchange creates a balance that fills both me and my audience with energy and positivity. I wanted the physical space and its online presence to reflect this soft, sensitive, and fun energy too, which is why it’s full of pastel colours and precious items made with tenderness by artists from all over. Because it’s so different from what’s outside it feels like my own little sunny world that people can step into and enjoy with me!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m super proud of opening pansy in the midst of a pandemic and building a nice community around it with the help of social media when in-person visits were not possible. This challenging time has really taught me how to be flexible and adapt to tricky and uncertain situations. It also made me seek out new ways to connect with people in my community even when meeting organically was not possible. I’m super honest and present online where I share a lot of lovely and grumpy moments, which people can usually relate to and engage with. When I get the chance I love to chat to people on Instagram too, but my favourite thing is to learn about people’s lives while creating something lovely with our hands during a workshop.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Amsterdam is a really lovely and friendly city with beautiful, creative spaces and green areas. Here’s a little list of my fave places to experience!

Things to eat:
Bakkerij kardas
Uw warme ambachtelijke bakkerij kardas (your warm artisnal bakery kardas) one of my favourite spots to pick up spinach & feta wraps for the pansy team! (you have to ask for the spinazie en feta durum, it’s not in the cabinets, they make it fresh for you!)

Plantage dokhuis
Thursday night vegan dinners at a very underground/alternative spot (sometimes with live music/performances!)

Places to go:
Boekie woekie
Beautiful old artist book shop with lots of zines and artist books, lots of treasures inside!

Flevopark sunny balcony spot
There’s a little hut in Flevopark where you can sit by the water hidden by the bushes, so cosy and cute.

Czaarpeterstraat
A cute historical street – where pansy is located! Lots of independent entrepreneurs, and shops that are super specialised: waffle shop, cafes, vintage clothing stores, cheese shop. There’s lots to discover – the best days are Fridays & Saturdays as most shops will be open then!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Pansy has a tight-knit group of supporters that really ensures its success. The sweet community that has developed around it includes friends who have become team members, who bring lots of cheer, wackiness, and enthusiasm to our colourful little world. So shoutout to all the pansy cuties and anyone who has dropped in for a chat, had a little look at tiny fest, or shared their story with me during a workshop!

Website: https://www.pansy-shop.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/helloitspansy/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/helloitspansy

Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@helloitspansy

Image Credits
Birgit Loit Visuals