Meet Pearl AuYeung AuYeung | Toy Designer & Children’s Books Author/Illustrator

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

Hi Pearl AuYeung, why did you pursue a creative career?
At 17, I went through something traumatizing and found that the most frustrating part of it was that I couldn’t talk about it and the people around me who wanted to help didn’t know how to start the conversation either. I turned to using paintings as thought starters, to provoke emotions and to facilitate tough interactions. However, I also found these paintings to be emotionally draining and yearned to move forward from grief. I wanted to communicate effectively and to somehow reclaim or bring joy to those looking at my work. This was why I chose specifically to pursue illustration, as it is a form of art that is both accessible and is aimed to communicate something clearly.

In my time at art school, I learned from so many different people… Different backgrounds, interpretations, styles, mindsets… They challenged me to transform how I created art and how I interact with my own and others work! Illustration has allowed me to appreciate life in a new way.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My 9-5 sounds real cute and sparkly (and it is, I promise). I’m a toy designer at Mattel! My first projects on shelves were the small doll Disney Princesses in fall 2023. I even got to design dolls for the Halle Bailey Little Mermaid film! I get to work with the most fantastic people who are talented, empathetic, funny and nerdy! I love it!

I had no idea that toy design was an option for me studying Illustration at RISD. I saw an online job application through my college career portal and just went for it. The challenge was that I had no background on toy design and learned on the job. It took me 7 months to intrinsically feel like I belonged. But my illustration skills definitely come in handy, and the principals of storytelling and design come together.

After work or on weekends, I work on children’s books. I started my first book “The Best Kind of Mooncake” in college and finished in the first few months of working my first big-girl-corporate job at Mattel. It was tough to balance this work-and-work-life-balance… And it still is! I just wrapped up the work on my second book! I don’t work on my books year long so I can take breaks and recharge! My profession is to be creative, and I need to reset and not do creative things sometimes!!

Besides the amount of hours spent writing and drawing, it’s honestly also challenging to be young and a POC in an old, historically white-dominated industry! The art school leftist environment made me forget that in the real world, people can be racist, sexist, and that adults can be childish. But I learned that I don’t always have to fight these battles. I can ask my agent to help! There’s also an incredible community of POC in the literary world who are here to support each other! And sometimes, it’s not my problem to fix. I think that’s the best thing I learned in the past few years… You’re part of a team and it’s not all on you.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I like to start the day early with the Santa Monica 3rd St Promenade farmers market in the morning, followed by a light picnic at the beach. There are fewer people out and about at that time, the sun hasn’t hit it’s most violent peak on the. UV index and there should be a comfortable breeze to enjoy. The focaccia this one guy sells there is to die for. The. sun dried tomato, olives and thyme are perfectly paired with a peaceful beach scene.

Then, I would head to Rocco’s in WeHo for a drag brunch because duh. You want to start the day with good vibes and doing your part in fulfilling the LGBTQ+ agenda. And I love buffalo wings. And they are GENEROUS with the hot sauce.

For my pastry-buff besties, I would take them right next door to Bottega Louie for dessert. They have the most luxurious Almond Pistachio Cherry joconde that’s both light, silky and quite frankly orgasmic. Extra plus if the friend is a Black Pink stan, since apparently it’s one of the girl group’s favourite restaurants in LA.

After, we would have to ogle Erewhon, because it doesn’t get more LA than a hit-or-miss $20 influencer-endorsed smoothie. This is where athlesiure comes to shine. If you happen to come across a hot dog cart after Erewhon, you must immediately chase your smoothie with one. That is where athlesiure shines brighter, revealing it’s true purpose OR dies in a moment of shocking, satisfying duality. Truly an experience.

I would turn to Picallili in Culver City for happy hour. They have gorgeous drinks, the best staff and the most amazing wings (wow, I really have a type) with a fresh herb salad that I would die for. Their Thai Chicken Katsu is also mindblowing. Everyone I’ve taken there have said it was 10/10.

In your food coma, I would head to K-Town, and for the first time in LA, enjoy the break that traffic will give. you. Fei Xiang Gong is a must. It’s a North Chinese/North Korean skewers place where the skewers TURN THEMSELVES. It’s absolutely magical. The owners are Northern Chinese American immigrants of North Korean descent, so the side dishes are a little different than your typical Korean food experience. I would start with lamb, pork, Taiwanese sausage… Get cold noodles for sure because I know the sun BEAT us down in that traffic. End with grilled ManTou buns dipped in condensed milk. It’s fabulous to do your lil barbeque and gab with friends over beer or soju or juice.

But wait, there’s more. FINALLY end the night at Bumsan Organic Milk Bar, a short 2 block walk from Fei Xiang Gong. It’s a fantastic soft serve place with aesthetic pink walls so you can feel your prettiest Barbiecore while carrying the weight of your food baby.

Drive home safe! You can’t trust any of these LA drivers. Including me. I learned to drive on the freeway from Youtube. Thank you, Rhode Island. xoxo

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I come from a place where people pursue becoming engineers, doctors, lawyers, consultants… etc. Nobody else was going to do art, and they definitely made fun of me for it! But I am so incredibly grateful that my parents never doubted me. They understood my work-ethic, they encouraged my passions, and they believed that even though I was doing something non-traditional for our background, I would take it seriously, and I would do well! I really think that they believed in me before I did myself. When I asked them how they had such unwavering faith in me, they said they just did. My parent’s love for me deserves all the recognition.

Website: https://pearlauyeung.myportfolio.com/

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pearlauyeung/