A daughter of Vietnamese refugees, Kathy grew up in Houston in the back room of her family’s liquor store, an early education in food culture, consumer goods, and the quiet rituals of everyday life that continue to shape her work.

With a background in food marketing, higher education, and Asian American studies, Kathy brings a research-driven, culturally grounded approach to visual storytelling. Her illustrations explore identity, nostalgia, and belonging, with the aim of helping people feel seen in the subjects she draws.

Kathy is the founder of kathyphantastic, a watercolor-driven gift and illustration brand carried by retailers across the U.S. and Canada. Her work has been featured in Texas Monthly, Eater, Austin Woman Magazine, and Bark Magazine, and she has collaborated with brands including Coca-Cola, Kodiak Cakes, CapMetro, Sharetea, and Raven + Lily. She was a 2022 Madewell Maker Collective member and has been awarded fellowships through the Emerging Teaching Artist program through The City of Austin, QVC Group, and was selected to attend the Nest x Hermès American Craft Convening.

In addition to her illustration practice, Kathy co-founded one of Austin’s largest Lunar New Year Festivals, highlighting over 40 Texas-based AANHPI creatives and welcoming thousands of attendees annually between 2022 and 2025.

Outside the studio, she can usually be found photographing her meals or deciding which colorful jumpsuit to wear next.