Yiting Nan and Justin Zhang are the two designers and illustrators behind our limited edition matchbox set featuring edible fruits native to the Hudson Valley.

We sat down with the pair to hear more about their background and the inspiration behind the artwork.

First off, tell us a little bit about your background. Where did you grow up and when did you move to New York? When did you meet each other?

We were both born and raised in China—Yiting in Wuxi, and Justin in Shenzhen. We lived there for 18 years before moving to New York for college at the School of Visual Arts, where we both studied graphic design. It was during our design classes that we met.

How do you see your bi-cultural background influencing your work?

We’ve talked about this a lot and feel that our first 18 years in China had a deep impact on our aesthetic. We’re drawn to the poetic, elegant, and unique way traditional Chinese art depicts subjects.

At the same time, our design education and careers began in New York, where we discovered a love for bold, graphical, and vibrant design.

Over time, these influences have naturally blended together to form our current style.

What is Studio Fishball? And how did the name come about?

That’s a great question! We originally used the name on Chinese social media when we first started posting our work. Our Chinese duo name, “食鱼丸就得啦,” means “just eat fishball.” Fishballs are exactly what they sound like—balls made from fish paste that are boiled or deep-fried. They’re a common dish in both of our hometowns, and we thought it would be a fun and unique name for our duo.

We both work as designers and motion designers at branding agencies. Outside of our day jobs, as a duo, we sometimes take on fun projects that span motion design, illustration, and branding. This allows us to explore creative ideas together and bring a fresh perspective to each project.

Let’s talk about the matchbox set. What attracted you to this project?

When Harry first reached out about the matchbox set project, we were both excited. As lovers of vintage things, matchboxes felt like the perfect small canvas for some beautiful, graphical design. Though we didn’t have the chance to collect matchboxes growing up, those from the last century have always fascinated us. It was a pleasant surprise to have a client approach us for matchbox design and to actually bring real matchboxes to life.

What inspired the concept and storytelling behind the illustrated plants in this series?

This series began with the idea of featuring edible Northeast Native plants. We started with pawpaws and discovered that they are the sole host plant for the Zebra Swallowtail Butterfly, which inspired us to expand the series to three.

We also wanted to highlight the plants’ life cycles. For example, pawpaws bloom with attractive flowers in the spring and produce nutritious fruit in early fall. We depicted the stages of the pawpaw’s life—from new leaves to mature fruit—by framing the flowers as silhouettes within the fruit shapes, symbolizing the transfer of nutrients.

Our favorite piece is the Mayapple. It was fun to learn about its relationship with the White Slantline Moth, which uses the plant for camouflage. Bringing them together in the composition was truly satisfying.

What inspired the final direction of these pieces?

Yiting has created many plant portraits over the years, with her style recently becoming bolder and more graphical. However, Harry and the team were drawn to one of her earlier series from 2021, which had a more natural, organic feel. We decided to blend Yiting’s current graphical style with selective, delicate plant details to better match the elegant, subtle tone of Keap. We also incorporated printmaking textures, which felt perfect for this retro matchbox series.

Okay, really important question. Which is your favorite Keap scent?

Yiting’s favorite scent is Wood Cabin, as it immerses her in the tranquility of green woods, aged timber, and a smoky campfire. It also has a calming effect that she really enjoys. We haven’t tried all the scents yet, but another one Justin loves is Northlands, which we’re currently using. It has a clean, fresh, subtly sweet smell that we both really like.

Where can folks learn more about your work or what else you are up to?

We’re always excited to take on fun projects, especially those that bring ideas to life as real products. We’re particularly drawn to themes like sports, food, and plant-related projects.

IG: @nineteen_nan @just1nzhang