A cover story campaign by The New York Times titled Love City captured different lovers in the streets, sharing their love stories through scenes. This inspired me to create an illustration of various couples embracing, with the shape of a heart at its core.

To me, love reflects the imperfect, complex nature of being young and human—our relationships are messy yet miraculous. I wanted to show that love, as a universal bond, ties together these intricate connections between people, offering a symbol that everyone can easily understand.

While observing couples kissing, I noticed that the shape formed by their necks resembled a heart. This led me to create an illustration with positive and negative space. Each pair of lovers is unique, much like individuals in real life. However, in their kiss, they all share the same essence—love.

RISOGRAPH Print