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Artist Bio — Vincent Trinidad

📍 Manila, Philippines

Vincent Trinidad is a Filipino graphic designer and illustrator based in Manila, best known for his bold fusion of retro nostalgia and traditional Japanese art. Drawing inspiration from his childhood love of 1980s and 1990s pop culture, Vincent has developed a signature style he describes as Japanese Retro Aesthetics—a playful blend of vaporwave, synthwave, outrun visuals, and ukiyo-e Japanese woodblock prints.

Vincent’s fascination with retro aesthetics and Japanese art drives a body of work that feels both nostalgic and timeless. Samurai cats, ramen bowls, retro robots, anime-inspired characters, and pop culture mashups populate his vibrant compositions, rendered with bold color palettes and clean graphic forms. By merging the simplicity and storytelling of traditional Japanese prints with the energy of modern digital culture, his art bridges eras, cultures, and mediums.

A Fine Arts graduate with over 15 years of experience in advertising, Vincent has worked across a wide range of creative fields, including advertising campaigns, video game illustration, book and album artwork, posters, and apparel design. Over time, he shifted his focus toward independent art and freelance illustration, allowing him to fully embrace the subjects and styles he loves most. Today, he works using both traditional and digital techniques, creating designs that translate seamlessly onto clothing, art prints, stickers, and lifestyle products.

Vincent believes that creating art requires deep focus, patience, and genuine love for the subject matter. For him, passion is essential—not only to sustain the demanding creative process, but to remain authentic as an artist. This philosophy has guided his success as an independent creator, earning him recognition as a top seller on major print-on-demand platforms and the title of Artist of the Year from Pixel Empire in 2021.

Through his work, Vincent encourages artists to protect their unique voice and approach collaboration as a shared creative process rather than simple execution. Grateful to make a living doing what he loves, he continues to explore the intersection of nostalgia, culture, and design—creating art that is joyful, expressive, and unmistakably his own.

Vincent Trinidad in collaboration with DenimINK

Artist Bio — Hend Ahmed Shehata

📍 Muscat, Oman

Hend Ahmed Shehata is a fine artist and surface designer originally from Egypt, now living by the sea in Muscat, Oman. Her work reflects a deep love for nature, culture, and travel—drawing inspiration from the colors, textures, and stories she encounters along her journey. Whether working digitally on her iPad or painting by hand with gouache and watercolor, Hend embraces both freedom and intention in her creative process: digital illustration allows for endless exploration, while traditional painting invites slowness, calm, and presence.

Hend studied Fine Arts and graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts, building a strong foundation in artistic practice before continuing her education independently. Over time, she expanded her skills in digital illustration and pattern design, gradually transforming her creative passion into a full-time career. What began as a personal exploration soon evolved into selling her artwork on printed products and fabrics, allowing her designs to live beyond the page.

After getting married and becoming a mother, Hend made a conscious decision to work from home in order to maintain balance between her family life and creative work. This period became a turning point—one that encouraged her to reconnect deeply with her passions and explore new materials and techniques. She began creating handmade artworks and crafts as gifts for family and friends, including paper cut art, decorative plates, wooden pieces, and block-printed cushions and table runners. With encouragement from those around her, she began offering her work for sale, gradually expanding into surface design and pattern creation for a wide range of applications.

Today, Hend designs patterns and illustrations that can be applied across products and surfaces, from garments and fabrics to home décor and lifestyle goods. She dreams of collaborating with companies around the world to bring her designs to life on products such as plates, linens, clothing, and textiles, with the long-term goal of building her own creative brand.

Equally important to Hend is giving back to the creative community that once inspired her—through her own lived experience. She shares her knowledge through online tutorials, courses, and in-person art workshops, guiding artists and creatives through the process of drawing, designing, and printing their artwork onto products and fabric. She truly believes that art is for everyone, and that everyone deserves the freedom to create.

Hend has taught workshops while traveling across the UAE, Egypt, Oman, and Qatar, and considers meeting fellow artists from around the world one of the most rewarding parts of her journey. When she’s not painting or designing, she can often be found by the beach with her family, going for a run, planning her next travel adventure, or sketching quietly at a café with a good cup of coffee.

Hend Ahmed Shehata in collaboration with DenimINK