SAM VOONG
(she/her) is an interdisciplinary designer based in Los Angeles, CA. Her creative practice centers around the idea of experimentation + play; often intersecting between analog and digital practices.
She is interested in identity, transmedia, editorial, typography, and art direction; drawing inspo and stories from music, cinema, nostalgia, and pop culture.
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The Sacred
and Profane (2025)
Publication / Printmaking / Installation
/ Research
The Sacred and Profane explores American iconography through traditional craftsmanship and materiality. This collection of 31 woodblock prints, cyanotype denim quilt, and timeline book examines how familiar symbols maintain their forms while their meanings shift across contexts and generations.
*This project was exhibited at Otis College of Art and Design as part of the 2025 "O-launch Week" group showcase.
There's a quote from Psalm 135 that stayed with me throughout this project: "The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by human hands. They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see." It's ironic—this verse comes from religion, itself built on sacred symbols, yet warns against blind faith in man-made idols. That tension became the core of my exploration.
31 woodblocks were printed, pressed, scanned, then converted to positives to produce a 50x60 inch cyanotype quilt made from 100% denim. The sewing process was in collaboration with Betty Pham and Daphne Hu.
Photographed by @brokescreen
on Instagram.
The Sacred and Profane:
An Archival of American Iconography and Symbols (1900-2024).
228 pages, kettle stitch binding, hardcover. Edition of 3. Printed and produced at Otis College of Art and Design.