This book has been a dream of ours for years. It has taken this long to build the team, the community, and the friendships to make it happen. It’s an honor to produce a book that features the work and lives of people we admire so dearly. Poketo has always been a catalyst for new relationships and incredible projects, and this book is no exception. There are so many people to thank and acknowledge.
To our friends featured in this book: Thank you for your excitement and enthusiasm that you brought to this project. Some of you are old friends and some are new. We feel honored to have spent time with you, that you allowed us into your homes and studios, and that you shared with us what makes a creative life worth living. We’ve learned so much by hearing your stories and are so happy to know this book can be an inspiration to others reading it.
Ye Rin Mok, for your incredible eye and easygoing vibe. You have a cool way of putting everyone at ease, directing the shots, and finding those magic moments. We had an amazing time collaborating with you—all the flights taken, meals shared, and moments captured together. This book is a snapshot in time that we will never forget.
Gregory Han, thank you for being the sounding board for all of our crazy ideas, for keeping us calm in the storm, and for helping us craft a personal, thoughtful narrative throughout the book. Your feedback, guidance, eloquence, and, most of all, your friendship made this project something we will cherish.
Ly Tran, for making this book come to life. We always had a vision of it in our mind, but it was your graphic design, artistry, and visual storytelling that made what was at first unimaginable, imaginable. Thanks to Vanessa Dina, whose incredible experience in book design gave everything a final polish. Special gratitude to our editor at Chronicle Books, Camaren Subhiyah. You trusted us, you gave us the freedom to do our best work, you guided us when we were lost, your encouragement lifted us, and you were a true advocate for our vision, story, and community. Without you, this dream would not be a reality.
Maria Alcaide, for bringing this project, Poketo, and Chronicle together. You’ve been a fan of and advocate for Poketo for years. This project would not have seen the light of day without your grace and expertise.
Our dedicated, passionate, and hardworking team at Poketo. Thank you for making Poketo run like a well-oiled machine. Special thanks to Adrienne Fong, Cate Campbell, Eric Wang, Ly Tran, Sonya Gallardo, and Victor Gonzalez for the countless brainstorm sessions and your honest feedback. Your hard work, support, and encouragement have shaped this book.
We thank our family, friends, and all the collaborators of Poketo since our beginnings. We wish this book could have featured our entire community. We see Creative Spaces as a snapshot in time and a celebration of our friends, colleagues, and community. This is our first book and, hopefully, it won’t be our last.