Episode 112: Bryan Yonki

Kevin Kirkwood recorded this episode in Portland, Oregon, in a conversation covering craft, self-taught mastery, and the survival of a nearly lost trade.

Bryan Yonki is a Chilean sign painter, educator, and author based in Portland, Oregon. Inspired by the hand-painted signs he grew up seeing in Santiago, he moved to Los Angeles in 2014, taught himself the craft, and founded Well Done Signs in 2016, painting signs, murals, and storefronts for businesses across the West Coast under the motto "Always Hand Painted." He also teaches sign painting workshops nationally and documents vernacular lettering through books, photography, and printmaking.

At the center of Bryan's practice is a commitment to preserving traditional sign painting, not just as a livelihood, but as a living heritage worth passing on.

In this conversation, Bryan reflects on the Santiago signs that first shaped his eye, what it took to teach himself a craft with few living teachers left, and how his publishing and photography work fit into a larger effort to keep the tradition alive for future generations.

Learn more: welldonesigns.com | @welldonesigns

Follow the host: kevin-kirkwood.com | @kevinwillpaint | @strandpodcast

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