TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwanese illustrator Lulu Lin (林軒慧) has moved quickly from wheatpaste posters in Williamsburg, New York to top singles on Spotify’s alternative music chart.

From afar, Lin looks like any of the hundreds of people in their 30s attending the Thursday (Aug. 24) record release for Irish rock band Fontaines D.C. The band’s 2022 album “Skinty Fia” was number one on UK charts, leading to immense expectations for follow-up "Romance,” which was teased earlier this spring with the early release of three singles: “Starburster” (19.5 million Spotify streams), “Favourite” (8.2 million Spotify streams), and “In the Modern World” (1.2 million Spotify streams).

The breakout popularity of Fontaines D.C. means people are paying attention to Lin’s artwork. Five individual pieces were sold to the band for use with the record and associated singles. 

Back at Chia Chia Records(佳佳唱片), a second and third floor shop mostly trading in CDs and little vinyl, Lin admitted to being unfamiliar with Fontaines D.C. before the band’s management contacted her. She appeared indifferent to the music, though her friend was a fan who saw them perform overseas.

Lin’s work has been in demand, recently creating the image for Glaswegian glam rockers Walt Disco’s 2024 release “The Warping.” She also collaborated with indie bands such as a poster for Sunset Rollercoaster to commemorate their 2023 California Tour, including Coachella. 

When asked to describe her illustration for Fontaines D.C., Lin replied, “I guess you can say it’s a heart with a face attached to it.” She said it could be a “crying heart,” which she happened to create on Valentine’s Day.

The tinge of sadness and melancholy fits perfectly with “Romance,” which has been the band’s imaging and marketing this year. Lin said her stylized pink heart is a 2D image created on an iPad, following her previous work, which is genderless, biomorphic, and holds a tinge of futurism in its mixture of machine and nature.

Lin attended Shih Chien University (實踐大學) before going to the Netherlands to study at the Design Academy Eindhoven. She posts regularly to the Instagram account Dig A Hole (da__hole_), which has attracted 77,000 fans.

She said the fame associated with Fontaines, D.C. has yet to affect her, as she is already busy with work this summer, including a shoe collaboration with chenjingkaioffice. 

“To be honest, I am more of a designer than an illustrator," Lin said. Working with 2D and 3D images, Lin is winning over fans with her art.