Illustration for Field Day at Navy Pier, commissioned Design Museum of Chicago.

The inspiration behind this flag is the plant that gave its name to Chicago : the wild ramp, aka allium tricoccum, aka... "stinky onion!"

Shorly after I moved to Chicago in 2016, a friend of mine took me to the south side to forage some wild leeks.

It took me years to realize that it was the same plant, with its pungent smell and robust taste, that the Algonquin named shikaakwa, later morphing into "chicagou" through the french pronunciation, to finally reach its final form : Chicago.

This illustration is an hommage to the plant as a symbol of the city, tough yet resourceful and abundant. Through the years it has provided me with many opportunities, projects and friendships. I am proud to call this Chicago my home.

Photos of the flag during the Taste of Chicago festival.

Photo credit : Ceninye