Imani Chapman's vibrant red, yellow, and orange Koi fishes amidst a blue sea has been chosen as the official artwork of the 4th annual Asian Heritage Street Celebration.

Her design was just one of the 21 entries in the annual AHSC poster contest, sponsored by the AsianWeek Foundation and held in conjunction with the Kearny Street Workshop.

Chapman wins the $500 grand prize and the opportunity to have her artwork appear on CBS Outdoor and Muni bus side advertisements, the AHSC's San Francisco Unified School District Asian Pacific American Student Awards, postcards, posters, and t-shirts promoting the May 17 event, which will take place in Japantown from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Born in Bermuda, Chapman lived in Britain and North Carolina before moving to the Bay Area 7 years ago to pursue her education in graphic design. Her family is a multicultural mix of many ethnicities including Filipino, Japanese, Nigerian, Welsh, Native American, French, British, and African American.

Currently a student at the Art Institute of California-San Francisco, she is the founder of i Manifest Design Studio, which specializes in creative, artistic, and eco-friendly design solutions for corporate events and individuals.

She heard about the contest from her school and decided to enter because she was interested in attending the event. The inspiration for her poster design came from studying the previous AHSC posters, which incorporated a 2 and a 3 to signify the respective year of each event. Following the tradition, her fish form a 4.

"My goal was to create something dynamic that takes a traditional Asian image and turn it into something that everyone can relate too," said Chapman. "I chose the Koi fish because they represent courage and the ability to attain goals and to overcome life's difficulties."

"I'm overjoyed to have won and know this is a great step for my career, I feel truly honored to be chosen," she said.

Chapman enjoys being active in the community and has worked as a peer mentor and volunteered with organizations including La Casa de Las Madres (battered woman's shelter in SF), and various elementary school around the Bay Area.

Chapman is a proud mother of nine-year-old Naimah-Joy and enjoys introducing her daughter to the many different cultures in their family history.

To contact Chapman, email imanifestdesign@gmail.com. or call 510-655-1576

All of the 2008 poster entries can be viewed at www.asianfairsf.com/2008/?page_id=12.