Going Against The Grain: Ha Mai (aka Fur Face Boy)

Ha Mai is the mind, soul and heart behind Fur Face Boy, an independent apparel line based out of Dallas, TX. He studied and received a BFA in Graphic Art / Design from the University of Texas at Arlington. After years of working for design studios, agencies and in-house design groups, he decided to leave the comforts of a settled career to concentrate on his brand and to fully have 100% control of his life. Fur Face Boy is found in a handful of boutique shops around the U.S. and Canada and has been featured in the Dallas Morning News, D Magazine, The Angry Asian Man Blog, The Hundreds Blog and G4TV. His fan base grows by the day via his designs, the Fur Face Boyblog, social media and simply living his life the way he wants to.

Full name

Ha H. Mai

Hometown

Grand Prairie, TX

Current city

Dallas, TX

Ethnicity

Vietnamese

What does it mean to you to “Go Against The Grain?”

Going against standards, boundaries and specifics to go about things your way.

What made you decide to pursue a career in art?

Simple…I just like it.

What have been some of the challenges you faced/lessons you learned as an Asian American in this field?

Make sure to speak up and speak your feelings, no matter how idiotic others AND yourself will think of you.

What do you feel is your biggest accomplishment, and why?

Starting my own T-shirt brand, Fur Face Boy. It allows me to completely, totally and 100% be me.

What’s up next?

Zero clue. I’m so spontaneous and random with plans and scheduling, that whatever happens just happens.

Quote to live by:

I don’t live by quotes, but I just like this one…”I’d rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not.” – Kurt Cobain