Tanner Chee Brings Pacific Islander Learnings to Big City Lighting Design
Tanner Na'inoa Chee
Lighting Designer
Arup
In his 5 years as an NYC lighting designer, Tanner Chee has developed a reputation as a talented contributor to landscapes and experiences. He is part of a 10-person team of lighting designers at Arup, and is discovering a specialty in lighting for outdoor public spaces. He finds that in NYC, success comes with collaboration and respect across disciplines. A lesson he first learned from his Pacific Islander heritage.
After earning a bachelor’s in Landscape Architecture from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Chee pursued a master’s at Parsons, where the double major interior design–lighting program intrigued him. “I was into lights when I was young, but I never really thought about it as a career. Growing up, I thought of lights as objects and not necessarily the lighting effects. Lighting design sounded cool, and it was probably the best decision I ever made,” Chee said. He took a leap of faith when he started on his lighting education, so he admires his colleagues that are working to broaden the awareness of quality lighting and careers in lighting design. Teaching digital media part time at UNLV gives him the opportunity to share some of his passion for lighting with the next generation of architects, landscape architects, and interior designers.
Peers can be the best mentors
Chee attributes his successes in life and career to the support of his peers. “I learned a lot from professors and colleagues, but my biggest mentors were my classmates and friends, the people I surround myself with in school and in life….
“In school, we’re in our studio for hours and hours, late nights and weekends. We all did it for the love of design, and we were always motivating each other and pushing each other to think outside the box. In my experience, it wasn’t in a competitive way, but in a way that encourages camaraderie and collaboration.”
Chee was born and raised in O’ahu. “Family values are extremely important in Hawai’i. Most people are close with extended family. And in Hawai’i, everyone is family, basically. We’ll call our friends’ parents Aunty and Uncle. We’ll get off the bus and say, “Thank you, Aunty” or “Thank you, Uncle,” as a sign of respect for people, and for the culture.” He describes his background as diverse: Japanese, Chinese, Caucasian, and Native Hawaiian. “A lot of people don’t understand that being Native Hawaiian is not just being from Hawai’i. You have to have Indigenous Hawaiian [Kānaka Maoli] ancestry,” he explained. “It’s something that I take pride in, but I do kind of keep it to myself. I keep it close to my heart, and I never forget where I’ve come from.”
Respecting others and surrounding yourself with good people is part of that heritage. “Even as an undergrad, I found that group of people to create close relationships with and lean on if I was having trouble, or to get critiques and feedback, and to help motivate me in anything that I do. And then I was to motivate them in return… It’s all about uplifting others and encouraging them to do their best work – not in a competitive way at all.”
Collaboration is key
New York City can be stereotyped as cutthroat, but Chee finds a familiar atmosphere at Arup, where rapport is encouraged. “With all the different disciplines that Arup offers, there's a lot of opportunity to create relationships and collaborations with other team members. If I worked at a smaller company, I might not have that same level of communication and, I guess, friendship with all these engineers.” Chee finds himself building new company relationships, project by project. “There’s no place I'd rather be, at least at this stage of my career... That's what I've been talking about: surrounding myself with good people; finding those people to help motivate me and collaborate with.”
New York, of course, inspires him. “Growing up in Hawai’i, I always dreamed of living here in New York. TV and movies gave me this vibe: I want to be in that City. I want to be surrounded by that energy…. Grad school [at Parsons] was just the perfect opportunity for me to get here. And the lighting design community here is thriving, so it’s the perfect opportunity for me to stay…. I don't think I ever want to live anywhere else.”
So, does he dream of moving home? “Basically, all of my family is still there. And my parents and my grandparents are getting older. I do miss out on a lot of the monumental experiences for the people I love: weddings and baby showers, you know…. But at the same time I've created an additional, extended family here in New York, with close friends I can rely upon. They help me get through the day and the week and the year.
“So yeah, I miss home a lot. I may call New York home now, but it's nice to still be able to call Hawai’i my home.”
Bringing culture to the work
Chee said that he cherishes the preservation of Indigenous Hawaiian culture; it does manifest in his work. “Where is the project located and what are the values of that culture there? I look for inspiration from that local culture and ways to tie the design into the local roots – within the parameters of what the architect is trying to accomplish.”
Because Arup is usually brought on board very early in design development, the lighting team has the advantage of developing deeper relationships with architects and owners. “I've been there for 4 years, and I’m starting to create my own relationships with architects and clients. And I’m starting to be able to bring them my own work…. Growing up in Hawai’i, it's a small island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. So making it in ‘the big city’ has always been the dream – establishing a name for myself but never forgetting where I've come from.”
Whenever he visits Hawai’i, it’s a big transition to a more chill pace. “I want to be perceived as someone with a good personality that can get along with just about anybody. But then I adapt easily to the fast-paced work environment. I’m accustomed to adjusting back and forth. Now I can adjust to any type of environment pretty quickly…
“I’m an Asian American Pacific Islander. I’m also LGBTQIA+. I see my heritage and identity as opportunities to meet new people and understand other cultures and points of view. I choose to look at it that way.”
