In Person of Interest we talk to the people catching our eye right now about their projects past and present. Next up, we chat with Brooklyn-based sign painter Will Van Zee about the art of hand-painted restaurant signs, how Instagram has helped revive interest in the craft, and why handmade design still matters in the age of AI.

If you've walked past Elbow Bread , S&P Lunch , Levain Bakery , or dozens of other New York restaurants, you've probably seen Will Van Zee's work. Through his Brooklyn-based studio, Van Zee Sign Co. , the artist creates hand-painted and gilded signs that have become a fixture of the city's restaurant landscape. While the online discourse around AI-generated food imagery heats up, Van Zee’s most effective tools remain decidedly old-fashioned.

His thriving business is built on centuries-old techniques, yet many of his clients discover him through Instagram, where videos of his work regularly attract millions of views.…