Word of Mouth – Book Talk @Haibayo
Saturday March 7th, I attended the Word of Mouth book celebration presented by authors Laura Kina and Jave Yoshimoto, and contributors Larry Lee and Kiam Marcelo Junio. The book is a diverse collection of illustrated recipes by 24 different Asian American artists that was started as a virtual exhibition to address Anti-Asian hate.
I was able to try Larry’s galbi, Sunny’s kimchi jeon, and Laura and Jave’s spam musubi. This event truly reminded me how food and art can be a magnet for community. It was striking to me how many of the recipes do not adhere to strict traditions, but actually evolved from the artist’s travels and experiences over time in combination with their cultural heritage. Each recipe carries its own history and reflects how the artist has carried their culture through locations, political events, and stages of life.
The book also documents the authors’ resilience in juggling chronic illness, and how that affected their ability to cook, create art, and even move. This is a struggle I too am familiar with, so it warmed my heart to join the authors in celebrating the accomplishment of publishing this book despite the disabilities that slowed them down. It was memorable to witness a group of old friends coming together to share a passion project that was able to encapsulate diverse cultural identities.
You can purchase the book here.
Invisible Borders – Art Pop-up Market @First Sip Cafe
Directly after the book talk, I hopped over to First Sip Cafe for the Immigration: Invisible Borders Art pop-up, which two of my pieces were featured in. Produced by Nadia Bernal, this show was also a market with local vendors and performances by poet Michael Oliveros and DJ Sotocuchis. Although I missed the poetry reading, I was able to chat with several other artists and vendors about their work. Below I have included a piece that deeply resonated with me.
protection pt 1
“i made this quilt as a way to hold onto my present. this quilt is a way to have my family stay together. with what has been happening across the country with ICE, i wanted a physical form of protection for my family. filled with prayers, phrases, memories, and love no one can take away” @divinessanctuary on Instagram
I’ve also been grappling with homesickness and mourning the physical distance between me and my family in China. In order to carry their love with me, I intentionally wore the clothes and jewelry my family has gifted me during my trip. It was comforting to see the creative ways other artists carry pieces of their home.
The Invisible Borders pop-up was only for one night, but you can see more pictures of the artwork here.
You can also read about my artwork: Blossoming collage and Seaweed Girl.
Maldives – Spotlight Art Exhibition @ Chinese American Museum of Chicago (CAMOC)
The following day I visited the Chinese American Museum of Chicago for the first time, which I quickly realized was long overdue. The Spotlight Series curated by Larry Lee brings rotating exhibitions by local artists of Chinese-descent to the museum’s 4th floor. Upon entering, I was amazed and humbled by the collection of books on Chinese history and culture. (You can request an appointment to do research here.)
The current exhibition is Maldives by Li Yao, it is comprised of illustrations that can be described as “Ghibli-inspired fables meet the glitchy reality of Dreamcore in Y2K Guangzhou” (see CAMOC Insta post). The illustrations incorporate fantasy and mythology to tell a story rooted in Li’s own experience as an international student.
This exhibition hit close to home for me, and evoked my own memories of saying goodbye to my family, and the challenges of pursuing education in America. Just a week prior, I hugged my brother and cousin goodbye at the Guangzhou airport. Maldives reminded me the power of processing emotional experiences through art and the camaraderie of connecting with other artists.
Maldives is available for purchase here and the exhibition is up until April 19!
Trojan Horse – Group Art Exhibition @Research House for Asian Art
Lastly, I popped by the Trojan Horse group exhibition at the Research House for Asian Art. This exhibition featured pieces from 8 artists currently studying at SAIC, as well as scheduled musical performances. Curated by Quyên, who I met at an event at Hook Space.
The artwork in this exhibition ranged in diverse mediums from textured oil paintings to human hair and found gloves, expanding on the motif of the Trojan horse to explore “emotional instability and contemporary geopolitical uncertainty.”
Since I only stopped by briefly, I missed the performances, but I was able to chat with a couple artists whose work I’ve included below.
Casey Chen‘s artwork is constructed from pages ripped from books and linen, taped and sewn together to form a mat which she lounged on. The piece is illustrated with memories of places she has been and motifs that emerge in her mind, such as horses and a pink castle.
Since the mat is an object that would continually wear down and deteriorate over time, there is a significance in using multiple types of reinforcement hold the material together. In Casey’s own words “On the map, I usually do drawings of what I imagine is in the world of my painting, like the material is a thick stratosphere I can go into and record ‘observational drawings’. So, in my piece the two drawings hanging above the mat are my observational drawings of that world.”
Rohen Jones‘s series of oil paintings serve as self-portraits that capture the processes of adding, subtracting, and redoing.
Photo from @rohenjones on Instagram, captioned “Casey making a painting in front of my painting” This photo captures the intimacy and meditative quality in creating art, a vulnerable process of self discovery.
The large painting titled “People I Don’t Know (monster)” was impressive to see in person, as you can pick out shadowy figures hiding underneath the texture of individual strokes of green paint in varying shades.
You can see more photos of the exhibition here. It is up until March 28!
Conclusion
The last few weeks have been emotionally challenging for me. I was questioning my path as an artist, where do I actually belong, where can I call home?
I had just returned to America from a 2-week trip in Guangdong, where I reunited with my family members for the first time in 14 years. I desperately needed to be reconnected with the art community, and the Asian American spaces in Chicago. Being invited to attend these art events have reminded me that there are places for me to be and people who want me there.
I also met so many artists who call many different places homes, and have also undergone the search for self-identity and belonging. I realized that to find the answer for my own path, I must keep making art, and keep supporting my local communities, in order to make a home for myself.
This blog post is just a glimpse of the diverse and talented art scene in Chicago. There are so many more museums, exhibitions, and pop-ups to see! I like to think of myself as a fairy, fluttering around to every art event I see. Unfortunately I am limited by my human body and full-time work schedule, so there is no guarantee for more blog posts. I hope you enjoy this read and that I was able to express how much the Chicago art spaces mean to me.
Wow this is such a well thought out blog post!! I’m so excited to see your artistic journey and where you go from here!! ❤️