Who I Yam!

Dec 1, 2023 – Dec 29, 2023

The Fishbowl White Elephant community show was the outcome of a “Pitch Party” event which I hosted two months prior. Pitch Party brought together dozens of community members to share gallery theme concepts. The White Elephant theme was proposed by Derya Gumustel and it was picked up by Rya Wu of the Fishbowl. I support execution logistics, gallery set up, and day of hosting for the event. The show brought over 40 local artists together and raised over $500 for a Palestine relief fund. I contributed 2 pieces for the show, “Waffle” made of acrylic and “My Garden” made of glass bottles, dry, dried flowers, rice, lentils, tea, and other dried goods.

“Waffle”

“My Garden”

Dec 2, 2023 – Dec 23, 2023

Nepantla held an end of year under $150 show in their cultural art gallery. This piece was inspired by a painting of a humming bird and cactus featured at Nepantla the first time I visited the space. I was happy to sell this piece during this show.

“Hummingbird”

Nov 23, 2023 – Jan 1, 2024

”Pineapple” “Lightbulbs” “Bamboo”

Sept 4, 2023 – Sept 30, 2023

I had the honor of showing 20 original pieces at Victrola Coffee in Beacon Hill. This show ran for a month and was my first solo show in a single place. I sold one piece titles “The Egg” at this show.

Sept 7, 2023 – Sept 29, 2023

Shifting Sands was a community show open to anyone. I created a textured mixed media piece out of multi colored wild rice and mung beans.

June 6, 2023 – December 2023

Elliott Bay Book Store held a design competition for their 50th Anniversary and I had the honor of being chosen to share my work on the bookstores tote bags!

”Story Ship”

June 8, 2023 – June 30, 2023

Unwritten was a community show open to anyone in the community. I created a textured acrylic flowers inspired by the color of Pike Place tulips in May.

June 3, 2023 – June 25, 2023

Basecamp’s June show showcased artwork related to the theme of “The Title is Thick” which encouraged artists to used thick, textured paint to create sculpture-like work. I created a piece titled “The Egg” for this show. This piece was created with molding paste and acrylic.

”The Egg”

May 22, 2023 – June 11, 2023

Have You Eaten is a multi-pronged investigation of the Asian diaspora relationship to identity, otherness, and belonging. What does it mean to be from neither here, nor there? To be both of this place yet not completely, with traces of your you-ness from a different land, in a different tongue, where the sun feels different and perhaps closer. Where a familiar face is followed by “Have you eaten?” and an offering of a morsel to take with you. Where, exactly, do you belong? How have you come to know the feeling of belonging, or not? Where is your home, and what makes it thus? What transports you there? Or how have you created a sense of home, or felt the absence of one? Is home tied to a specific place? Person? Sound? Flavor? Smell? 

I created a piece for this show titled “Tiffins and TacoBell.” Making sure someone has a hot meal is such a quintessential part of love, but over the years it’s taken different forms. My parents would use tiffins to pack lunches for work or leftovers for their friends. These little capsules of home cooked food are made with love and care. My form of doing this is buying my friends and siblings their favorite food, particularly Taco Bell. Taco Bell has a deep history of feeding Indian immigrant families through the 90s and 2000s due to its low cost and wide variety of vegetarian options. Many Asian families grew up eating there and it is a familiar and consistent meal to many. Knowing someone’s order and getting them a late night bite after a stressful day is my favorite way to show love. I juxtaposed the traditional image with classic henna application and the modern interpretation with a tattoo styles application.

“Tiffins and TacoBell”

May 6, 2023 – May 28, 2023

Basecamps 1st Anniversary show challenged artist to showcase celebration. I submitted a digital piece titles “Party Taco” for the occasion. This piece sold on opening night of this show!

”Party Taco”

Mar 24, 2023 – April 30, 2023

Eggshells and Coffee Grounds was a show celebrating what makes up all human. It was “A Space Inside’s” debut community show. I showed 3 pieces for this show, including “Garba Girl,” “Not So Space Needles” and “Mother Earth.”

Mar 4, 2023 – Mar 26, 2023

Nepantla’s show “Art of Movement” challenge artists to show works showcasing social justice movements. I displayed and sold my piece “The Ferocity of Women,” inspired by feminine rage. This piece is part of a larger series of digital works capturing angry women.

”The Ferocity of Women”

Feb 4, 2023 – Feb 26, 2023

Neptantla is a Nahuatl (Aztec language) term which describes being in the middle or the space in the middle. Most often the term references endangered communities, cultures, or gender who due to colonialism/marginalization or historical trauma, that engages in resistance strategies of survival. I showed 2 pieces, “Blinded by Gold” and “Peacock” in this show.

My Name Story is a portrait-video project that examines the AANHPI experience through the lens of our names at the intersection of race, gender and class. This project explores themes of identity, belonging, and reclamation in a country that oftentimes labels AAPIs as the other and perpetual foreigner. The project includes women from different generations, ethnicities and experiences who have had, at one point or another, struggles with their names and the meanings attached to them. I had the honor of sharing my story along with 9 other incredible Asian American women.

See my name story here.