To Boldly Go

New Frontiers, the graphic novel anthology I have a story and artwork in, is officially going to press! Thank you again to the editors Jeff Yang and Keith Chow for the opportunity and for all your hard work putting this together!

L.A. friends: There will be a special event on July 15 at the Japanese American National Museum, where they’ll be formally unveiling the book! The Asian American ComiCon’s Summit on Art, Action, and the Future, 12-5pm.

Here. Have a Chicago photo as I transition to Chicago
things. (TBT to 2 weeks ago / my parents' anniversary.)

Sunday’s Dreams of a City postcard? The sender’s dream came true! Read her story here. More mapped Chicago dreams—posted daily—can be viewed here.

Second to None

As a follow-up to the previous two posts: LEXICON didn’t win the Chicago Reader’s #BestOfChi (it’s the runner-up), but I still think it’s the best. Thank you to everyone who voted!

A photo my mom took of a visitor to LEXICON.

(Also, it’s the runner-up to a show that’s actually on a national museum tour where Chicago was merely one of many stops. An independent exhibition being second to a huge organization like that is no small feat!)

The back of Tuesday’s daily Dreams of a City postcard is, on a visual level, another one of my favorites.

Postcard #2365 back: 24 July 2013, NW. corner of Fullerton at Ashland.

To read the front and for more dreams, visit @dreamsofacity, where I’ve been sharing one mapped Chicago dream a day, every day (Monday’s was moving too, especially since I’ve been thinking a lot about the passage of time lately), and to learn more about my ongoing large-scale interactive art project, visit this page.

Happy summer! (Even to you readers in the Southern Hemisphere, because yes.) From the solstice on Wednesday:

Best summer solstice ever.

(Pictured above was the view from a nerd alumni event—I was the only Columbia University person and think I represented you well, CU kids!—on the rooftop of a Streeterville high rise. Much love to everyone I met!)

Update: At this gallery opening, someone I always thought was cool told me they admire me. You all make my art life worthwhile!

#Selfie

Sneak peek and first time drawing myself since I was a kid (although I painted myself a couple times like 10 years ago?): Here’s a quick sketch that’s part of my story in the upcoming graphic novel anthology New Frontiers.

Also adding this to my Scribble Sunday series
[even though it's Monday].

(Thank you to Asian American Millennials Unite—an organization that “spotlights the political power of the new generation of Asian America”—for all the related love on Twitter and Instagram! Apparently I’m “one of [their] favorite artists who’s not afraid to use [my] medium to push AAPI issues forward.” Shucks.)

When folks still ask you about a piece you wrote 5(!) years ago:

Thank you, Babu!

(P.S. The post is “Midwesterner in the Middle Kingdom // The Outsider” and just so happens to be what I based my New Frontiers story on!)

A reminder: If you haven’t yet, vote LEXICON for “Best Gallery Exhibit” in the Chicago Reader’s #BestOfChi! Voting ends today at 12pm CST! (Refer to the previous post if you have any difficulties viewing the ballot.) Thank you in advance, thank you to those who’ve already voted and spread the word, and thank you for nominating LEXICON in the first place!

Like, 1/8 of LEXICON.

And speaking of shows, a recommendation: Takashi Murakami’s The Octopus Eats Its Own Leg is now open at the Museum of Contemporary Art! (Pretty much all of Chicago was at the exhibit on the first public day and I ran into and met so many people and I loved it.) It’ll be up all summer, and admission is free for Illinois residents every Tuesday.