I got my COVID-19 booster shot last week! Moderna at Walgreens, like my first two doses.
An artist opportunity: Chicago DCASE’s 2022 Individual Artists Program Grant application is now open! The deadline is January 7, 2022, 5pm. I’m a past recipient; both times I applied, I was selected to receive the grant! The first was for my interactive public art and mapping project, Dreams of a City*, back in the day; the second was when I conceived of SLAYSIAN two years ago. More details for IAP here.
*(You can check out recent interviews about that passion project / labor of love on WGN Morning News (video, recorded live), WBEZ (audio, recorded live), and the Chicago Reader (article).)
If you apply, best of luck!
Speaking of SLAYSIAN…
I finally put this video on my TikTok:
@artistsonthelam Thank you ##artists & all who came! đź’• ##artistsoftiktok ##artistontiktok ##artshow ##curator ##artgallery ##aapi ##asianamerican ##chicago ##art ##artist ##fypă‚·
♬ original sound - Jenny Lam
Some more artist spotlights:
Skate decks and coffins and fans, oh my! I love the range of materials Susie Xiong (InsomniaBird) used for her art—all emblazoned with her signature big-eyed bird motif—in the show! These nine pieces are all available to collect here.
Before Kristin Anahit Cass showed me her new series for the show, I’d never seen SWANA futurism before! Exquisite. From her artist statement:
“Cass’s works in this exhibit are from a project examining SWANA (South West Asian and North African) futurism. Her work explores multiple temporalities, much as ancestral divination practices harness a nonlinear understanding of time and simultaneous occupation of spaces. While disorienting time and space as we take control of our narratives, we experience past, present, and future at once. The portraits from The Republic of My Imagination series visualize the world that could be, building on the cultures of our ancestors. They call out for broader solidarity within the SWANA region. They envision the liberation that could be shared, especially when we open ourselves to the voices of queer, feminist and other marginalized groups. The otherworldly landscapes from the series A Planet of Our Own cross the divide between real and imagined places that our ancestors built or inhabited, where we embrace the past and move into the future, challenging entrenched narratives of conquest and Eurocentric histories. Cass imagines a future of wonder, beauty, and the possibilities we create for ourselves.”
Kristin’s seven pieces in SLAYSIAN 2.0 can be collected here.
Thank you to Instagrammers Chicago and Secret Chicago for sharing my photo of Chicago Union Station! I have so many wonderful memories involving that place.
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| Spot the Amish! |
Lastly, in case you missed it in the previous post, I’m the Featured Artist for the second issue of the literary journal Lover’s Eye Press! Founding editor-in-chief Eniko Deptuch Vághy opened our interview with these kind words:
“When I first saw Jenny Lam, I knew I had to meet her. As an artist, independent curator, writer, and overall badass, Jenny’s sparkling grace and exuding talent make her an inherently magnetic and unforgettable figure. Not only is Jenny brilliant, but she is probably one of the busiest artists I’ve ever encountered. Her interest in the world and people around her reveals her belief in the importance of facilitating connections between individuals through conversation or collaborative art projects—sometimes both simultaneously.”
Thank you so much, Eni! Read the rest here.
