Talk of the Town

To accompany my solo exhibition at Harold Washington Library, I’ll be doing an Artist Talk on Monday, May 15, 1-2pm! The talk is a hybrid event that can also be attended via Zoom.

Image via Chicago Public Library.

If you’re joining in person:
400 S. State St.
1st floor, inside Popular Library
(Enter on State and immediately turn left)

Masks are strongly encouraged in all CPL locations.

Thank you again to Chicago Public Library for the opportunity and for choosing me to exhibit my artwork in HWLC! I’m proud to be a part of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and CPL’s 150th anniversary celebration!

Case of You

Ta-da! I installed my art over the weekend. My solo exhibition at Harold Washington Library, the Chicago Public Library’s main branch, is now on view and will be up all of May in celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month as well as CPL’s 150th anniversary! My exhibit is a photographic love letter to Chicago, featuring photographs I’ve taken around our wonderful city throughout the past decade—all shot on my iPhone 5s.

Also, for any of you who’ve always wanted to find one of my Dreams of a City postcards out in the wild over the years but haven’t been able to: I left some there. Feel free to take one!

Location:
400 S. State St.
1st floor, inside the Popular Library
(Enter on State and immediately turn left. Once in Popular Library, the display cases are right by the front desk.)

Hours:
M-Th 9am-8pm
F & Sat 9am-5pm
Sun 1-5pm

(Note: All CPL locations will be closed May 2 for Staff Training Day and May 29 for Memorial Day.)

Masks are strongly encouraged in all CPL locations.

Happy AAPIHM!

Frame of Mind

It took me hours to mat and frame my photographs but it was well worth it for this result. These 12 photos of mine—all shot on my iPhone 5s beginning in 2014—will be in my solo exhibition at Harold Washington Library, the Chicago Public Library’s main branch, throughout May in celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month as well as CPL’s 150th anniversary. I’ll be installing this photographic love letter to Chicago tomorrow!

Winter Garden

I’ve been chosen to exhibit my artwork at the Chicago Public Library during May in celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month! I’ll be exhibiting at the Harold Washington Library Center—the massive main library downtown on State Street! Thank you, CPL!

In 2018, I was at the West Chicago Avenue Branch in Austin; in 2019, I was at the Coleman Branch in Woodlawn; and in 2020, I was going to show in Logan Square, but it was cancelled when COVID hit.

This year, my exhibit will essentially be a photographic love letter to Chicago, featuring photographs I’ve taken around our wonderful city throughout the past decade—a fitting display, since (unbeknownst to me when I dreamt up the idea) CPL happens to be celebrating its 150th anniversary! Super stoked for spring.

Harold Washington Library. Photo via Chicago Public Library.

Speaking of exhibits and thoughts of spring, I’ve curated a new online exhibition of 30 artists from around the world, at all stages of their careers, working across all media, and it’s all about getting cozy with art. Read the press release for HYGGE below (and, if you’re navigating from the blog’s main page, after the jump).

Alegría

First: I am so happy to announce that, for the third year in a row, I’ve been chosen to exhibit my artwork at the Chicago Public Library during May to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month! This year, I’ll be in my own neighborhood’s branch: Logan Square! Thank you, CPL!

Parque Nacional Torres del Paine, Patagonia, Chile.

Second: I know I haven’t been updating this blog much lately, and that’s an understatement [she says as she sheepishly looks at the post numbers by year in the Archive sidebar]. (Like, my last real post was a contextless but wistful one about my college reunion.) So I’ll simply bring you up to speed with my most recent adventure.

Last month, my parents and I traveled to Patagonia, where we rang in the new year. Going there was on my personal bucket list, which people have been asking me about since 2008 because of Dreams of a City, and I’m usually cagey with my answers, but now you know one of them.

Patagonia was, without a doubt, one of the best trips we’ve ever had. My mom said it was on the same level as when we went to Egypt (coincidentally, the same year I started my aforementioned mapping project), and my dad said—while we were standing in the above spot in Torres del Paine—that out of all the places we’ve been to, Patagonia is the most beautiful. I’m inclined to agree.

San Carlos de Bariloche, Patagonia, Argentina. First full day of our trip.

Yet even more than the grandeur of the landscapes and wonder of being in such wilderness was the beauty in the human connections. Music, passion, dancing in the heat, late nights overflowing with wine. Beautiful souls, rollicking laughter, finding that most things—and not just the age-old human desire to be near mountains and bodies of water—are universal. It’s summer in the southern hemisphere and all of it was the epitome of summer’s bittersweetness, fervent and fleeting. “Only connect,” that literary-reference-learned-as-a-teenager-turned-tenet-in-adulthood, comes to me again, and it couldn’t be more suited for a space where it’s a reflex to pass your mate to all your friends old and new and everyone drinks out of the same metal straw, and I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect way to enter a brand-new decade.

Volcan Orsono, Los Lagos, Patagonia, Chile.
The ferry (one of many when crossing the Argentina-Chile border)
turning a bend and revealing this was unreal. New Year's Day.

(Even the imperfect was perfect. Like that time one of the many buses we’d take for the Argentina-Chile border crossing broke down before it reached us so we waited in the shade around a replica of Che Guevara’s La Poderosa II. Or that other time the trailer carrying our luggage broke and we bonded while stranded for four hours at a rest stop in Villa Tehuelches and then in our [absolutely lovely and lovable and hardworking and total sweetheart of a 23-year-old Argentine tour] guide Esteban’s hurry to finally leave… left behind Sonja from Vienna at said rest stop and didn’t realize it until the bus was already minutes away while driving at full speed. (We made a frantic U-turn to get her back.) It was straight out of a movie; it had us cackling and clapping; it was glorious.)

The mighty Glaciar Perito Moreno, Parque Nacional Los Glaciares,
Patagonia, Argentina. This is the third largest ice field in the world
(the first and second are in Antarctica and Greenland). 

I loved it all, and I already miss Argentina and Chile dearly. (I missed them as soon as our plane took off from Buenos Aires and my mom said “goodbye, Argentina” and then I whispered it and felt a swell of sadness, but still.) Naturally, I took a ton of photos (and yes, still with my little 5s) and have shared a few of them (33 photos/photosets) on Instagram. They’re also organized on my Tumblr with tags for Patagonia and Buenos Aires. (And if you enjoy scrolling, they’re also on Twitter and Facebook.)

Life is art; paint it with the world.

Mt. Tronador right after crossing the border from
Argentina's Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi to
Chile's Parque Nacional Vicente Perez Morales. Patagonia. New Year's Day.

Happy 2020!

Candid of my parents taking it all in.
Parque Nacional Torres del Paine, Patagonia, Chile.

P.S. In case you missed the previous post, the call for artists for my next group show is up!

Bloom

First, two updates:

I’ve been invited to speak on a panel about Asian representation in entertainment and media at Facebook Chicago for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month! Save the date; the event is Wednesday, May 22, 4-6pm, at 191 N. Upper Wacker Drive. [5/15 edit: Whoops, was just told this isn’t open to the public.]

I got interviewed by Voyage Chicago! (Half a year ago, but the article was recently published, heh.) Take a look!

My story on Voyage Chicago.

Two reminders:

I have an upcoming art exhibit at the Bessie Coleman Branch of the Chicago Public Library in Woodlawn throughout May, also in celebration of AAPIHM!

Chicago Public Library's news about my AAPIHM exhibit 2019.

Midwest artists, today is your final day to submit to Line Dot’s 3rd Annual Juried Art Show! I’m one of the guest judges; I’d love to see your work. All the details for the open call are here.

And just because:

Here’s a lovely new mural by Ouizi in an alley in West Town, just in time for spring.

Mural by Ouizi, West Town, Chicago, 2019.

(This post has been quite the unceremonious non-transition from my previous posts which I wrote during the beginning of my annual Hong Kong trip for Art Basel, I know.)

Happy almost May!

312

First, two bits of upcoming art exhibition news (one of them a call for artists):

I am proud to announce that, for the second year in a row, I’ve been chosen to exhibit my work at the Chicago Public Library during May to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month! I’ll be showing at the Coleman Branch, serving the Woodlawn, Hyde Park, and Greater Grand Crossing neighborhoods (last year, I was at West Chicago in Austin). Thank you, CPL!

The call: I’ve been invited to be one of the guest judges for Line Dot Editions’ 3rd Annual Open Call Group Show! It’s always a pleasure to be on their jury. Chicago and Midwest artists, apply! You can view all the details here. (Important dates: The application deadline is April 30, and the opening reception is June 21.)

At the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, Taipei.
(My parents and I traveled to Taiwan for the first time in November.)

An art review of sorts: A few weeks ago I visited the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago to check out the new Laurie Simmons exhibit, Big Camera/Little Camera, without knowing anything about Simmons beforehand. And. Well. Here’s my two-tweet criticism of her and the exhibit. (My friend—and former Columbia classmate!—Trilbe’s responses were more eloquently put than mine.) And here’s when I learned that Simmons’ daughter is Lena Dunham, and suddenly it all made sense…

Speaking of propping up Asian women instead of whatever mess is going on in the fourth floor of the MCA and how important it is for us to tell our own stories: A couple weeks ago I went to a discussion and signing by Chinese American activist and journalist Helen Zia for her new book, Last Boat Out of Shanghai, and what a night it was. Read my Twitter thread about it (and our history, and the things we inherit, and hope) here.

Political nerdery: Holy shit, Lori Lightfoot! I voted for her in our municipal elections, which were already historic since there were 14 mayoral candidates and no clear frontrunner, and she ended up in first place! I truly thought Bill Daley was going to win. She and Toni Preckwinkle will face off in runoffs so either way, Chicago will get its first black woman mayor! And if Lightfoot wins, she’ll also be our first openly gay mayor! This is so exciting. Fellow Chicagoans, be a part of history and be sure to vote again on April 2. (Or earlier, like I will, since I’ll be out of the country.)

Social media: Yesterday I realized I have over 2,000 followers on Instagram! Thank you! (Another social media-related feat? When my childhood hero Michelle Kwan liked a tweet of mine. My literally mouth dropped.)

My top liked Instagram photos of 2018, thanks to you.

Lastly: I know posts have been sparse here lately so this is, believe it or not, the first blog post of 2019. Oops. As a year in review, here’s my Twitter thread of my highlights and favorite blog posts of 2018. Wishing you all a [very belated] very happy new year and Year of the Pig!

On Air

I got interviewed by WBEZ about my exhibit at the Chicago Public Library branch in the Austin neighborhood for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month! The interview will air this morning. Tune in! Thank you to Carrie Shepherd from WBEZ, and thank you to Keeshana Clark and everyone at the Austin branch, as well as Molly Kelly and CPL in general! Read more about the display here.

Me in front of my AAPIHM exhibit at the West Chicago
Avenue Branch of Chicago Public Library in Austin.
Photo by WBEZ's Carrie Shepherd.

And as announced in the previous post, Line Dot Editions has invited me to guest judge an open call group art show of theirs again! Here are the submission details for Hot Fun in the Summertime. Midwest artists, apply!

It’s Gonna Be

Happy Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (and what a gorgeous day it is in Chicago)! I’ve installed my AAPIHM exhibit at the West Chicago Avenue Branch of Chicago Public Library in the neighborhood of Austin! It’s a handful of photos I took on my phone while traveling along the Silk Road in Western China, and it’ll be on view throughout May. (Fitting that my own Journey to the West is chronicled in a westside community.) More information about the exhibit celebrating APAHM can be found here, and you can view the rest of the photos here and on Instagram. P.S. The security guard there’s a sweetheart and kept coming over to look at my art while I was installing and pointed out the places he wants to travel to (hint: the places in my photos.)

Chicago Public Library's news about my AAPIHM exhibit.

Another way to celebrate: Be sure to check out my ongoing series, ABC in HK, in which I interview Chinese Americans currently living in Hong Kong and amplify their stories, struggles, triumphs, and dreams. (And if you’d like to participate, email me! The call for voices is here.)

More news, including a couple announcements (one of which is an opportunity):

Midwest artists: Line Dot Editions is having another open call group show, Hot Fun in the Summertime, and I’ll be guest judging on their panel again! The application deadline will be June 2, the opening reception will be July 19, and the exhibition will close August 16. I’ll update once the gallery officially posts the call; stay tuned!

Thanks for asking me to shoot my portrait, Miguel Guzman! And for the pizza. And for putting up with how awkward I am in front of a camera. (I suffer from the affliction Resting Serious Face, the lesser known relative of Resting Bitch Face.)

I received a notification that someone left a comment in a 7-year-old post. Love it. Throwback to the early days of Artists on the Lam, when I was [more of] a shit-stirrer [than I am now] (ah, youth): “A Call for a Global Art History / It’s not all about you, dude”.

My “Kites in Uptown” photo is one of the winners for Block Club Chicago’s postcard contest! (Not bad considering I only posted about my nomination on social media once and not at all on this blog since I was traveling in Hong Kong at the time.) Thank you to all who voted and thank you, Block Club Chi! Some of those who backed their Kickstarter will be getting my photo in the mail.

My paternal grandma
in the Hong Kong Railway Museum in Tai Po.

Lastly: I went on my annual Hong Kong trip last month as a VIP at Art Basel, Art Central, and Asia Contemporary Art Show (and had a free spur-of-the-moment portrait taken there), and you can look through my photos (be sure to read the captions) here and here. My previous blog post chronicles my visit with self-taught artist Fung Ming Chip in his studio, one of many art highlights. Of course, my HK trips are never always about art; they’re about family. And snacks. And dogs. Lots and lots of adorable dogs. (I mean, why else would one travel?)

Infinity Under a Roof

I’ve been chosen to exhibit my artwork at the Chicago Public Library during May in celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month! I’ll be exhibiting at the West Chicago Avenue Branch, serving the Austin, Lawndale, and North Lawndale neighborhoods. Thank you, CPL!

And speaking of AAPI heritage, a reminder: I have a call for voices (specifically, Chinese American expats in Hong Kong) in the previous post!