Something you should know about me
Named one of 2023’s Culture Shifters by HuffPost and hailed as a “polymath wave-maker” and “a pioneer of art that is interactive, collaborative, and as much fun for viewers as it is for artists,” I am a multidisciplinary artist, independent curator, writer, troublemaker, globetrotting polyglot, former precocious child, current child at heart, and all-around nerd. I’m the Chinese American daughter of immigrants from Hong Kong, and I graduated from Columbia University in New York City. After earning my BA, I returned to Chicago, where I founded Artists on the Lam in 2011. The site for this enterprise, which garnered an international following, was voted “Best Arts Blog” in the Chicago Reader’s Best of Chicago issue. Artists on the Lam is dedicated to “championing local artists; channeling global perspectives”—my motto! My most recent pride and joy is LAMINATOR, my new zine. Vol. 1 features 68 artists, poets, and writers from all over Chicago, the country, and the world.
About my work, unique skills, and the types of environments I thrive in
With a mission to make art accessible and a vision to bring people together, I’ve independently curated interactive shows like the rule-breaking exhibition I CAN DO THAT, which was voted “Best Exhibit” in NewCity’s Best of Chicago issue in 2012. Such imaginative exhibits not only challenged guests to think beyond common misconceptions about art and step outside their comfort zones, but also broke barriers, built community, inspired people to see the world anew, and demonstrated that art is for everyone. I’m the creator of Dreams of a City, a city-wide interactive public art and mapping project for which I was awarded the Individual Artists Program Grant from Chicago’s DCASE. Exploring the effects of geographical boundaries while bridging the distances between us, I originated this data-driven postcard project in 2008 in Manhattan and revitalized it a few years later in Chicago, where it continues to this day as a labor of love, a love letter to the city, and a message of hope.
Projects, people, and/or organizations I’ve worked with
I’ve exhibited at places like the Chicago Cultural Center and Chicago Public Library, I’ve curated exhibitions at venues like the renowned Zhou B Art Center and guest judged shows at galleries like Water Street Studios, and I’ve written extensively for Time Out Chicago and Sixty Inches From Center. I’ve been a guest speaker at University of Illinois Chicago, given a Leonardo LASER Talk about resilience, and spoken at Facebook Chicago about Asian representation in media, at Startup Art Fair about “What Matters,” and on Sixty’s panel about “Writing in the Margins”; performed at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago and 20x2 Chicago; conducted Visiting Artist Workshops at the Chicago Children’s Museum; conducted portfolio reviews at Sixty and Harold Washington Library’s “Get Archived” event, which empowered artists with the opportunity to “take ownership of their place in [their] city’s cultural history”; and been featured in On The Real Film’s political documentary Transition to Power.
Gigs and opportunities I'm open to
Writing and editing (including helping artists write and edit artist statements and bios, conducting artist interviews, and more), curatorial (such as curating exhibitions and guest judging juried shows), speaking engagements (such as speaking on panel discussions and giving guest talks), visual art (including photography, illustration, sculpture, and more). Also open to other forms of collaboration!
Work Samples
Mobile Photography
It’s not the tool; it’s the artist. From 2014-2021, I captured photos around the world using only my iPhone 5s, which, for most of those years, had been hanging on for dear life. I strive to demonstrate that you don’t need fancy equipment—not even a tripod—to take striking images. (And since my 5s crashed, I’ve been taking photos exclusively with my iPhone 12 Pro, and one of my photographs is currently on the Winners Shortlist of the Urban Photo Awards at Trieste Photo Days in Italy.)
SLAYSIAN
SLAYSIAN was a group exhibition whose journey began in 2019 when I proposed an art show that would function as a celebration—a celebrAsian, if you will—of local Asian American artists. I put out an open call, emphasizing the absence of theme and that the artists did not necessarily have to make art *about* being Asian; simply being and creating were enough. The ensuing exhibition was scheduled to open on March 20, 2020; this later happened to become the 1st day of Illinois’ stay at home order. As the opening approached, the pandemic became a reality. I postponed the exhibition and spent the beginning of shelter in place moving the entire exhibition online, where it served as welcome respite and garnered acclaim. 2 years later, the exhibition happened in person.
