New Narratives: Reclaiming Asian Identity Through Story

New Narratives: Reclaiming Asian Identity Through Story

Reviewed and recommended by The Bay State Banner

Organized and presented by Unbound Visual Arts – July 24 – Oct. 30, 2020

View the exhibit catalogue.  It can also be downloaded.

Go to the “New Narratives: Reclaiming Asian Identity Through Story Storyteller Series,” where you can listen to and watch 12 personal stories.

Enter UVA’s Virtual Gallery HERE

Gallery tips:  1) It works best in Firefox or Chrome internet browsers, though other browsers like Windows and Safari should work as well; 2) Use the full screen option by going to the 3 vertical lines in the upper hand corner; 3) Use the on-screen arrows for moving around the gallery; 4) Consider an automatic gallery tour; 5) Click and drag to rotate the camera view around the gallery; 6) Click on any artwork to jump there directly; 7) To view the labels for individual works click the “i” button on that artwork.  From that label, you can also enter the UVA Art shop to purchase, to obtain additional information and to enlarge any work; 8) If you have a TV that streams and a smartphone you can explore the exhibition that way 9) Consider a donation to or a membership with Unbound Visual Arts; 10) Read the curator’s statement, tell a friend, and have fun!

August 14th Storyteller Roundtable Discussion included short readings by a few storytellers and an in-depth discussion with Q&A facilitated by the Asian American Resource Workshop. The storyteller panelists include Kathy Wu, Amy Pollard, Michael Rosegrant, Maria Fong, and Adi Nochur of Subcontinental Drift, Boston. View the Roundtable Discussion on YouTube.

July 24, 2020  Opening Program – Artist Round Table moderated by the  Curator Leslie Anne Condon and several artists included Claudia Kim,  Brenda Lau, Mel Taing, Neha Rayamajhi, and Christina Qi, followed by an open mic storytelling segment, featuring Mookie – Whose Lives Matter (live performance),  JennyMae Kho – Shame (pre-recorded video), Tamiko Beyer – Equinox  (live performance), Rosanna Yamagiwa Alfaro – Batty (short pre-recorded play), Michael A. Rosegrant (pre-recorded video 2:57 length) Faces Like My Friends Were All Over the Food I Ate. View the opening program on YouTube.

See all the exhibit artwork HERE

Guest Curator:  Leslie Anne Condon

Artists: J Chan, Rachael Chen, Zoila Coc-Chang, Maria Fong, Melody Hsu (Yu-Hsuan), Claudia Kim, Eugene La Rochelle, Brenda Lau, Heidi Lee, Madeline Lee, Niki Li, Julia Madden, Jaspreet Mahal, Yuko Okabe, Matthew Okazaki, Jennifer Jean Okumura, Ponnapa Prakkamakul, Christina Qi, Neha Rayamajhi and Kshitiz KC, Michael A. Rosegrant, Mel Taing, Melissa Teng, Jessica TranVo, Tran Vu, Lily Xie  Bold=UVA member

Exhibition Coordinator: John Quatrale*; Exhibition Assistance: Sofija Chroneos, Rachel Hargreaves, Julia Marcantonio, Sequoya Molzan, Cynthia Bryndis Schilling

Partnering organizations: Asian Glow Boston, Asian American Resource Workshop, Dorchester Art Project, Pao Arts Center, Network for Arts Administrators of Color, Subcontinental Drift Boston.

Curator’s Statement

Curator:  Leslie Anne Condon

How we define the terms “Asian” and “Asian American” in the United States is often driven by our visual and popular culture. Over the span of only a few generations, the meaning of these terms has continued to evolve, heavily influenced by changing immigration patterns, academic scholarship, the National Census Bureau, and domestic policy. The unique histories of our respective ancestral lands (East, South, and Southeast Asia), shaped by war, Imperialism, Colonialism, and more recent tensions, further complicate the concept of identity within our communities. Many of us, our parents, and our grandparents, came to the States seeking new opportunities, only to face racism, xenophobia, anti-Asian rhetoric, and discriminatory legal practices. While much progress has been made in recent decades to overcome such notions as the Model Minority Myth, we continue to push for more authentic, comprehensive, and nuanced representation within all facets of American society. Through this reclamation, we actively empower ourselves and reinforce our sense of agency within the greater community. New Narratives: Reclaiming Asian Identity Through Story features forty artworks by twenty-five Boston-area Asian artists who are exploring aspects of their identity through their art, as well as Asian culture and narrative informed by personal experience. Whether the work is referencing the self and body, sexuality and gender, or intergenerational conflict and healing within the Asian community, each artist brings their distinctive perspective to the exhibition through unexpected visuals and contemporary techniques. Collectively, the exhibition offers a partial glimpse rather than a sweeping overview of the many complex issues that Asians and Asian Americans navigate daily as part of our lived realities. It also reflects, in some part, the complex and evergrowing iterations of Asian identity that continue to emerge from every corner of the Greater Boston area. These creative gestures are at once expressions of pain and resiliency, resistance, and celebration.

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Unbound Visual Arts (UVA) is a unique 501(c)(3) non-profit art organization. We serve the Greater Boston community with impactful educational programs and exhibits to encourage learning, engagement, and change. UVA’s Arthaus Gallery is located at 43 N.Beacon St;, Allston, MA and UVA’s Overlook Gallery is at 175 Washington St., Brighton, MA.