People

Background of six paintings exhibited in "Beyond Expectations" at Pao Arts Center, Boston, Jan 11-Mar 31, 2019.
Asian Voices of Organized Youth for Community Empowerment (AVOYCE) is a leadership program for Greater Boston youth sponsored by the Asian Community Development Corporation (ACDC), and led by Youth Programs Manager, Ms. Jeena Hah. In spring 2018, I met with Jeena and a dozen of her high school students to share experiences, both personal and with the AVOYCE program, including the ThinkChinatown project—“creative placemaking” where youth help transform underutilized community spaces. My paintings represent just a handful of those discussions. Listening to their stories and their relationship to Chinatown brought back my own memories, including Sunday grocery shopping with my father, and volunteering in Boston’s inaugural August Moon Festival in 1969.

Dare to Challenge
18W x 24H oil on linen, Not For Sale

Statement from the subject:
My mother immigrated from China to the United States all alone with little understanding of English and its customs. She has experienced many obstacles since then. People at her workplace often question her capabilities due to her strong Chinese accent. However, my mother uses her determination and perseverance every day to fight for her right to be treated as an equal. So, I decided to wear my mother’s jacket, a blazer. Blazers, particularly if a woman is wearing them, represent female dominance, power, and resistance. These are traits that I equate my mother with and characteristics that I strive to uphold in my life today. ~ Selina Li
Statement from the artist:
As the child of immigrants myself, Selina’s story struck a powerful chord. I wanted to capture some of that dauntless spirit that she is channeling from her mother, and to depict a confident Asian female that debunks common stereotypes. Obstacles are many, but with courage and perseverance they can be overcome. Selina also resonated with the saying that is engraved on Boston's Chinatown Gate (the Chinese characters to her right), that can be translated as "Everything under the sky is for the people", that reinforces a shared ideal of global equality.

Building on My Past
20W x 24H oil on linen, Not For Sale

Statement from the Subject:
Dear Mom,
This is your journey of strength and vulnerability that raised two daughters, Tina and me. We both saw you suffer and simultaneously, how America gave you the hardships of a lifetime and the thick skin to survive. You passed on persistence to the both of us as you also replaced your dreams with our new hopes.
~Lina Huang
Statement from the Artist:
I wanted to include a few key pieces of Lina’s journey—growing up in a tenement apartment above Hong Kong Eatery on Harrison Avenue; then, wearing her mother’s blouse and skirt, Lina first sits portraying her mom worried about making ends meet for her two daughters while challenged with language, culture, job skills; and then Lina stands depicting determination and hope to build on her past. Both Lina and Tina are now attending college with scholarship support.

Looking to the Future
8x10 Oil sketch on unstretched canvas

This was a sketch using an unlabeled photo from the ACDC website—I just liked her hopeful expression. I found out later that the subject is a double lottery winner—first for an affordable rental unit and then for an affordable condo apartment.

Jump
24Wx18H oil on linen

The AVOYCE youth congregated in front of Boston’s Chinatown Gate, one of their favorite gathering spots next to Chinatown Park. Their energy coalesced as they joined hands and jumped together. Originally, I envisioned painting the entire group with the Gate as a backdrop, but then decided that focusing on a few students with just a suggestion of the street behind them would convey their energy more clearly. If they are our future, we are in good hands.

Josiah Quincy School (sold)
24Wx18H oil on linen

The AVOYCE youth brought me to several of their favorite spots in Chinatown. I wanted to capture at least one “place” that was meaningful to them. The Josiah Quincy School was high on most everyone’s list, whether they attended, or used it as a local hangout. The School’s architecture and panel designs are so iconic. They had quickly spread out across the familiar space, using the structure like a giant jungle gym and recording each other on their phones.

Sketch of Josiah Quincy School
12Wx9H oil on unstretched canvas

This was a sketch I made to check the composition, shapes and values (lights and darks) before jumping into the full-size painting. I like the looseness and color of this piece.