First Group Show ✔️🙃 I’m over-the-moon excited to announce that I will debut my newest work “Vessell” as part of @platogallery’s inaugural show “Double Vision,” an exhibition featuring 27 artists exploring the complexities of cultural identity and belonging through their work. Fittingly, the broken vessel depicted in the work, a late Ming to early Qing dynasty Anping Jar uncovered from the wreckage of a European trade ship, reflects how I now see myself in my journey of cultural rediscovery. Perhaps I was lost in the transition to the West, but now rediscovered and celebrated with all my imperfections and inherited cultural history. Growing up as a first-generation immigrant, I found myself rejecting my cultural heritage and trying to camouflage into my new environment. It would remain that way until the anti-Asian hate incidents of 2021 served as a wake-up call, prompting me to reconnect and embrace my cultural roots. This rekindling of my relationship with my identity spurred a newfound sense of urgency to make work that conveyed and memorialized the nuanced and layered experiences of being part of the diasporic community. If history is written by the victors, then we, as minorities, must become victorious. Suddenly, I no longer wanted to blend in; my voice mattered. Thank you, @elenasartadventures, for allowing me to share my paintings with the world for the first time. I’m honored to be included in this group of incredible artists and to be part of the launch of your incredible endeavor. To my supporters, friends, family, and husband, thank you for pushing me to pursue art even when, at times, I doubted myself. The opening reception is this Wednesday (03/27) at @PlatoGallery from 6 to 8. Come say hi and celebrate this personal milestone with me. 🥂🥹💪 #newbeginnings #doublevision #platogallery Vessel, 2024 11 x 14 inches Oil on wood panel