Asian American Film Mixtape!

Alamo Drafthouse & Austin Asian American Film Festival Collaborate with FAAIM to commemorate Asian American film history!

The Preshow Clip being shown in front of a Austin Asian American Film Festival fundraising gala.

The Foundation for Asian American Independent Media (FAAIM) is blessed to have had the opportunity to collaborate with The Austin Asian American Film Festival and The Alamo Drafthouse to put together a brief preshow to air before every screening of CRAZY RICH ASIANS at all 37 Alamo Drafthouse locations around the country!

In all the 23 years we have existing this might be the most influential and most seen short film that displays the diversity of Asian American films we've ever been apart of! Thank you to all our supporters and those of you who appreciate the hard work and sacrifice that independent film makers and Asian American film festivals have endured over the years. We still have a long ways to go but it's nice to stop and appreciate the fruits of our labor.

Get down to your nearest Alamo right now and see it for yourself! Don't have an Alamo Drafthouse nearby? Good thing we have the video right here:

The Foundation for Asian American Independent Media (FAAIM), The Alamo Drafthouse & Austin Asian American Film Festival (AAAFF) Collaborate to commemorate Asian American film history in honor of the release of Crazy Rich Asians!

Artist Interview // WEN LIU

Wen Liu was born in Shanghai, China and is currently based in Chicago. Her art covers multiple disciplines, drawing from her background in wearable art, fiber, and sculpture.

Wen's sculptures address loss and abandonment through the modification and assembly of found materials. She uses reclaimed domestic objects to build up her sense of belonging and security. Sculptural reinvestment and temporal shift of traces from past to present imply narratives of absence and presence as well as alienation and comfort.

Photo courtesy of artist.

Liu is one of the participating artists for the ON/OFF Grid art exhibition (April 6 - June 3) at the Gene Siskel Film Center in conjunction with the FAAIM 23rd Annual Asian American Showcase, 2018. We asked her a few questions about her work and artistic practice!

Does your identity or personal story inform your work? Who/what inspires you?

Yes. My works talk about my status as an immigrant, and the thoughts of my homeland and the US.

"Everywhere & Nowhere" by Wen Liu. Image courtesy of artist.

How do you think digital formats impact your field and your audience?

I think digital formats help promote access to my art and allow me a wider audience.

"Lazarus" by Wen Liu. Image courtesy of artist.

What are you working on right now?

I'm working on an other project similar to my piece Everywhere & Nowhere, with inspiration from Chinese quilting traditions.

"Spears" by Wen Liu. Image courtesy of artist.

"Veteran" by Wen Liu. Image courtesy of artist.

See more of Wen Liu's work on https://wen-liu.com // Instagram @wen_liu_1217 // Join us at the ON/OFF Grid art exhibition running Friday, April 6, 2018 - June 3, 2018.

Artist Interview // VIVIAN SHIH

Vivian Shih is an artist and illustrator currently based in Los Angeles, CA. Her work explores emotional vulnerability, strength and internal reflection in relation to cultural influences in fashion, music and urban life. In her personal paintings, she focuses on the connection and relationship between human and nature in inks and watercolor on paper. Her works incorporate themes of environmentalism along side female strength and self-discovery through travel and exploration. While utilizing transparent media and line weight to support her concepts, Vivian plays with density, pattern and fluidity of lines with her medium.

Image courtesy of artist.

Shih is one of the participating artists for the ON/OFF Grid art exhibition (April 6 - June 3) at the Gene Siskel Film Center in conjunction with the FAAIM 23rd Annual Asian American Showcase, 2018. We asked her a few questions about her work and artistic practice!

Does your identity or personal story inform your work? Who/what inspires you?

I believe my free, bold, whimsical and passionate personality naturally show in my work because of the type of subjects I choose to draw as well as through my naturally expressive style. I am inspired by empowering and strong women, nature, music, fashion and emotions.

"Portrait of Amy Goodman" by Vivian Shih. Image courtesy of artist.

How has technology affected your creative process? Does this affect how you view or choose to interact with the world?

It's funny - when I was a still a student in art school, I was very anti-technology. However in my professional creative career, I am loving using technology to my advantage, whether it be sketching digitally to reduce paper waste or quick edits using photoshop.

"Sneaker Culture" by Vivian Shih. Image courtesy of artist.

How do you think digital formats impact your field and your audience?

I find that illustration is quickly moving to a animated or 3d space and that movement within illustration and design can make a huge impact on the emotional experience of the art viewer. I hope to dive more into this realm of design and illustration!

From "She Skaters of the 1970s" by Vivian Shih. Image courtesy of artist.

What are you working on right now?

I am currently working on illustrations for a 9 page spread in TCNJ magazine. Simultaneously, I am working on designing a couple in-store murals for Lululemon that I will be painting next month that I'm very excited about!

See more of Vivian Shih's work on www.vivianshih.com // Instagram @viv.shih // Twitter @viviandraws // Join us at the ON/OFF Grid art exhibition running Friday, April 6, 2018 - June 3, 2018.

Artist Interview // MITA MAHATO

Mita Mahato is a Seattle-based cut paper, collage, and comix artist, whose work explores the transformative capacities of found and handmade papers. Using collage and paper-making techniques, she builds multivalent images and stories that center on issues related to loss—including loss of life, identity, habitat, and species. Her cut paper poetry comics are collected in In Between (Pleiades Press 2017).

Image courtesy of artist.

Mahato is one of the participating artists for the ON/OFF Grid art exhibition (April 6 - June 3) at the Gene Siskel Film Center in conjunction with the FAAIM 23rd Annual Asian American Showcase, 2018. We asked her a few questions about her work and artistic practice!

Does your identity or personal story inform your work? Who/what inspires you?

My identity as a daughter of immigrants from India (Bihar and Bengal states) informs my perspective on my art, teaching, and pretty much everything. Growing up in suburban Milwaukee in the late 70s and early 80s, I never felt exactly on the "inside" of anything. I was surrounded by people—friends—visually unlike me. You try to buy the trendy clothes or style your hair after the popular kids, but you never exactly fit in. I take that outside/inside dilemma into most of my art. I try to create space in my work to communicate silent or silenced voices by using collage and cut paper techniques that suggest hidden or layered narratives and perspectives.

What do you think about AI?

It fascinates me! Because much of my recent work interrogates the anthropogenic causes of environmental degradation and species extinction, I'm interested in the potential of AI to help us deconstruct the human-oriented narratives and perspectives that shape the ways in which we act in the world. I love that you can feed a data-set into a machine learning program and that it can output, say, images of faces that are just left of what we'd recognize as a human face. It's creepy!—but not wrong. AI in a way reminds me of the collage work that inspires me and it challenges me to reconsider my place in the world by imagining how "others" might see me (or totally disregard me!). I like the idea that there are forms of animal or other intelligence and emotion beyond human understanding and control.

Image courtesy of artist.

What are you working on right now?

I'm working on an experimental comic book loosely based upon my experiences during an artist residency in the Norwegian Arctic. The trip challenged my approach to using art to raise awareness about climate change issues. The work will consider how to represent the Arctic in a way that doesn't contribute to its further mystification. I'm also hoping it will advocate for the environment in a way that inspires people to bring wonder to their everyday actions and surroundings. For the background pages in one section of the book, I've been making handmade papers in which I've embedded plastics that I've collected from my produce purchases (potatoes in plastics bags, tangerines in those stretchy nets, etc.). Since starting the project, I've drastically reduced my plastic consumption. Change begins at home, right?

Image courtesy of the artist.

See more of Mita Mahato's work on www.theseframesarehidingplaces.com // Instagram @mita_mahato // Join us at the ON/OFF Grid art exhibition running Friday, April 6, 2018 - June 3, 2018.

Artist Interview // HANNA LEE JOSHI

Vancouver-based Hanna Lee Joshi is a Korean-Canadian artist and illustrator working in animation. Her visually vibrant works feature voluminous shapes and flowing compositions that open up new and bold spaces - like candy - "the sweet sticky stuff" (as described on her website bio) - for the eyes! It's a joy to share her work in this year's ON/OFF Grid Show.

Image courtesy of artist. Photo: Abhishek Joshi

Joshi is one of the participating artists for the ON/OFF Grid art exhibition (April 6 - June 3) at the Gene Siskel Film Center in conjunction with the FAAIM 23rd Annual Asian American Showcase, 2018. We asked her a few questions about her work and artistic practice!

Does your identity or personal story inform your work? Who/what inspires you?

Lot of my recent work came about through examining my identity. They are not necessarily self portraits but aspects of my self; past, present, future. This lead to lots of inner exploration in my work. For my personal work, I enjoy delving in to subjects such as female gaze, body image, intimacy.

Image courtesy of artist.

How has technology affected your creative process? Does this affect how you view or choose to interact with the world?

It expands my reach for seeking out inspirations , exposure, and reaching out to people. As an introvert and a hermit, without the social media my reach would be much smaller. It does sometimes exaggerate insecurities but that in turn forms some of the subject in my pieces.

Image courtesy of artist.

How do you think digital formats impact your field and your audience?

Right now the line between digital and analog is blurring. I think its a really great time to explore all the options instead of compartmentalizing what we can and cannot do. I work in the animation industry. Almost everything is done digitally yet a lot of people want to add in elements of analog into the show. As human we crave something real and tactile but digital offers incredible conveniences. I like integrating both in my work.

Image courtesy of artist.

See more of Hanna Lee Joshi's work on http://hannaleejoshi.com/ // Instagram @hannaleejoshi // Join us at the ON/OFF Grid art exhibition running Friday, April 6, 2018 - June 3, 2018.

Artist Interview // SEAN CHAO

Image courtesy of artist.

Originally from Taipei, Taiwan, Sean Chao now finds home in Los Angeles. In 2007, Chao graduated from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA, with a BFA in Illustration. He learned how to create in a variety of mediums, from drawing to painting to sculpture. He found that he liked making art with his hands.

Chao creates his miniature sculptures in a small studio with Sculpey (a type of polymer clay), bass wood, balsa wood, paper, wire, and painstaking precision. He creates a delicate balance in his sculptures by showing enough detail to illicit amazement and yet enough imperfection to reveal that they’re lovingly handmade.

Nature is a recurring theme in Chao’s work. He often depicts dense forests filled with plants, animals, and insects. He’s also portrayed ocean scenes and even space scenes. He creates a lot of movement in every scene so that each one feels like a moment frozen in time. Watching people view Chao’s artwork, you can’t help but notice their looks of awe as they pore over all the minute details and then their smiles as they walk away. So his intention with his artwork to offer a bit of joy to people seems to be working. Art that tries to change the world - even in a small way—may not be so simplistic after all.

-bio from Sean Chao's website

"Fruit for Thought" by Sean Chao. Image courtesy of artist.

Chao is one of the participating artists for the ON/OFF Grid art exhibition (April 6 - June 3) at the Gene Siskel Film Center in conjunction with the FAAIM 23rd Annual Asian American Showcase, 2018. We asked him a few questions about his work and artistic practice!

Does your identity or personal story inform your work? Who/what inspires you?

I like to create art based on my personal experiences and things happening around me or my friends. Nature is one of my favorite subjects so I tried to go out and explore as much as I can.

How has technology affected your creative process? Does this affect how you view or choose to interact with the world?

Technology is not essential during the creating process of my works. I basically built them very low tech with my hands. However computer definitely makes research and brainstorming process easy.
I think technology brought everyone closer to each other and the world became smaller by it. It’s not necessarily a bad thing though.

"Nunu" by Sean Chao. Image courtesy of artist.

How do you think digital formats impact your field and your audience?

When people see art on digital formats most of the time are in front of a computer or phone on Instagram. It’s faster to reach out to the audiences but digital images can never translate perfectly for three dimensional sculpture. Seeing them in person always will have a stronger impact.

"Giant Robot Cat" by Sean Chao. Image courtesy of artist.

What do you think about AI?

I think AI is ok, as long as it doesn’t think human is a threat to ourselves and wipe us out like in a Hollywood movie.

What are you working on right now?

I’m currently traveling in Japan but I will be creating new works for a group show at gallery Nucleus in Alhambra, California.

"Float On" by Sean Chao. Image courtesy of artist.

See more of Sean Chao's work on www.seanchao.com // Instagram @seanchaochao // Facebook seanchaoart // Join us at the ON/OFF Grid art exhibition running Friday, April 6, 2018 - June 3, 2018.

Artist Interview // JOCELYN TSAIH

"I'm an illustrator, designer, and egg-lover based in SF and Oakland.

Born in Taipei and raised in Shanghai, I eventually made my way to New York to study Graphic Design at SVA. I recently moved to the Bay Area in search of the sun and new adventures."

- Jocelyn Tsaih (artist website bio)

Image courtesy of artist.

Tsaih is one of the participating artists for the ON/OFF Grid art exhibition (April 6 - June 3) at the Gene Siskel Film Center in conjunction with the FAAIM 23rd Annual Asian American Showcase, 2018. We asked her a few questions about her work and artistic practice!

Does your identity or personal story inform your work? Who/what inspires you?

Yes definitely. A lot of my work reflects certain thoughts and emotions that derive from my personal experiences and observations. I am Taiwanese-American but I grew up in Shanghai while being part of a Western community. I think this experience really forced me to understand the dichotomies of my surroundings. My upbringing was a source of inevitable inner conflicts, as I'm sure it is with most Asian-Americans. Visualizing how such contrasts can eventually create a balance is something that I strive to achieve through my work. I tend to spend a lot of time (maybe too much) mulling over how to illustrate these reflections in a simple way. I really look up to people that have the ability to do this intuitively through their work.

Image courtesy of artist.

How do you think digital formats impact your field and your audience?

I work digitally a lot because it’s streamlined and efficient. Sometimes I think that the efficiency adds value to my thought process and the final product of my work, but sometimes I think it’s the other way around. Either way, I enjoy having the option of creating work digitally. Possibilities are endless and it’s fun to explore new techniques. I also appreciate being able to share my work faster to more people at once.

Image courtesy of artist.

What are you working on right now?

Ironically, I am trying to work on more paintings right now. Because I’ve been working so much digitally, I’m consciously pushing myself to do more hands-on work so that I can feel mentally balanced. As much as I love working digitally and what comes with it, I think it’s important to have that balance!

"One" by Jocelyn Tsaih. Image courtesy of artist.

See more of Jocelyn Tsaih's work on www.jocelyntsaih.com // Instagram @jocelyntsaih // Join us at the ON/OFF Grid art exhibition running Friday, April 6, 2018 - June 3, 2018.

Artist Interview // JULIA KUO

Julia Kuo is a Taiwanese-American illustrator currently living in Chicago. She has been an artist-in-residence twice at the Banff Arts Centre, illustrated a dozen books, and worked with clients such as the New York Times, Fendi, and Simon & Schuster. Her favorite pastimes are climbing, hiking, and dreaming about summiting faraway mountains.

Images courtesy of artist.

Kuo is one of the participating artists for the ON/OFF Grid art exhibition (April 6 - June 3) at the Gene Siskel Film Center in conjunction with the FAAIM 23rd Annual Asian American Showcase, 2018. We asked her a few questions about her work and artistic practice!

Does your identity or personal story inform your work? Who/what inspires you?

I'm inspired by people who climb mountains and who study nature, because I would have liked to do those things in another lifetime. But the nice thing about illustration is that I can use this medium to live vicariously through others or even to relive my own experiences. Either way, the end product becomes a way for me to share my interests with others! So I bring my sketchbook along with me wherever I go, and I've also started to make a few bigger pieces about my climbing and hiking trips.

From "Dragon's Cave and Hot Sea" featured in Giant Robot Media. Image courtesy of artist.

Image courtesy of artist.

Images courtesy of artist.

What do you think about AI?

I love reading and watching stories about AI. It’s easy to separate real life from shows and movies like Westworld and Ex Machina, but I’m a little nervous that we’ll be living in Black Mirror soon. My Alexa has been acting a little strange recently…

What are you working on right now?

I'm working on a collection of paintings on Bioluminescence for a gallery show at Light Grey Art Lab, opening later this spring! It’ll be the first solo show for Meet Us in the Woods, my collaboration with fellow illustrator and friend Emily Dove.

From "Meet Us In The Woods" Image courtesy of artist.

Check out Julia and Emily's show at Light Grey Art Lab coming up next weekend!:

Bioluminescence
Solo show for Meet Us in the Woods, a collaboration between Julia Kuo and Emily Dove
Opening May 25, 2018
Light Grey Art Lab
Minneapolis, MN

Meet Us in the Woods is a creative partnership between illustrators Julia Kuo and Emily Dove. They have been sharing their love for the environment through writing and drawing, most recently as artists in residence in Banff National Park.

Bioluminescence is the first solo show by Meet Us in the Woods. Collectively, the duo has kayaked among dinoflagellates in the Bay Area, held foxfire in Taiwan, and gazed up at glowworms in New Zealand. Julia’s video piece and paintings explore the magic and delight of witnessing the first bioluminescent sparkles in the darkness, while Emily’s silk-screened pieces highlight several of the curious life forms responsible for the surreal glow.

See more of Julia Kuo's work on http://juliakuo.com // Instagram @juliaskuo // Join us at the ON/OFF Grid art exhibition running Friday, April 6, 2018 - June 3, 2018.

Artist Interview // RACHEL WADA

Rachel Wada is a Japanese-Chinese illustrator from Vancouver, BC. She currently splits her time between freelance work and as the Art Director at the Capilano Courier. For the past couple years, she has worked on a variety of illustration projects from editorial pieces for newspapers and magazines, public art installations to private commissions. She has a soft spot for texture, which is apparent in her illustrative work. Her current obsession is with silkscreen printing; a medium that she would love to keep experimenting with in the future.

Image courtesy of artist.

Wada is one of the participating artists for the ON/OFF Grid art exhibition (April 6 - June 3) at the Gene Siskel Film Center in conjunction with the FAAIM 23rd Annual Asian American Showcase which runs April 6 through April 18th, 2018. We asked her a few questions about her work and artistic practice!

1. Does your identity or personal story inform your work? Who/what inspires you?

Yes, I believe that my identity strongly informs who I am and the work I create. I’ve gotten comments in the past about how my work looks ‘Asian’ or ‘Asian Inspired’. Though it is not always deliberate, my Japanese-Cantonese heritage is a strong part of who I am, so it comes as no surprise when people see that in my work. Having immigrated to Canada at a young age, I went through a phase of wanting to reconnect back to my roots. This led me to be inspired by artwork from both my Japanese and Chinese roots; from ukiyo-e paintings, ornate Chinese pottery, classical scroll painting, Buddhist sculptures, and so forth. I really started to develop my artistic voice through this process, translating and reiterating what inspires me into my own personal visual language.

From the series "To Otherness" by Rachel Wada. Image courtesy of artist.

2. How has technology affected your creative process? Does this affect how you view or choose to interact with the world?

Technology has a huge impact on my creative process and my interaction with the world. Technology for me provides convenience, and efficiency. My Apple computer, Adobe Creative Suite, Wacom Tablet, and scanner and have now become quintessential to the way I work. Over time, I have developed an illustrative style and working process where traditional and digital mediums go hand in hand. Interaction with clients and art directors have almost strictly been digitally, whether it be via e-mails, DM’s or Skype. It’s wonderful how we’re able to interact and collaborate with creatives around the world, it is truly a blessing.

From the series "To Otherness" by Rachel Wada. Image courtesy of artist.

3. How do you think digital formats impact your field and your audience?

I honestly have the internet and social media to thank for where my artistic career has taken me. This digital platform allows up and coming illustrators like myself to showcase their creations to a wide online audience. The success of social media apps like Instagram and its very nature has definitely made everyone more savvy and conscience of their online persona. I think it’s natural to question the amounts of likes on a post, but this shouldn’t define it in terms of taste or validation. It’s becoming almost commonplace to commodify these numbers as definite, when an element of it can be arbitrary. ‘Greatest amount of likes’ doesn’t always mean greatest piece of work. I always like to keep in mind how important that is, as both a viewer and a content creator, to not let the ‘likes’ and numbers get to my head. But I definitely have the underlying hope that my presence online will cross oceans to potential exciting new clients and friends.

4. What do you think about AI?

It’s scary, but cool. I think technology is always redefining art in strange, new ways. The emergence of new technology has been providing artists with new ways to express themselves for a very long time. So perhaps AI technology is a new possibility for new and innovative works of art.

5. What are you working on right now?

I am currently finalizing negotiations for a picture book deal with a local Vancouver publication. This is going to be my first picture book illustration gig so I am beyond stoked!

"Two Handed Cloud" by Rachel Wada. Image courtesy of artist.

See more of Rachel Wada's work on www.rachelwada.com // Instagram @rachelwada // Join us at the ON/OFF Grid art exhibition running Friday, April 6, 2018 - June 3, 2018.

Artist Interview // JAY CABALU

"Reconciliation" by Jay Cabalu. Image courtesy of artist.

Jay Cabalu is a Filipino-born, Vancouver-based collage artist with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Kwantlen University. His practice includes a growing list of private commissions and, more recently, self-portraiture. In this digital age, Jay is interested in how social media and popular culture have informed our identities and perceptions of our world. Jay has exhibited in numerous spaces in Vancouver, such as the Federation Gallery, the Roundhouse, Hot Art Wet City and Ayden Gallery. In the Fall of 2015, Jay appeared on Season One of CBC’s Crash Gallery.

"Krash" by Jay Cabalu. Image courtesy of artist.

Cabalu is one of the participating artists for the ON/OFF Grid art exhibition (April 6 - June 2) at the Gene Siskel Film Center in conjunction with the FAAIM 23rd Annual Asian American Showcase which runs April 6 through April 18th, 2018. We asked him a few questions about his work and artistic practice!

1. Does your identity or personal story inform your work? Who/what inspires you?

Absolutely. As part of an immigrant family growing up in Canada, it was very clear to me by the age of four that I was displaced. Both my Filipino and Canadian identities seemed foreign to me. Popular culture became a refuge from alienation and much of it has grown up with me. Over time, I came to realize that it was problematic. I invested a culture that didn't reflect me and that created a lot of angst. By incorporating the evolution of popular culture in my collages, I try to speak to my cultural fixations as a boy, an adolescent and an adult.

I am inspired by social media and different forms of popular culture, whether high or low. I've been able to participate in social media as its transformed and grown into different platforms, inevitably altering the perception and presentation of myself. Those shifts can make for subtle changes in identity, for better or worse, and part of adapting to different forms of social media entails silliness, insecurity, and some stupidity. My work tries to both overcome and embrace all of that.

"Godfrey" by Jay Cabalu. Image courtesy of artist.

2. How has technology affected your creative process? Does this affect how you view or choose to interact with the world?

Photoshop and social media have come to play a big role in my work. I use Photoshop to play with different colour palettes and compositions before I get to the physical work, allowing me to lay out my options and quickly decide on aesthetic choices.

Sharing my work on social media has allowed me to approach people from a different place of vulnerability. Of course, much of what gets posted on social media and much of what becomes art is about showing off. In both cases, the worlds I create in my art and through Instagram or Facebook are not really grounded in reality, but merging these worlds allows me to expose myself in new ways. Whatever the audience's view of my work—brilliant or senseless, innovative or mundane —I hope that being vulnerable through my art at least prompts people to consider being equally vulnerable in and outside digital life.

"Vortex" (detail) by Jay Cabalu. Image courtesy of artist.

3. How do you think digital formats impact your field and your audience?

In the medium of collage, a big part of the piece is lost in a condensed Instagramable file. The impact is much greater in person. Previously, I've been told that my collages look digital when viewed on a screen. As a result, I've started to embrace and enhance the tactile nature of what I do. I am tearing a lot more and carving onto the surface to reveal how fragile the material really is.

4. What do you think about AI?

It makes me anxious! Whenever you see artificial intelligence being explored in movies or television, it never seems like a good idea, but I guess we are going there anyway. I've started to be nicer to Siri.

"A Tension" by Jay Cabalu. Image courtesy of artist.

5. What are you working on right now?

Currently, I am working on ways to exaggerate different social media tropes. I wanted "Reconciliation" to be an overblown selfie. I took the intentions behind that sort of post and really tried to push it. I've been inspired by artists who use themselves to comment on cultural movements and I want to participate as much as I critique. I think this is a fun and relevant way to explore identity and vanity in this era. I'm also interested in finding ways to show things that we don't necessarily want to share online. To me, social media profiles are these highly polished, idealized, untouchable alter-egos. We don't often show vulnerability on the internet and when we come across it online, it's awkward—we don't want to look at it, yet, we all have fears and insecurities.

See more of Jay Cabalu's work on http://jaycabalu.com // Instagram @jaycabalu // Join us at the ON/OFF Grid art exhibition running Friday, April 6, 2018 - June 3, 2018.

Artist Interview // SHEIKA LUGTU

Image courtesy of artist.

Sheika Lugtu is a Chicago based cartoonist and researcher. Her comics work centers on the impact of economics, race, sexuality, and gender on the comics industry, other media, and our culture at large. She founded Cow House Press, a publishing collective committed to publishing marginalized creators and getting their work into classrooms, libraries, youth and juvenile centers.

Image courtesy of artist.

Lugtu is one of the participating artists for the ON/OFF Grid art exhibition (April 6 - June 2) at the Gene Siskel Film Center in conjunction with the FAAIM 23rd Annual Asian American Showcase which runs April 6 through April 18th, 2018. We asked her a few questions about her work and artistic practice!

Tyrant: https://thesuburbanreview.com/2017/03/25/tyrant-3-resistant/

1. Does your identity or personal story inform your work? Who/what inspires you?

Very much so! It's most obvious in my reflective autobiographical comic essays but I think it's impossible to separate my experiences as an immigrant woman of color from the motivations behind my journalism comics. I'm more keen to instances of racism and sexism within media from a lifetime of experience, which then influences the topics I choose to write about. This was also the motivation behind starting Cow House Press.

Airport Homes: https://southsideweekly.com/home-histories-airport-homes/

2. How has technology affected your creative process? Does this affect how you view or choose to interact with the world?

I jumped into the world of digital very early. I use digital and traditional mediums interchangeably, often on the same piece. In the beginning it was for the sake of speed - comics take a long long time and I'll try anything to speed it up! I think my background in printmaking and love for tangible, printed things made me hesitant to use digital tools for more than just basic inking. Recently, I've embraced experimenting with digital textures, screen-native colors and simple animations. I've become that person who has to make sure to charge their sketchbook every night.

Image courtesy of artist.

3. What are you working on right now?

This past year I've taken on an editorial role working with artist Gabi Mendez on her new book, Lemonade Summer, a kid-friendly collection of LGBTQ+ stories. This has been a year-long process! Especially since this may be an introduction for young readers to trans or non-binary genders, we wanted to make sure we were representing people correctly and sensitively.

Image courtesy of artist.

See more of Sheika Lugtu's work on // Instagram @omgcow @cowhousepress // Twitter @omgcow @cowhousepress // Join us at the ON/OFF Grid art exhibition running Friday, April 6, 2018 - June 2, 2018.

Artist Interview // SARA WONG

Photo courtesy of artist.

Sara is an illustrator located in the Bay Area. She graduated from the Communication Design program at Washington University in St. Louis, and is obsessed with teasing out and amplifying the emotional undertones of stories big and small.

Image courtesy of artist.

Wong is one of the participating artists for the ON/OFF Grid art exhibition (April 6 - June 2) at the Gene Siskel Film Center in conjunction with the FAAIM 23rd Annual Asian American Showcase which runs April 6 through April 18th, 2018. We asked her a few questions about her work and artistic practice!

Image courtesy of artist.

1. Does your identity or personal story inform your work? Who/what inspires you?

As a biracial but white-passing artist I would say identity, and the feeling of belonging//not belonging shows up in my personal work, along with physicality versus emotionality. I care more about what's hidden, unspoken, and how I can warp a visual world to truly reflect that. In my client work I've gotten a lot of the more difficult stories about women's rights, particularly violence against women and women's control over their bodies, and I think my proclivity for complex, tangled feelings at odds with physicality is a part of that.

"Kesha" Image courtesy of artist.

2. What do you think about AI?

I think about this all the time. It's fascinating to try and find the line between human and not-human—if an AI could think and act and grow in the same way as a human being, who's to say a constructed replica of a person isn't the same as a person? Or even, the same as THE particular person. It feels a lot like trying to get to the truth of being human, or to the truth of anything original versus a mechanical copy. Obviously human versus AI is the ultimate extension of that exploration, but I think it also brings up interesting questions about how genuine even the elements of human life can be, like memories (which are, if you will, kind of the artificial copies of your life that we create for ourselves). Can, or can we not, trust those versions? Does that trust change whether we can trust ourselves?

"Moonlight" Image courtesy of artist.

3. What are you working on right now?

I just worked with NPR to develop illustrations for the 4th season of the podcast, Invisibilia, so now that that project has been wrapped I am returning to a Cormac McCarthy book (this time, The Road) which I'll draw a cover for, just for fun. This has become a sort of tradition for me as I find it helps restart my creativity.

See more of Sara Wong's work on saraarielwong.com // Instagram @saraarielwong // Join us at the ON/OFF Grid art exhibition running Friday, April 6, 2018 - June 2, 2018.

Artist Interview // MING ONG

Photo courtesy of artist.

"I grew up in Malaysia, Singapore and Canada, and currently live in Los Angeles. My art reflects my international upbringing and experiences growing up as an immigrant, as well as explorations in family and gender dynamics. I often interject subversive meanings into seemingly innocent, nostalgic scenarios."

"Fishhead" Image courtesy of artist.

Ong is one of the participating artists for the O N/OFF Grid art exhibition (April 6 - June 2) at the Gene Siskel Film Center in conjunction with the FAAIM 23rd Annual Asian American Showcase which runs April 6 through April 18th, 2018. We asked her a few questions about her work and artistic practice!

"Angry Girl" Image courtesy of artist.

1. Does your identity or personal story inform your work? Who/what inspires you?

My identity as Chinese, as an immigrant, and as a woman, informs my art. For most of my life, I never truly felt like I belonged anywhere, and the simultaneous need to conform to my surroundings, and desire to rebel, bring conflicts that are fascinating to explore. Themes of kin and cultural traditions and confusions weave through my work as well. My grandmother, a strong, fearless and well-respected matriarch of the family who succeeded despite having only a third grade education, has always been a huge inspiration to me.

2. How has technology affected your creative process?

Technology has definitely given me amazing tools and resources for making art. My creative workflow is so much more efficient – from finding image references, to digital sketching and artwork revision, to material and technique research to sharing my art and upcoming shows through social media –I can’t imagine working any other way. At the moment I am immersed in the more tactile and action-oriented methods of actually making my art, but I keep my eyes peeled to new digital or technology-based ideas. There’s a lot of places to explore in this exciting space where art meets technology.

"Princess of Power" Image courtesy of artist.

3. How do you think digital formats impact your field and your audience?

Digital formats can never substitute for experiencing art in real life – we lose the nuances, the details, the dimensional impact. That said, digital formats bring the art to more viewers globally and speedily. I have sold my art directly to buyers through social media – it is nice having that immediacy of connecting with someone interested in your work.

"Play Nice" Image courtesy of artist.

4. What do you think about AI?

We have an incredible reliance on our smart devices and the internet. The more we use these technologies, the more data they are compiling about us. I don’t know if we have fully appreciated the consequences of allowing these technologies to follow and track our every move. Certain powerful entities will eventually (or perhaps already do) know more about ourselves than we do. The world benefits greatly from these technologies, however, we need to question and hold them to task when it comes to the information that is collected and used about us.

"Play Dead" Image courtesy of artist.

"Ron's Girl" Image courtesy of artist.

5. What are you working on right now?

I’m working on a series of paintings in bright, simplistic paint strokes based on family vacation photos, exploring family tensions and the pains of growing up.

"Night Bambi" Image courtesy of artist.

See more of Ming Ong's work on ming-ong.com // Instagram @msmingong // Join us at the ON/OFF Grid art exhibition running Friday, April 6, 2018 - June 2, 2018.

ON/OFF Grid // An Art Show OPENING at the Gene Siskel Film Center

Accompanying the release of this year's 23rd Asian American Showcase, we are hosting a group show "ON/OFF Grid" at the Gene Siskel Film Center. To celebrate the diversity of the Asian diaspora and Asian America, we invited artists from a few different disciplines to share their process and work reflecting on technology and its many impacts on humanity and our world.

The show opens the same night as our opening film Fish Bones. Come join us, arrive early if you need to snag your tickets from the box office and scope out the art before the show! We'll also be having a Pop Up Market featuring prints and other wares by the participating artists.

ON/OFF Grid Art Show
Opening
Friday, April 6 2018
6pm - 8pm

at the Gene Siskel Film Center
164 N. State St.
Chicago, IL

Artist Feature // ARAM HAN SIFUENTES

"Aram Han Sifuentes uses a needle and thread as her tools to examine immigration, citizenship, race and craft, drawing on both personal experiences and shared cultural identity. Her work has been exhibited and performed at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago; Wing Luke Museum of Asian Pacific American Experience in Seattle, Washington; Elmhurst Art Museum in Elmhurst, Illinois; Chung Young Yang Embroidery Museum in Seoul, South Korea; and the Center for Craft, Creativity and Design in Asheville, North Carolina. She currently has a solo exhibition at the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum (September 2016 – April 2017), and was a resident at the Chicago Cultural Center (February 2017 – May 2017)." - (from Aram's Artist Statement)

Aram was a 2014 BOLT Resident and 2015 BOLT Mentor at the Chicago Artists Coalition. She is a 2016 Smithsonian Artist Research Fellow and a 2016 3Arts Awardee. She earned her BA in Art and Latin American Studies from the University of California, Berkeley, and her MFA in Fiber and Material Studies from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She is currently a Lecturer at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Image courtesy of artist. Photo by Hyounsang Yoo.

A Mend: A Collection of Scraps from Local Seamstresses and Tailors (Chicago), 14 x 10 x 4 ft, Jean scraps and gold denim thread, 2011-2013. Image courtesy of artist. (Photo by Hyounsang Yoo)

"The Official Unofficial Voting Station: Voting for All Who Legally Can't " Image courtesy of artist. Photo by Sara Pooley

From the Protest Lending Library at the Chicago Cultural Center:

Image courtesy of artist. Photo by Kanthy Peng

Protest Banner Lending Library at the Chicago Cultural Center. Photo by Kanthy Peng

Below are excerpts of work from "A Community of Non-Citizens: Proving Worth of Citizenship Through Stitching Samplers (A Work in Progress)" (with photos by Hyounsang Yoo)

Name: Aram. Age: 28. From: South Korea. Moved to the United States in 1992. (Image courtesy of Artist)

Photos by Hyounsang Yoo

See more of Aram Han Sifuente's work on http://www.aramhan.com // Join us at the Fierce Tidings art exhibition running Friday, March 31, 2017 - July 15, 2017.

Artist Interview // JULIA KUO

Julia Kuo is a Taiwanese-American illustrator. She currently works out of Chicago for most of the year and Taiwan in the winter. Julia illustrates children's books as well as editorial pieces for newspapers and magazines. Her clients include Science Friday, the New York Times, Hachette Books, Simon and Schuster, and Macmillan Publishing. When she's not drawing, you might find her running around in a national park and looking at moss.

Photo of artist by Erin Drewitz

-Does your identity or how you identify yourself inform your work in any way?

Yes! It’s only natural to draw things that reflect who I am, or what I’m obsessing over at the moment. Sometimes it’s very deliberate. I'm a second generation Taiwanese-American female, and I remember deciding right out of school that I would draw medium-skinned, dark-haired females into my projects whenever possible.

Other times, the manifestation has been more tenuous. Recently I’ve gotten a few comments about my work resembling Japanese woodcuts. I’ve never intentionally modeled my work after Japanese art, but I grew up surrounded by different types of classic Asian art and still admire Hokusai and Hiroshige’s landscapes. I guess I can’t deny that connection, but it makes me wonder.

Banff Centre by Julia Kuo

-When making your work, do you have certain expectations or do you aim for a specific reaction in your audience and the viewer? (Do you care about how the message of your work is received?)

As an illustrator, I care that my images are received in a way that’s appropriate to the content. Lately, I’ve been into creating images that share my love for the outdoors - so I’ve been working with clients that are also looking for the same mix of discovery and education!

Image courtesy of artist.

-Does art serve a purpose for you outside of just beauty or aesthetics?

When I first started out, I was drawing cute and pretty greeting cards. I was surrounded by friends who were going through med school, working at non-profits, and just about any other job that would make the world a better place. It made me really think about how I could do something more meaningful with illustration. In the 8 years since, I’ve come to a place where I can say that my work has purpose and meaning. But thankfully it doesn't mean that the prettiness has to go away! I've also realized that greeting cards help people, too =)

Image courtesy of artist.

-How do current events affect your practice?

I recently wrote and illustrated a story on an event involving bison in Canada. My agenda has been to make art that shares my love for the environment, whether it’s about a current event or my own personal experience. By encouraging people to find personal connections to natural places, my hope is that they’ll act to protect them via ways that best suit their careers and abilities. This bison story is part of a larger group of stories about my artist residency in Banff National Park at meetusinthewoods.com.

Julia Kuo's sketchbook. (Image courtesy of artist)

-Do you feel you are more reactive or more reflective when you create?

Maybe reflective, but most likely neither? If anything I’m pretty slow and deliberate; I have probably already reacted and reflected long before I’m ready to publish something for everyone to see.

Artist Interview // MANDY TSUNG

As an organization that supports the independent arts among Asian Americans and the larger Asian Diaspora, we are so in love with Mandy Tsung's work which predominantly explores issues of identity and questions established and normative definitions and concepts of beauty and self.

Mandy was born in Banff, Canada, but spent her most formative years in Calgary, Canada, and Hong Kong. After completing a BFA in Sculpture at The Alberta College of Art and Design in 2007, she then moved to Vancouver and began painting full-time. She has exhibited in numerous galleries in North America, Germany, Japan and Australia, and has completed many private commissions. Most recently, she underwent a mentorship in tattooing and now splits her practice between painting and tattooing.

Image courtesy of artist.

-Does your identity or how you identify yourself inform your work in any way?

My identity has a big influence on my work. It wasn't until I was able to really be comfortable with who I am that I became confident in the work I was making. The themes I explore are personal and are very much about expressing my feelings and experiences.

"Shroud" by Mandy Tsung (Image courtesy of artist).

-When making your work, do you have certain expectations or do you aim for a specific reaction in your audience and the viewer? (Do you care about how the message of your work is received?)

I definitely have hopes for how it might open people's eyes to different experiences of life, but I've learned never to expect anything. No matter how obvious I think the meaning of an image is, someone will take it to mean the opposite. I've had people say that I objectify women or that I promote the killing of animals, things that I spend so much of my energy thinking of how to convey the exact opposite. I try to remember that the majority of people understand what I'm trying to do, but the wrong interpretations do stick with me.

"Feral Love" by Mandy Tsung (Image Courtesy of artist).

-Does art serve a purpose for you outside of just beauty or aesthetics?

Art is so much more than beauty and aesthetics. For me, personally, it's therapeutic. For the viewer, it's an opportunity to give them an experience that they've never had before, to show them a world that they don't normally see. The themes I'm exploring right now - mixed-race identity, gender fluidity, and queerness - are all things that we don't see much of in western culture, and when we do it's often done one-dimensionally by people who don't live the stories they're telling. Even for me, I'm constantly learning from others in my communities better ways to tell my story. Beauty is an important aspect to my work because it's a valuable tool for getting people to be receptive, but it's not the goal. Sometimes I do think about how nice it would be to just make pretty things, but then I realize that even my idea of pretty is political.

"Cantilever" by Mandy Tsung (Image courtesy of artist).

-How do current events affect your practice?

There's never been a more necessary time (in my life) to be speaking about race, gender, etc. I dislike the cliche of the artist needing conflict to create great art, I'd prefer to live a happy, free existence than to make the most incredible work ever. But, I do feel that as the world becomes more unstable and hostile, my identity becomes more solid and so does my creative voice. Which is probably because I've known what it's like to be in hiding, to feel lost and unsure, and then to feel the comfort of being safe and surrounded by people that accept me as a valid human being. I want more people to feel that sense of comfort, especially right now.

"Nikki" from The Bitchy Resting Face Project, by Mandy Tsung (Image courtesy of artist).

-Do you feel you are more reactive or more reflective when you create?

My initial ideas tend to come as a reaction to something, whether it's emotional or something I've seen. Then, as I'm working on a piece, I become more reflective over the days and weeks that it can take to complete. I'd probably never finish anything if I was only reactive!

See more of Mandy Tsung's work on mandytsung.com // Instagram @mandytsung

Join us at the Fierce Tidings art exhibition running Friday, March 31, 2017 - July 15, 2017.

Artist Feature // DAVID T. CHO

David T. Cho is a painter based in Vancouver, BC.
Originally drawing inspiration from his love of MMA, Cho is known for his portraits of male fighters, boxers and wrestlers. These pieces usually present a close-up, almost geometrical portrayal of their raw emotion and facial distortions that are laid out like an abstracted, sculptural almost craggy terrain. It's interesting, based on this treatment, to compare his "Fighters" series with his more interesting foray into the mountainscapes of British Columbia.

Image courtesy of artist.

See more of David T. Cho's work on www.davidtcho.com // Instagram @davidtcho // Join us at the Fierce Tidings art exhibition running Friday, March 31, 2017 - July 15, 2017.

Artist Feature // TAE LEE

Tae Lee, originally from Seoul, South Korea, is currently a Los Angeles based artist and illustrator.

Image courtesy of artist.

From Tae Lee's website, his description for his art is as follows: 'As an outside observer, I become fascinated by the conviction humanity have in their beliefs. Curiously, a person's ethical morality is cooked with a recipe of goodness and righteousness, as their own lives are built on the backs of so many. In a quick overview of life as a Hollywood film, the villains would often be portrayed as some heartless wolf-like Wall Street tycoon. Yet, the heroic working class protesters of Occupy Wall Street are sharing information using electronics loaded with blood soaked conflict-minerals from some hellish mine in the Congo, assembled into completion by the machine-like hands of Asian sweatshop "workers". (I am also typing this on a Macbook) In the words of Bill Callihan, "there's blood on the seas if you map em."

The hypocritical and cyclical tendencies of the material world can only be soothed by the light of empathy, an effort mystics and shamans from times past have all championed. The illuminated visages of the Holy Mary and the Great Buddha radiate a similar empathy, their peace not denying the great cost of sustaining life. This grace, used to navigate through this tumultuous and ultimately comedic lifetime, is the realm in which I seek to explore my art.'

"Everything Is Everything" by Tae Lee. (Image courtesy of artist)

Lee is one of the participating artists for the Fierce Tidings art exhibition (March 31 - July 15) at the Gene Siskel Film Center in conjunction with the FAAIM 22nd Annual Asian American Showcase which ran March 31st through April 12th, 2017.

"I Love Frida" by Tae Lee (Image courtesy of artist)

"To the flora and to the fauna" by Tae Lee (Image courtesy of artist)

"Universal Cream" by Tae Lee (Image courtesy of artist)

Illustration for Mangchi (Courtesy of artist)

Illustration for Mangchi (Image courtesy of artist)

See more of Tae Lee's work on http://taelee.net // Instagram @taelien // Join us at the Fierce Tidings art exhibition running Friday, March 31, 2017 - July 15, 2017.

Artist Feature // WALDIA & CO.

Waldia & Company is an art project based in the midwest and started by designer and illustrator Manuja Waldia. About her company, and artwork: "Originally from India, we strive to create objects of art to decorate and delight, while celebrating our roots from the Indian subcontinent. My pieces are about finding self love and appreciation of identity by people of color. It's of utmost importance to find pride in one's roots, especially in the current political climate."

Image courtesy of artist.

Waldia & Co. is one of the participating artists for the Fierce Tidings art exhibition (March 31 - July 15) at the Gene Siskel Film Center in conjunction with the FAAIM 22nd Annual Asian American Showcase which ran March 31st through April 12th, 2017.

"Pizza Coven" by Waldia & Co. (Courtesy of artist.)

From "Self Care" series. (Image courtesy of artist.)

"Tug o' War" by Waldia & Co. (Image courtesy of artist.)

"Empowered Sunset" by Waldia & Co. (Image courtesy of artist.)

See more of Waldia & Co.'s work on https://waldiaandco.com // Instagram @waldiaandco // Join us at the Fierce Tidings art exhibition running Friday, March 31, 2017 - July 15, 2017.