Introducing a New Book for Asian Heritage Month by Canadian Author — Nancy Lam: The Loyal Daughter

Asian Heritage Month is a fitting time to celebrate authors from the Asian-Canadian community, and new to the scene is immigration lawyer Nancy Lam. Her debut novel, The Loyal Daughter, is loosely based on her mother’s journey from China (Hong Kong) to Canada, spanning from the 1940s to present day. Told through the perspectives of a mother, daughter and grand-daughter, the story speaks to the myths and realities of the immigrant journey in North America which include complex relationships and generational challenges and trauma.

Art and FashionDeborah Lau-YuMay 10, 2023Art, artists, sculptureComment

Remembering Ju Ming 朱銘, Sculptor and Artist

On April 22, 2023, the art world was saddened by the passing of sculptor Ju Ming 朱銘 who was aged 85. He was an internationally-renowned Taiwanese sculptural artist best known for his abstracted, blocky bronze and steel sculptures that masterfully depict human forms with unexpected sharp-edged shapes and a modern palette. A large number of his works are on permanent display in public areas around the world.

Personal Stories, Art and FashionFête ChinoiseMay 1, 2023Art, artists, sculptureComment

THE REINVENTION OF: CHEUK KWAN 關卓中：以生命影響生命

For 4 years, Cheuk crossed the globe, travelling to 13 countries, venturing behind kitchen doors to feature the journeys of 15 émigrés he found in each place. From Madagascar to Israel, from Brazil to South Africa, the real-life stories he uncovered along the way were more riveting than any work of fiction could ever be. Some were running from war, many from political oppression, a few from religious persecution; some were highly educated; some were farmers — yet all were forced to pick up a wok and a spatula — not because they loved Chinese food, but out of necessity.

Personal Stories, Design Dialogue, Film & Books, FilmFête ChinoiseApril 24, 2023Art, artistsComment

A SENSE OF PLACE: JENNY YUJIA SHI 施雨迦：漂流成長記

Halifax-based, multimedia artist Jenny Yujia Shi talks a lot about growing roots. This is probably because her life has been uprooted almost too many times to count. Not surprisingly, much of her creative output centres around themes of displacement and dislocation, which she attributes to two defining moments in her life: the demolition of her childhood neighbourhood in downtown Beijing and then, the decade she spent navigating the immigration process here in Canada. Shi’s work is as poignant as it is beautiful.

Personal Stories, Art and FashionFête ChinoiseApril 17, 2023Art, artistsComment

Art, Food & Family Ties: Don Kwan 關日安：尋找我那遺失的美好

This year marks a major milestone in artist Don Kwan’s family: they will be celebrating their 100th anniversary since settling in Canada back in November of 1922. One of 8 children, Kwan is part of the third generation of his family and a proud descendant of his paternal grandfather who immigrated to Canada at just 11 years of age. Part of the first wave of Chinese immigrants, his grandfather was affected by the discriminatory Chinese Immigration Act that would charge every Chinese newcomer a $50 head tax (an incredible sum in the 1920s). Like so many of that generation, his grandfather would later go back to China to marry and have children there before his family could fully emigrate to Canada after the Second World War.

Personal Stories, Art and FashionFête ChinoiseMarch 27, 2023Art, artists, ottawaComment

Vivienne Tam's New Collection – Spring Summer 2023

Vivienne Tam is a fashion designer that intentionally bridges China and the West in her work, exploring beauty and wonder in our diverse shared cultures. Now she's bridging her own fashion voice with the recently trending world of metaverse and NFTs. Her new collection on the runway at New York Fashion Week is a fun and colourful bash, incorporating instances of untamed collisions of apes to mahjong tiles, pixels and flashy hex tones on fabric.

Artistry in Motion : Emily Gao 高婧瑤：用耳飾捕捉生活中「動」的瞬間

Born in Harbin, China, and raised in Toronto, Emily had a traditional Asian upbringing. This included parents who, naturally, encouraged her to pursue a livelihood that would be financially sound. She dutifully fulfilled her parents’ expectations, studying business and starting a stable career. They were pleased.

Personal Stories, Art and FashionFête ChinoiseJuly 18, 2022Asian Representation, Personal Stories, ArtComment

The Creative Mess that is Emma FYi Khoo: Photographer, Creator and Academic

Artistic soul Emma or “FYi” Khoo has straddled many mediums, including modelling, makeup and photography. She also is an accomplished singer, is pursuing a PhD and has an architecture background. Proudly showcasing her culture, Emma’s content includes stories that she grew up with, including anime, Ancient Egypt, Greek myths to Chinese legends and novels Journey to the West and the Three Kingdoms.

Personal StoriesGuest UserJune 29, 2022Asian Representation, Personal Stories, ArtComment

A DIFFERENT TYPE OF DESIGNER: JULIUS HUI 許瀚文: 建築更美的文字風景

Typeface or font designers are a rare breed. And Chinese typeface designers are even more scarce, which one can understand given this context: The average Western/Latin typeface is comprised of about 200 glyphs (the symbols that make up a writing system, including letters, numerals, punctuation, accents, etc. ) to create a functional set, whereas the average font used for Traditional Chinese in Hong Kong or Taiwan requires over 13,000 glyphs for basic usage. That number jumps up to a staggering 20,000 glyphs for when you add other Chinese dialects and regions, such as the characters in Simplified Chinese!

Personal Stories, Design DialogueGuest UserJune 17, 2022Asian Representation, Personal Stories, Art, typographyComment

Alexander McQueen: PROCESS‌ + Pre-AW22 Womenswear Collection

To illustrate the fact that creativity emerges from countless perspectives, Alexander McQueen invites a group of twelve artists to express their individual working practices inspired by the Autumn/Winter 2022 women’s pre-collection.

Current Affairs, Art and FashionFête ChinoiseJune 9, 2022Asian Representation, Art, fashionComment

Beyond Borders: an exhibition in toronto on Reshaping the Ordinaries of Hong Kong

The Hong Kong Arts Exhibition aim to showcase how Hong Kong artists adopt traditional craft to create culturally-rich contemporary artworks including mini cheongsam dummies, lion head crafts, galvanized iron coffee sets and letter boxes for home deco or use in daily life. The making of these artworks are considered an intangible part of Hong Kong’s cultural heritage and craftsmanship.

Mark Your CalendarFête ChinoiseJune 9, 2022Asian Representation, Personal Stories, ArtComment

Ishie Wang: The name behind the face 改寫海外華裔模特兒歷史的王旖溪

You may recognize Ishie Wang’s face immediately: she is one of the prominent Asian models in Canadian advertisements for Roots, Hudson’s Bay, Sporting Life, and The Shopping Channel. From an early age, her family clearly envisioned a cultivated life of aesthetics and artistic appreciation for her. Ishie began learning piano at the age of 3 1/2, studied calligraphy and Chinese painting at the age of 4, and learned erhu at 6 and percussion instruments at 8. By the age of 11, she had completed her Grade 9 Piano certification and was recognized in numerous musical competitions.

Personal Stories, Art and FashionFête ChinoiseJune 7, 2022Asian Representation, Personal Stories, ArtComment