2020 is a year unlike any other. The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic and the global racial strife sparked by the murder of George Floyd ruptured our sense of normalcy. “Faces in the Pandemic” is a response to the surreal and dystopian nature of our existence right now. Created with the participation of interviewees and supporters of the Houston Asian American Archive (HAAA), the exhibition represents a portrayal of the experiences and perspectives of Asian Americans in the times of COVID-19 and harkens back to the days of the Chinese Exclusion Act and the Jim Crow dehumanizing of people of color.
The exhibition consists of two parts: a community photo mural and an art show with artists who are mainly Houston based. The mural spans across ten wall panels and is made of photos from 120 volunteers from all walks of life. Stages of emotions are reflected in their faces: grief, anger, bliss, and contentment. Their gaze seems to question their place in this country that discriminates by skin color, as they remind us of our shared humanity. Chang Liu, in her aesthetics of codes and algorithm, created “Random Walker - Dripping” that echoes with the surreal and transient time we are in. Placed next to the mural, it is an invitation for viewers to situate themselves within this time capsule alongside the volunteers who contributed to the mural. Both Antonius-Tin Bui and Jennifer Ling Datchuk confront myths about Asians and use traditional art forms from their culture to tell their diasporic experiences. For Bui, paper is also a metaphor for history. The derogatory term, “Yellow Peril,” makes a comeback in Bui’s work as it references the current administration’s scapegoating of immigrants of Asian descent and all “Perils of People of Color,” while expressing Asian American’s solidarity with “Black Lives Matter”. Datchuk, a ceramics artist who was trained in Jingdezhen, China’s most heralded source of porcelain, playfully mimicked two typical Chinese dolls while calling out the Model Minority Myth. Sherry Tseng Hill (’80, ’82) in her recreation of a historical timeline featuring key Asian American social justice activists, depicts community mobilization across the globe against structural inequality, systemic racism and the legacies of colonial empires. Victor Ancheta examines our time in the coronavirus crisis against the transient nature of life with memento mori (“remember you must die”), a fate no one can escape. Anthony Pabillano triggers a discourse on colorism by focusing on the various skin tones of a young girl. Together with Brandon Tho Harris, Irene Kwan, Wen-Hui Shen, and Yinxi Jushi, the group takes a strong stand against racial inequality and social injustice.
Featured artists:
- Antonius-Tin Bui (they/them; b. 1992, New York, US)
- Anthony Pabillano (b. 1989, Philippines)
- Brandon Tho Harris (b. 1995, Texas, US)
- Chang Liu (b. 1987, China)
- Irene Kwan (b. 1986, Texas, US)
- Jennifer Ling Datchuk (b. 1980, Ohio, US)
- Sherry Tseng Hill (b. 1957, Taiwan)
- Victor Ancheta (b. 1987, Philippines)
- Wen-Hui Shen (b. 1961, Taiwan)
- Yinxi Jushi (Buddhist Layman Yinxi 印溪居士; b. 1960, China)
The exhibition was organized by Ann Shi, Associate Curator, under the guidance of Dr. Anne S. Chao, Program Manager of Houston Asian American Archive; funded by the Chao Center for Asian Studies; assisted by Sarah Kong (Sophomore, Sid Richardson) and Helen Pu (Junior, Baker).
Special thanks to Amanda Focke, Head of Special Collections, Fondren Library, and to Frank (’78) and Cindy Liu for their donation of equipment.
Social Media: @RiceHAAA, #HoustonAsianAmericanArchive, #FacesInThePandemic
Art Exhibition
Sherry Tseng Hill
Forgive but not Forget, 2020
Acrylic on Canvas, 48 x 18 in.
Courtesy of the artist
Antonius-Tin Bui
ReModel Minority series, 2019
Laser and Hand-cut Paper
Courtesy of the Artist
Antonius-Tin Bui
End Your Silence (Self-Immolation), 2020
Zippo lighters with customized engraving
Victor Ancheta
Escape, 2020
Resin, paper, plastic, twine
Courtesy of the Artist
Victor Ancheta
The Good Hour, 2020
Tin metal, clock, LED neon, paint, gesso
Courtesy of the Artist
Brandon Tho Harris
Not Your Virus, 2020
Mixed Media: Traditional Vietnamese Garments (Áo Dài), Conical Hats (Nón Lá), and Gold Thread
Courtesy of the artist
Irene Kwan
We Are Not A Threat, 2020
Graphic design, photography
Courtesy of the Artist
Anthony Pabillano
Anne Chao, 2020
Hand-cut, layered paper
Courtesy of the Artist
Anthony Pabillano
We’ll Get Through This Together, 2020
Masks in Shades of Brown, 100% cotton print fabric
Courtesy of the Artist
Anthony Pabillano
Progression of a Portrait, 2018
Hand-cut, layered paper
Courtesy of the Artist
Wen-Hui Shen
Nooses in the Dark
Sleepless Nights
2020
Mixed media
Courtesy of the Artist
Jennifer Ling Datchuk
Model Minority, 2019
Found ceramics, gold luster, Porcelain (exhibition copy)
Courtesy of the Artist
Yinxi Jushi (or Layman Buddhist Yinxi, 印溪居士)
Dr. Li Wenliang, 2020
Ink on xuan paper
Courtesy of the Artist
Chang Liu
Random Walker - Dripping, 2016
Flickering Existence series
Interactive video installation, Edition of 5+1AP
©Liu Chang, courtesy Fou Gallery
Community Participation
Faces in the Pandemic, 2020
Photo collage in 10 Panels, 48" x 69" each.
Courtesy of all 120 Volunteers
Rice University Student Participation
Ashley Jifan Tsang (Kinesiology, Senior '21, Duncan College, Rice University)
Caution (Ashley and Austin Tsang), 2020
Mixed-Media (sharpie, color pencil, acrylic and caution tapes)
Courtesy of the Artist
“WE ARE THE VIRUS, COVID IS THE CURE”: ERASURE OF DISABLED PEOPLE IN THE PROCESS OF METAPHORIZING SARS-COV-2
by Alicia Leong
taught by Professor Lan Li in HISTORIES OF SENSATION 2020
Community Efforts in the Pandemic
“1,000 Cranes for Hope” Origami Project
Organized by Asia Society Texas Center
Participation by Sherry Cheng & Alice Jiang (mother & daughter)
Hand-Crafted Face masks
A fundraising effort for Houston Food Bank
by Nghi Nguyen, NEEWIN Co.