Artist's Statement

"My Eyes are a Revolution" - This piece was inspired by the children's book "Eyes that Kiss in the Corners" written by Joanna Ho and illustrated by Dung Ho. Growing up, I was one of the only Asian students in my school and was bullied. Kids would call me names, make fun of my lunch, and pull their eyes up at the corners and call mine "alien eyes." It wasn't until college that I met other Asian American friends and learned to be proud of being Asian. When I read this book as an adult, I found myself sobbing. If I had a book like this when I was growing up, I could have known that my eyes were beautiful. Today, I couldn't be prouder to be Asian and of my eyes that kiss in the corners.

This illustration is featured at the Wing Luke Museum in Seattle’s Chinatown.

"Flowers for Halmoni" - This illustration was inspired by Min Hyun Woo's photos of halmoni for Vogue Korea. Amidst all the horrible attacks on Asian elders, it was touching and delightful to see elderly women photographed in such a beautiful and respectful way. 

"Wonderland Meets Ancient Korea'' - As a lifelong lover of fairytales, I love drawing whimsical, fantastical scenes but with diverse characters that I wish I had seen growing up. This piece is a twist on Alice and Wonderland set in the Joseon dynasty of ancient Korea. I enjoyed researching the Korean tea ceremony darye (茶禮) and included as many elements of the ceremony as I could.

"Suni Lee" - An illustration of Suni Lee, the first Hmong Olympian and first Asian American gymnast to win gold in the individual All-Around. After a year filled with so much Asian hate, I was so inspired by watching her excel.