preface Saib Kuv - Watch Me, See The Hmong In Me This exhibit, commissioned by the McKnight Foundation, is the product of three years of workshops, critical dialogues, and artmaking within the Twin Cities Hmong community. The artists represented in this catalog range from age six to twenty-nine. They came together as friends, relatives and artists to create a body of work that would reflect the ongoing journey of the Hmong people, as they migrate from Laos to Minnesota. The works themselves were produced through the use of digital photo cameras, computer manipulation, and in rare cases, mixed media elements. As you page through these images, you will no doubt see the respect for tradition, the struggle of assimilation, and the continuance of the Hmong through the art of photography. The works were all created through the use of digital cameras and computers and were then printed, framed and presented publicly by the following artists Sai Thao
Kao Choua Vue
Cha Lor
We thank all of the artists that have lent their work to the beauty of Saib Kuv --Kristine Sorensen, In Progress
Saib Kuv (watch me)
To be Hmong in America is a polarizing existence. We often hide behind the invisible costumes of an American lifestyle living each day as a part of an immigrant landscape we do not fully belong to. But when we look out at the world from behind the beads of our Hmong traditions we can see and feel the beauty of our state of being. And when we wear our traditional outfits we are reminded of our history, our culture, our language, ceremonies, and the relatives left behind. We are a people displaced from our homeland and we carry the stories of our grandparents within the fabrics, beads and coins of these treasured outfits. Now as we move and shift on this journey of being Hmong Americans, we take photographs and manipulate images as if we were sewing an outfit for the next generation. We are the story carriers, the photographers, the artists that will carry the meaning of Hmong with the same dedication, sacrifice and love as our ancestors did. We ask that you watch us, see us for who we are as Hmong living in America. See the beauty of our struggles and remember that you too are HMONG
PINK I like pink! Pink is my favorite color. I get pink shoes and socks and even pink bracelets. I like to paint my nails pink too. I like pink! I am most happy when I’m dressed in pink. It is a good day to be pink! Maniechan Xiong
MYSTERY OF THE HMONG There is a mystery behind the beads. Â Do you know what it is? It is the face of a very intelligent girl named Mainou. Mainou Vue
LIKE BIRDS IN THE SKY We fall from the sky dressed in our Hmong Chinese outfits. We move so slowly through the air with these feathers of pink and black upon our heads. They lift us up like beautiful birds so we can fly around the world -- flying to see the oceans, the animals running in the open fields, and the relatives we barely know of that live in our homeland of Laos. We are Hmong and we are like the birds in the sky. Becky & Cindy Vue
THIS HMONG CLOTH This Hmong cloth smells of the sweet memories I have of Laos. It reminds me of the family members that stayed behind and the sacrifices made by so many on my behalf. I will treasure this cloth and keep it to remind me of those lost in war. I will hold it tightly so as not to lose my precious memories of the relatives I played with as a young girl. I will pass this cloth on to the next generation to remind us all that we are Hmong. Mainou Vue
QEEJ There are many stories of how the qeej came to be. This instrument is carried with me to be my light in the dark and to guide me. I play it so I can reunite with my friends and families who have crossed over to the other side. This is the heart of the Hmong people. Houa Lor
I AM HMONG My existence evolves as time sits still, frozen. It waits to be defrosted by my growth. I put on this outfit for love, for pride and for strength. I stand strong, proud and beautiful. I am a daughter, a sister, a wife and a mother. Sai Thao
MORE THAN JUST A HMONG CLOTH this is our world in front of you it is etched into our skin it can’t be taken away we live and die with it we wear our people’s history on our backs we are honored and will carry it with us always Kao Choua Vue (portrait of Mee Thao)
Rock On we are the beats we are the lyrics we are the music speaking out for the unknown to let them know we are Hmong and we still rock Meng Xiong
SCATTERING A HMONG THE WINDS This piece is an exploration of the various influences that expose and help shape the identity of the next generation. David Vang
SEE US Look into our eyes..... Can you see us? Really Can you SEE US? When you look I hope you will see a little bit of yourself in us. You may come from a different place than we do. But each morning and night don’t we see the moon and the sun smile down on us? Don’t we share at least these few things in common? Look into our eyes...... and we will see you if you see us! Mailie Vue artwork by Chao Yang
THIS PICTURE this journey is not going to end hand in hand we hold strong not knowing what is before us and not learning to forget what is behind us this picture was not supposed to be kept but this is what is left of us it was to be ripped apart and thrown away but we’d rather have it buried along with us this picture is for my family Kao Choua Vue
THE FOREST The forest is important to the Hmong because we depend on it for many things. The forest is home to many Hmong people. It holds our medicines, it feeds us, shelters us. Hmong people depend upon it and it is important to keep it alive. So many of our people hid in the woods of Laos to escape death. Some still do. For many it represented their first steps towards migrating to America. The forest is Hmong. It is everything to us. Yunie Xiong
MOTHER I am so young and hopeless My baby and I run within this never-ending jungle I am so young and hopeless I cannot find peace when night falls or daybreak I am constantly running I am so young and hopeless Where is my freedom? Where is my home? I am a young mother I am a young widow Forgive me baby if I do fail you You were born in a time to struggle to survive Kao Choua Vue
THE HMONG THAT I AM The Hmong that I am I learned from my mother: how to be - how to see how to speak - how to be me I thank you mother for being my teacher, for carrying me through this world not Hmong. For showing me how to be proud of who I am. To remember the past while flying fast into to future. To you I will hold on tight. Together we will hold on tightly to that we call Hmong, while learning to be in this American world. Maniechan Xiong
DEAD As our culture, traditions and rituals change; as they transform and deform so dramatically; how do we cherish and stay true to whom we are as a Hmong women? Do we strive to fulfill our individual ambitions or stay valued as daughters, sisters, mothers and wives? As women we are born free but the bindings of our culture tie us to the expectations of others. We do not exist beyond the confines of those few words daughter sister mother wife We wait and wonder this….. We wait and wonder until the day we are re-born. Until then we are dead. Caught within our Hmong culture. Cha Lor & Sai Thao
STEREO-TYPE we offer ourselves to you - the way you want to see us we offer to you the beauty and sexuality you want to see paper thin translucent skin deep frozen in time How do we as Hmong women transcend these obvious stereo-types, these beautiful but unchanging images of the Asian ideal? How do we present ourselves as intelligent and beautiful when we are surrounded by an American lens that sexualizes us? Why do we strive to be what you want to see rather than what we know ourselves to be? Why do we continue to let others judge and define us Why do we let others tell us who we are? Cha Lor
NOT - THE - NORM this face is not perfect but it is mine it tells the story of where I come from and who I belong to it shows the real beauty of being Hmong Kao Na “Raynie� Vang
LITTLE ASIAN GIRL I am the little Asian girl who dreams to be white. I am the little Asian girl who wonders if she is supposed to act Hmong or American I am the Asian little girl whose classmates call Hmonglish. I am the little Asian girl who wonders what others think I am the little Asian girl who is scared to just be. Serina Vue
AMERICAN MOM I am a Hmong mother of two sons - one my protector, the other my wings. As a Hmong woman, I live through my sons - my own existence dependent upon their needs. But as an American mother, I am too busy . . . . I work, I dress, I strive to be more than what I was raised to be. I am torn each day by my want to be seen as something more than what I am. As a mother I want to give them everything, do everything, be everything for them. It is sometimes too much for one soul to bare - for a Hmong Mother living an American dream. Sai Thao artwork by Cha Lor & Sai Thao
With All I’ve Got I was around 7 or 8 years old when my older siblings took a black and white photography class at a nearby neighborhood organization. I was jealous because I was "too young" to participate. When I was finally old enough, there weren't enough other students interested, so the classes were cancelled. I was furious! I wanted to photograph so bad but didn't have a camera and couldn't get my hands on one. Photography was always intriguing to me. I always wanted to capture the moment. Eventually my dad got a camera as a gift, and I used it so much he decided to buy me my own. Now, at the age of, 16, I've done enough fundraising, including paid photo shoots, to pay for my own digital camera. I have two years of experience behind the lens and am constantly looking for new ways to improve my knowledge and skills. I teach other young people what I've learned about working with models, technical difficulties, Photoshop and more, and I really want to end up teaching photography as a profession. I love photography with all I've got. If I could marry photography, I would. Cha Lor artwork by Nhia Lee
California Such a long road - this journey we are taking as a people, wearing our Hmong culture on our backs. Photography is the path I chose to take on my own. At times, it seems to have been my greatest choice in life . . . . an unknown path, for which my friends and relatives have not the slightest clue. I know that I am expected to carry my Hmong culture with me as I head off on my journey. But I have chosen not to. It has proven too heavy a burden to carry alone. Instead, I walk with these young girls at play. I say “Let us be happy and run freely � But with this statement come questions. . . . . Can we be happy where we are going? or would we be happier if we just stayed where we are? But where are we? I see the road ahead of us and must ask if we will disappear into the sunlight of this unknown future? From home to the end, I shall move forward, never backwards. Photography is a long and never-ending road of learning, and I want to keep going! Cha Lor
A BEAUTIFUL DAY This picture is of me looking down from the sky smiling happily on a beautiful day Mainou Vue
GOING GOING GONE This life we have in the United States . . . . We have adapted to the culture and language here. But we are losing ours. Our parents taught us that we were Hmong. We were fluent then. . . . but as we grew older English is what we had to learn We are forgetting where we came from and the history itself . . . . The Hmong people’s history, culture, and language is disappearing. As time goes by, will we fade will we disappear will we be Hmong? Cha Lor (digital artwork by Choua Lor)
REFLECTION Every single day I wonder about who I am today. I take a glimpse in the mirror but I do not know who is looking back at me. This game has been going on for far too long. I take a rest at trying to find out who she is, and I find she is my reflection. My reflection shows who I have become: a Hmong girl living in a world that is not her own. This place she calls home is just another trap to make her feel vulnerable. I am in denial; destroyed and torn into pieces. My reflection shows the truth hidden behind a little smile. My reflection‌ Maniechan & Gaona Xiong
Saib Kuv A!"ts Nhia Lee Cha Lor Choua Lor Houa Lor Mee Thao Sai Thao David Vang Kao Na Vang Becky Vue Cindy Vue Kao Choua Vue Mailie Vue Mainou Vue Serina Vue Gaona XIon Maniechan Xiong Meng Xiong Yunie Xiong Chao Yang
Acknowled#ments Saib Kuv would not have been possible without the extraordinary efforts and contributions of the local community. With that we would like to thank the following: Families - parents, spouses, siblings, children and friends that supported these artists while they took time to plan and prepare this exhibit, and continue to support their artistic development with kind words and guidance. Curators & Organizers for giving many extra hours of their time and effort to this project. Special thanks to Neil Cuthbert and Nan Jahnke for providing guidance and support for the exhibit. Mentors for seeing the extraordinary gifts that exist within the young artists they teach. Partners for giving In Progress a home during its workshops and bringing us new artists to work with each year. Contributors for providing In Progress with a financial base that allowed for the expense of workshops, mentorships and exhibits. We would like to specifically thank: The Best Buy Foundation The McKnight Foundation The Minnesota State Arts Board - Arts In Education Program The National Endowment for the Arts Thomson Reuters Corporate Giving Program The Traveler’s Foundation The Yackel Foundation Tim Dorsey & Ruth Taylor
Visitors who came and witnessed the work, spoke encouragingly to our artists and shared what they saw with others. To everyone that supported Saib Kuv, In Progress would like to say ua tsaug, thank you!
IN PROGRESS In Progress provides opportunities for young people to develop their skills as storytellers, artists, and leaders through the use of digital media. This small non-profit has been promoting the voices of young and newly developing media artists since its inception in 1996. Those of us that work with In Progress are committed to breaking down barriers of geography, class, education, and culture. We use digital artmaking as a tool for public discourse, while building the skills of pre-emerging artists to create, teach and lead. In Progress seeks and maintains partnerships with communities that are urban, rural, and tribal; that are culturally diverse; economically depressed; and lacking in existing opportunities in media production. Each year In Progress offers workshops, residencies, exhibits, and mentorships to more than 800 young people. Each experience is designed to meet the unique learning needs of those being served. For more information about In Progress, please visit our website at www.in-progress.org