SAMASAMA Art Show & Gathering - 2019 Exhibition Catalog by samasamaart

2019

SAMASAMA ART SHOW & GATHERING Shopkeepers Gallery | May 1 to 25 Washington, D.C.

FOREIGN NATIONAL (SEDA NAK) AND BATANG KANKALOO (LES TALUSAN) PRESENT: The 3rd Annual SAMASAMA Art Show & Gathering

ABOUT SAMASAMA The term SAMASAMA means all together in Tagalog. The theme of the exhibit is Bayanihan, a Filipino custom derived from the Tagalog word bayan, meaning community. It refers to the spirit of communal unity, work, and cooperation to achieve a particular goal. AAPI communities are rich in tradition and heritage, but tread quietly in the modern-day conversation of nuanced diversity. America’s relationships and identities are more complex today than ever, uncovering layers of untold and underrepresented narratives. These differences are encouraged, celebrated, and is the foundation of supporting, and understanding one another’s cross-cultural connections. This year, SAMASAMA will continue its tradition of donating a portion of proceeds for all art sold to local organization Asian American LEAD (AALEAD), in support for the tireless work that they do for our youth.

ARTIST LIST ALMAS HAIDER

HENLEY BOUNKHONG

MIKEY YATES

AMEENA FAREEDA

HILLARY ROCHON

MONOLITH

ARTISIA BURTON

JA’MON JACKSON

NICO FERTAKIS

ASHLEY DEQUILLA

JAMIE GARCIA, MICHELLE SAMSON

PARADOX VESTED RELICS

AYOOLA DARAMOLA

& BRUCE ALLEN

RHEA R. DONES

CELESTE CHEN

JESS AGUERO AND JUSTIN ESPIRITU

RIA BALDEVIA

CHANTALE WONG

JOSEPH A LE

SARA DIANI

CHARLES PHILIPPE JEAN-PIERRE

JULIA CHON (KIMCHI JUICE)

SARAH COLOMA

CHRIS WU

JULIA UM

SENNA J AHMAD

CINDY HOANG

JULIE WU

SHANI SHIH

CINDY NGUYEN

KEYHAN LEE

SHERRY SAN MIGUEL MENESES

CITA SADELI AKA MISS CHELOVE

KIM SANDARA

SHYAMA KUVER

(DAVID) VEED PEREZ

LEANGELO ACUNA

SLAMMER X SHOOG MCDANIEL

DONA TEARE

LISA THACH

SONIA PRABHU

DYLAN HOANG

MAEVE LESLIE

MONOLITH

ELLIE YANAGISAWA

MARIA MILLER

SYLVIA GUAN

ELMER CALATA

MARK BRAVANTE

TA PHAL

ERICA PAGE

MATT MANALO

YOO A KANG & TAEYIN

FARRAH SKEIKY

MICHELLE CHEN

YUNO D BASWIR

HALIUN AYUSH

MICHELLE SOK

FOREIGN NATIONAL X BATANG KANKALOO PRESENT:

2019 Samasama Art Show & Gathering

EXHIBITION CATALOGUE

ALMAS HAIDER “Shamsullah” Recreation of Buraaq, one of the oldest steam and solar powered derigibles, from an image found in a 16th century Islamic manuscript. The section depicts the interior of the living and operational quarters designed by Shamsullah for the crew of jinnaat, malikaat, and insaan. Size: 11”x15” Medium: Mixed media

“The Dome” Recreation of Buraaq, one of the oldest steam and solar powered derigibles, from an image found in a 16th century Islamic manuscript. Depicted is the Buraaq’s complex water, air, and solar system. The power system is credited to the jinnat who shared their knowledge of harnessing elements for transportation purposes with select malikaat and insaan. Size: 11”x15” Medium: Mixed media

ASHLEY DEQUILLA

“Santa Rosa De Lima” Portrait of the patron saint of Lima, Peru and the Philippines.

“Reclaimed (Gauguin the Remix)” Inspired by Gauguin’s “”Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?””; some thoughts on problematic art history and the artist’s own identity. “ Dimensions: 16x36” in three panels Medium: Oil on canvas

Dimensions: 72x41” Medium: Oil on paper

ARTISIA BURTON “Sea-foam Icing Series” A brief artistic statement about the piece: Artistic, mind viewing meditation, through calming color gradients and texture.This piece represents a peaceful sea-foam colored sea wash up in the ocean using paint manipulation with a texture resembling cake batter. Dimensions: 24x12” Medium: Acrylic & Spray Paint, Glitter

AMEENA FAREEDA “Title: American Assimilation: Fishing” American Assimilation is a series of works depicting the idea of assimilation through everyday activities. These perspectives are derived from an Asian American living in today’s current society. The piece “Fishing” depicts imagery of the contradictory lifestyle of those who participate in fishing in the Western and Eastern worlds; economic value versus recreational activity. Dimensions: 8x8” Medium: Digital Print

AYOOLA DARAMOLA “Untitled #3 (2019)” autodidact noun au·to·di·dact | \ ˌȯ-tō-ˈdī-ˌdakt Definition of autodidact : a self-taught person //was an autodidact who read voracious Self Education Self Discipline Self Reliance Self Awareness Dimensions: 40x30” Medium: Digital Print on Canvas

CELESTE CHEN “Broken English” I’ve always felt an odd way about the term “”mother tongue.”” English was not my parents’ first language, and neither is it mine. I grew up speaking Cantonese; its rhythms and tones buoyed me through childhood. The transition to English was difficult: I struggled with making my tenses agree and forcing my singular subjects to agree with their singular verbs. It was honestly infuriating. I missed my mother tongue. When I speak Cantonese today, I feel like I’m home again, regardless of my physical location. The brittle, structured English rules melt away. Dimensions: 29x24” Medium: Acrylic and graphite on canvas

CHARLES PHILIPPE JEAN-PIERRE

“Deja Vu” Reflect times past and times to come.

“First Communion” Depicts the freedom of letting go.

“First Communion 1” Depicts the freedom of letting go.

Dimensions: 28.5x20.5” Medium: Digital Print

CHANTALE WONG

“Mongolian Girl” On the steppes of Mongolia 4 hours drive from UlanBatar, is this ger encampment, 3 generations of women have a nomadic life - tending to cows and goats. Young Mongolian girl grows up far from any civilization. October 2018

“John Lewis” On our annual Congressional Pilgrimage to the Civil Rights sites in Alabama, Congressman John Lewis stops at the statues of slaves at the entrance to the Equal Justice Initiative Lynching Memorial in Montgomery, AL March 2019

Dimensions: 18x22” Medium: Digital Print

Dimensions: 17x21” Medium: Digital Print 7

CHRISTOH WU “Jia” Jia reflects my ongoing interest in the unique and weathered forms of Mother Nature’s imagery - pieces of deadwood and other remnants of past lives. In parallel, the characters of East Asian calligraphy have an irresistible pull towards nature where every stroke, every dot, can be imbued with the energy and forms from nature. Using pen nib and brush, oil paint and ink, and gesso on paper, I try to embrace the materials rooted in both Western and Eastern traditions. Jia also calls attention to the circle and square as basic symbols that are both universal and unique to Asian cultures. Dimensions: 52x53” Medium: India ink and oil paint on paper

CINDY HOANG “Extro | Introspection” My work is largely inspired by the human psyche—topics I often visited in art as a way to cope with the stresses of life. In light of recent events, I was inspired to create this coming-ofage series, spotlighting the murkiness of our most formidable years. Whether good or bad, who/what shapes us? The concept of this piece compares our external observations to our internal perceptions. Are the things you are seeing accurate? Or is your perception muddled, distorted by the influence of a state of mind or a foreign internal voice? A piece inspired by imposter syndrome, body dysmorphia, and self hatred. Dimensions: 14x11” Medium: Digital print

CINDY NGUYEN “Interwoven” How I understand my cultural heritage as a child of the Vietnamese diaspora can be seen as a continuously evolving piece of fabric. What I know has always been in fragments: my grandparents’ nostalgic stories from their past life, a few lines in a textbook on the Vietnam War, interpretations from so-called experts about the war. Although some threads of understanding are disconnected and mismatched, one particular thread stays indestructible throughout. Woven into every memory, this is a thread of resilience. It helps me see past the messiness of logic and reveals the heart of the story. Even when I trace this thread back into history as far as possible, I stay grounded in remembering the significance of how I came to be in the time and place where I am now. Dimensions: 24x20” Medium: Oil on canvas

CITA SADELI AKA MISS CHELOVE “My Hands Tell Stories” A reflection of life informed by two cultures - ancient Java and the streets of Washington, D.C. Dimensions: 24x18” Medium: Acrylic and Spray Enamel on Wood Panel

(DAVID) VEED PEREZ “First Fare” A brief artistic statement about the piece: Before WMATA existed, Capital Transit Company (later changed to DC Tansit) ran streetcars and buses. one of the buses was the DC Transit White Super Power Motor Coach. In 1973, WMATA bought Alexandria, Barcroft and Washington Transit Company (AB&W) and Washington Marlboro and Annapolis Transit Company (WM&A) and created the Metrobus system. Dimenisions: 16x20” Medium: Digital print

DONA TEARE My work is based on my personal experiences as a second-generation Korean American. Themes of alienation, guilt, violence, race, and identity collide as recurring motifs in my paintings. My most recent work is based on childhood memories of spending summers and weekends working in my parents’ black beauty supply store in the early ‘90s, around the time of the L.A. riots and the OJ Simpson trial. Against a complicated backdrop of intersecting race, class and generational tensions between blacks, whites, and Korean-Americans - I investigate what it means to be a new generation of ‘American’ related to negotiating dominant cultural narratives and questioning what it means to achieve the American Dream. Much of my work is about being caught in the middle. I was a second generation kid straddling the trappings of a middle-class lifestyle in a mostly white, affluent suburban neighborhood, all while being confronted with the realities of violence, poverty, ignorance, and institutionalized racism that come with being an outsider selling dominant beauty standards to another group of historically exploited outsiders in mostly black neighborhoods. My father died working at ‘The Store’, literally working to his death in 2006, and in 2014, after a particularly rainy spring, the roof of the building caved in and it was subsequently condemned - marking the end of almost three decades of my parents’ struggle to achieve the middle-class American Dream. “Impulsions Out Now”

“I Wear A Mask”

Dimensions: 25x25`” Medium: Acrylic on Wood Panel

Dimesions: 25x19” Medium: Acrylic on Canvas

DYLAN HOANG “Feverish Dreams Now in Technicolor” An homage to horror manga, pulp fictions, and Henri Rousseau, playing with themes of the damsel in distress and the Four Symbols. Dimensions: 14x11” Medium: Ink on paper

ELMER CALATA “Pilipinas sa Tela” This is a framed shirt piece that was printed in the Philippines in 2015 by Wasabi Screen Printing (JP Sarmiento). It was the first Philippines map I designed as a commission in 2014. It is one of the first commissioned piece I created when I first started doing work on paper after coming back to Washington DC from my 3 years in Paraguay as a Peace Corps Volunteer. This piece is the catalyst for all the commissioned pieces I have done since I started taking requests. Dimensions: 21X17” Medium: Screen print on colored shirt

ERICA PAGE “Seeing Remnants” A brief artistic statement about the piece: Created by Erica Lee Page, pulling remnants from designer Currency Michaels SS18 collection. Here you see intimate details and workings of a garment, inside and out. This piece was made to give life to how we visualize clothing as art. Dimensions: 31x30”” Medium: Silk screen print on fabric

ELLIE YANAGISAWA “Bakeneko Hurricane vs. The Island” Through this piece, I wanted to honor the resilience, fierce independence, and faith all islands and islanders have. Whether it be a natural force, colonial encroachment, or modern imperialism, it is impossible to break their spirit because it is so deeply connected to the land and community. Neither has failed them, but in fact grows stronger in face of adversity. This is my love letter to that spirit which endures. Dimensions: 10x10” Medium: Brush pen

FARRAH SKEIKY This piece depicts a group of brown women coming together at a Downtown Boys concert - a space in which they are not just comfortable being themselves, but celebrated for it. Dimensions: 12x18” Medium: Inkjet print

HALIUN AYUSH “Poise” Manifested out of childhood memories and feelings of home, this piece is adorned with “alhan hee” or hammer pattern and infinity knots to recreate Mongolian traditional furniture. Bold and poised, the shelf exudes a spiritual energy and cultural identity. Dimensions: 48”x12”x11” Medium: Acrylic on wood

HENLEY BOUNKHONG

“A Rabbit, A Bee, And A Flower” Born out of a desire to find a painting style. An experimental painting that found its own flow. The rabbit represents the artist. The bee and the flower represents discovering new sweet nectar.

“Tiger-Octopus With Ramen” Working as a server in a fast-paced ramen restaurant, the role of a waiter seems to be one that is busy with many duties at once. The octopus’ arms are full, the vibrant colors represent the lively energy of the restaurant and the masks represent the many moods a waiter experience inside.

Dimensions: 16x20” Medium: Acrylic & Ink on Canvas

Dimensions: 21x23” Medium: Ballpoint pen & Copic marker

HILLARY ROCHON

“Smiley Island” A vaporwave inspired digital collage. Combing the aesthetics of sea punk and the 90s hacker.

“Computer Wings” A combination of bubbles, love and kawaii aesthetics. This digital collage represents the unity of different elements to form one final image.

Dimensions: 30x16” Medium: Digital print

Dimensions: 25x16” Medium: Digital print

JAMIE GARCIA, MICHELLE SAMSON, BRUCE ALLEN “Pin Up Saint of Commodification” How does one appreciate the exotic without fetishizing it? This photo examines the tenuous relationship between objectification and admiration through familiar representations of what’s beautiful: the female form, and the natural beauty of flowers. Dimensions: 47x32” Medium: Digital print

JA’MON JACKSON

“2 Wise Men” Dimensions: 11x13” Medium: Digital Print

“HU Resist” Dimensions: 11x13” Medium: Digital Print

JESS AGUERO AND JUSTIN ESPIRITU “Aming Ligaya (Our Joy)” When separated from the rest of the Philippine national anthem, the line “Aming ligaya na pag may mang-aapi” loosely translates to “”it is our joy to be oppressed.”” Even after their families had moved to the United States, individuals carry a traumatized culture around them and inside them. The soundscape journeys violently through Filipinx identity and history—a Manila ice cream truck, Spanish and Tagalog versions of the national anthem, the “tap tap” of Apu Whang Od tattooing, an anti-imperialist protest choir—to revolution, self acceptance, and finally joy. Dimensions: 2’ x 2’ x 2’. Running Time: 3:02 minutes Materials: Watercolor on paper, headphones, found objects

JOSEPH A. LE “A Dragon’s Wish” This surrealistic dragon represents my creative spirit’s current status. It is vibrant, exuberant, playful, and also on the verge of being totally disjointed. The dragon’s obsessive quest for greatness has also caused its life to be jumbled and fragmented. Dimensions: 24x36” Medium: Digital media

JULIA CHON (KIMCHI JUICE) “Come Back Home” ‘Come Back Home’ is inspired by Korean teenage runaways. Like a butterfly, there’s always a path to migrate home. Dimensions: 24x20” Medium: Acrylic on Canvas

JULIA UM “Year Zero” (Print Series) Year Zero (A Visual Narrative of the Cambodian Genocide) is a two-part exploration in alternative methods of biographical storytelling, focused on the Khmer Rouge Genocide and the subsequent Cambodian diaspora. Through the lens of the daughter of a Khmer Rouge refugee, Year Zero reveals the story of a family’s struggle to survive both during and after the war through both visual interpretations of the stories shared by the artist’s family, as well as recordings of candid conversations through which she uncovers her family’s history. Dimensions: 15x11” prints Medium: Silkscreen on Archival Print Paper

JULIE WU “The Inner Demon Project” To exist in a system that values wealth over wellbeing means to be plagued by insecurities, anxieties, and everything inbetween. Our inner demons haunt us on the daily – they are present at every turn. This interactive piece is an opportunity to explore and visualize the ways we navigate the world alongside our struggles and fears. Dimensions: 4x2x2’ Medium: cardboard, paper maché (flour, water, newspaper), aluminum foil, drywall joint compound, tape, gorilla glue, vinyl tablecloth, wood, acrylic paint, mod podge, fake nails

KEYHAN LEE

“SUPREME AMERICANS 1 & 2” These pieces address the artist’s memory as an adolescent struggling with personal identity as a mixed Korean Caucasian “Hapa” in a white American media society in the 90s. At that time non-whites were used as comic-relief or villains in movies and were never portrayed as desirable or sexy etc.. The words MeGook (Korean for American) mimicking the Supreme’s marketing, repeat over the faces of famous American white Hollywood leading men and a nod to pop art and Barbra Kruger. The word “gook” is a derogatory for anyone w/ slanted eyes and was started during the Korean War. Dimensions: 21.5x21.5” Medium: Mixed Media on Panel 18

KIM SANDARA

“Death’s Gaze” This piece was an experimental drawing done in 2017. I combined the mark-making I do in my abstract music translating paintings with illustration to figure out the drawing style that would go into my graphic novel on my coming out story (which is set to be finished December 2020). Dimensions: 20x16” Medium: Pen, Permanent Marker, Water-soluble marker, Graphite

“Don’t Stress” This piece was an experimental drawing done in 2017. I combined the mark-making I do in my abstract music translating paintings with illustration to figure out the drawing style that would go into my graphic novel on my coming out story (December 2020). Dimensions: 20x16” Medium: Pen, Permanent Marker, Gouache, Graphite

LISA THACH “Hanuman meets Sovanna Maccha” I wanted to make an artwork based on the Cambodian epic called Reamker. The poem is mostly depicted through dance. I wanted to create that special moment of Hanuman (monkey god) and Sovanna Maccha (mermaid princess) meeting each other and yet have their own unique style of illustration. Dimensions: 27.5x18” Medium: ink on muslin fabric

LEANGELO ACUNA

“Tatted” “Tatted” is a self-portrait that seeks to explore one’s own claim to identity and ancestral culture using indigenous and modern designs and patterns. Being of Filipino and Japanese descent, there is an inherent longing to feel connected to the motherlands as someone born and raised in America. I’ve often considered getting a tattoo inspired by ancient Filipino symbolism, but for some reason it feels hollow and forced, as someone who knows only so much about the culture and still learning to this day. It brings into question if and how much blood is enough to make a claim on an identity built on centuries of meaning and history. Dimensions: 14x10.75” Medium: Ink on marker paper

“Close Friends List” “Close Friends List” is a confession about the importance and fragility of community. As one goes through life, you curate a community for yourself that you depend on, open yourself to, and be vulnerable to in order to survive and thrive. But community is diverse, complex, and constantly changing. Who knows what it will look like in one, five, or even ten years? This project is a snapshot of relationships and histories that, in this moment, stand stronger together than the thought of an unknown future. Dimensions: 14x10.75”” Medium: Black ink on marker paper

MAEVE LESLIE

“Kalikasan” I come from a family of rice farmers. On a recent trip home I took a photo of the bags of rice neatly stacked as they were being prepared for the market. I was interested by the different colors and shapes these bags made and chose to pay homage to the rice farm my mother came from. Dimensions: 10.75x10.75” Medium: Serigraph

“Bahay Kubo” In this piece, I am paying honor to the house that my mother grew up in. The house stood in the same spot for over 50 years until Typhoon Haiyan took it. Six years later, all that remains is the skeleton of this home. Dimensions: 10.75x10.75” Medium: Serigraph 20

““Boondocks” This is a photograph of the first time my mother and I visited the Philippines together. Prior to this trip, the Philippines had been a fantasy land I had only heard of in stories or in passing. This is when I started to notice the different layers of my identity and how certain parts of me are viewed. I chose to articulate this awareness through a color separated serigraphy print. Dimensions: 15x20” Medium: Serigraph on Frosted Mylar

MARIA MILLER “Frida” Personal rendition of a Frida Kahlo painting. Dimensions: 14x12” Medium: Acrylic on canvas

MARK BRAVANTE “Beware of Box Media” Thou shall not believe the narrative the mainstream media presents. Be your own investigator and seek out the truth. Dimensions: 16x12” Medium: Mixed media collage- paper, cardboard, sign “Informally Yours” This artwork is about treating women as equal counterparts rather than mere possesions. Dimensions: 20x16” Medium: Mixed media collage- paper, poster, steel

MATT MANALO “Waterwall 01” IMMIGRANTS, BORDERS, & PLACE: Homage to the existence of a physical wall of water and tourist attraction Gerald D. Hines Waterwall while playing with the idea of Matt Manalo’s “border wall” which was the North Pacific Ocean. A connection between Hines and Manalo: Hines built the iconic Pennzoil Place, designed by Philip Johnson and John Burgee, where the artist had a solo show in 2017. Dimensions: 16x9x4.5” Medium: Mixed Media on Canvas

MICHELLE CHEN “Ayumi” Ayumi Fukushima was inspired to start breaking after seeing her older sister, B-Girl Narumi, dance. She began learning dance in Canada and found it helped her gain confidence to express herself more fully. With her energetic, free flowing style, she has won a number of battles as an individual and also as part of the Body Carnival crew, and made history as the first b-girl to compete in the Red Bull BC One World Final. A professional dancer who performs and competes internationally in the evenings and weekends, Ayumi is an elementary school teacher in Kyoto by day. This portrait was painted as part of a series for La Belle Hip Hop Festival 2019. Dimensions: 12x9” Medium: Acrylic on cotton paper

MICHELLE SOK “Chinatown London” The red lanterns represent a feeling of being alive, happiness, and hope. A hope for a better day. Dimensions: 12x18” Medium: Metal, Clear Glass, Double Weight Matboard

MIKEY YATES “Kuya Billy” This piece was inspired by my Kuya who lives in Los Angeles, and his brotherly love. Dimensions: 21x17” Medium: Oil on canvas

“Mr. Magbulos” This piece is a portrait of my uncle Bobby in Seattle finishing his sabaw. Dimensions: 8 x 10” Medium: Oil on wood 23

MONOLITH “Bayanihan” Jute, or Saluyot, is one of the strongest and most affordable vegetable fibers in the Philippines, grows in all soil types, enriches the soil in grows in, is rich in minerals and antioxidant nutrients. It is dyed in red to represent the deaths of the over 15,000 people disliked by or that have spoken out against president Duterte and his tyranny. This piece represents the fabric and strength of Bayanihan in the fight of the Filipino people for liberty against darkness. Dimensions: 12x30” Medium: Acrylic paint on 3D train model, on wood cut wrapped by Jute fabric

NICO FERTAKIS Print Series: I design prints inspired by fruits/vegetables/foods popular in the Phillippines and English expressions. Dimensions: 20x16” Medium: Digital Print

“Like Pinapples And Kumquats”

“As Cool As A Chayote” 24

“If Life Gives You Calamansi”

RHEA R. JONES

“Modern Filipinana” ‘Not soft and conservative like before - but edgy and stronger than ever.’ - As generations and time go by, Filipinas have evolved. Not necessarily forgetting the past but just proudly showing what the Filipina woman can do! Dimensions: 50x32’ Medium: Acrylic on Canvas

“Spring’s Fate” ‘When all is lost, love is found.’ - This piece was created with frustration and patience. When you let time take it’s course, you will eventually reach your destination/fate. Just like anything in life - it takes time. Dimensions: 60x48” Medium: Acrylic on Canvas

RIA BALDEVIA “Dandansoy” Ria tries to merge her Ilonggo heritage with modern modes of media expression. If one could not listen to their Ilonggo folk music, how can we let them see and convey a particular music’s sadness? Medium: Printed booklet

SARA DIANI

“Lust” Lust reminisces over love and our own personal relationships. Its unconventional sex appeal is meant to encourage an inner dialogue about intimacy and how we define it without suggestive ideas. Dimensions: 12x12” Medium: Oil on Canvas

SARAH COLOMA “Crazy Rich Asians By A Completely Riveted Asian” I made this piece not long after I watched “”Crazy Rich Asians”” during which I cried like many other Asian Americans. This piece was made in gratitude to Kevin Kwan and the impact of the characters he has created, a group socioeconomically, culturally, and linguistically diverse, and yet as relatable as any other cast of characters. Dimensions: 16.4 x 13.4 x 1.2” Medium: Gouache on mixed media paper

SENNA J. AHMAD

“Radiohead, The Bends” Part of my Urdu Vinyl Project, where I took western indie album covers and redesigned them as if they were released in urdu. Dimensions: 12x12” Medium: Digital print

“Dasht-e-Tanhai (The desert of my solitude)” This piece is a visual interpretation of a line from the poem ”Yaad” by South Asian postcolonial poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz: ‘In the desert of my solitude, my love, quiver the shadows of your voice, the mirage of your lips. In the desert of my solitude, from beneath the dust and ashes of the distance between us, bloom the jasmines and the roses of your presence.’ Dimensions: 12x12” Medium: Digital print

SHANI SHIH “Moment of Silence” For those sitting with burning, soul shaking silence, after the mental chatter of grief and anger has faded away. Dimensions: 20x24” Medium: Pen and ink

SHERRY SAN MIGUEL MENESES “The Dream” This piece is my first painting of personal work that I started in 2006, when I was a single mother coming into my own, having just survived an abusive relationship. Shortly after I started it, I experienced creative block against working on this piece for years. I am finally unpacking some of the trauma from that relationship, which has now inspired me to complete it. “The Dream” is a self-portrait of me and my son Wave kicking down the symbolic door of the standard American Dream of a perfect nuclear couple with a white picket fence, 2.5 kids and a dog. Rebelliously claiming space for our independence and new found freedom. The colors used are a nod to the Flag of the Philippines. As a first generation Asian American to Filipino immigrant parents, this piece represents the roots of my heritage juxtaposed against the American way. This painting represents breaking free from the expectations of the strict Roman Catholic upbringing experienced while being raised in a Filipino household. It signifies the strength to pursue a new American Dream where a single Asian-American mother of an interracial child can blaze her own trail as an artist by staying true and following her dreams, none of which could be possible without the village or Bayanihan that stood by her side and helped her raise the man child, Wave. Dimensions: 42x26” Medium: Acrylic and Oil paint on Canvas

SHYAMA KUVER “On Belonging II” Being seen in our whole imperfect beings makes all the difference - especially in a society that intentionally attempts to diminish and dehumanize our existence. This piece is a reminder that belonging is here and waiting for you. That owning our connections to each other and nature are their own revolutionary acts. Dimensions: 20x16” Medium:: Acrylic and gouache on canvas.

”Love Thy Neighbor” Inspired by personal experiences, audacious news headlines, and the resistance against the hate-fueled divisive Trump administration, this piece was originally made as a protest poster for the Women’s March.” Dimensions: 17x11” Medium: Screenprint on Kraft-Tone French Paper

SLAMMER SHOOG MCDANIEL “Estrella” Estrella (She/They) is in their 30s. They are an LA dwelling Filipinx who researches, dissects, and analyzes malware to examine what vulnerabilities applications exploit. Dimensions: 13.5x11” Medium: Digital Print

“Soupy Security” Wangari, Estrella, Les and Oya are security providers working with EarthSeed to protect their data from being used against them by internal and external forces.

“EarthSeed” An environmental justice organization working to end toxic policies in their community. Dimensions: 13.5x11” Medium: Digital Print

Dimensions: 13.5x11” Medium: Digital Print

SONIA PRABHU “Space Princex Diaries” This series creates a mythology of two gender-chaotic space warriors preparing to thwart Elon Musk’s new gentrification frontier: a Martian space colony. The warriors carry sacred objects - crystals and a microphone that have grounded them while surviving in and around the colony of Washington, D.C. They are adorned with flowers and jewels to celebrate their divine and restorative practices of plant medicine, music-making, and storytelling. Photo, Styling, & Adornment - Sonia (they/them, @ raver.aunty) Featuring - Jude (@twinjude) and Lona (@baby. gamelan) Dimensions: 14x11” Medium: Photo paper, glass, plastic

SYLVIA GUAN “Lost In Translation” I grew up not understanding Chinese, both in written and verbal form. In a way, my inability to comprehend Chinese was not lost but rather was taken from me by a country which forced my own assimilation and erasure of my identity. And the United States succeeded. I was American first, Chinese second. Navigating life as a second generation Chinese American was — and still is — cacophonous and confusing. “Lost in Translation” is a meditation on the feeling of losing language and connection to my family, my culture, my history, and the struggle to rediscover and hold onto all the lost pieces. Dimensions: 45 1/8 x 45 1/8” Medium: Acrylic & india ink on print

TA PHAL “A colorful mess of DOTS” This piece was created after I had a flashback to childhood, of opening a box of candy ""DOTS"" and having them fall all over the floor. As I kid, I imagined them being alive during this tragic event. Dimensions: 45x33” Medium: Canvas, Sharpie Ink Markers, Higgins ink

YOO A KANG & TAEYIN “Prey To Power” Today, on the border of Mexico, children of migrants are separated from their parents and treated as criminals. How can this kind of human rights violation be happening right in front of our eyes? The difference in skin color and race is deeply rooted in our imagination as criminal. This is our reality. The bar represents barricades, quarantine, fear, and discrimination; while the waves represent authority’s power and its flow. Depending on the narrative the government decides to take on, new victims are created each turn. This was the reality of the Japanese internment camp. This was the reality of the xenophia against Asian American that led to the murder of Vincent Chin. THis is the reality of the our Muslim Americans, and this will be the reality of many other minorities who become prey to power. Dimensions: 21x21” Medium: Linocut print

YUNO D. BASWIR ‘7777777 #228’ The theme of Yuno’s painting is prayer and unity. The many circular forms in the painting represent the prayer and/or the soul of all creatures The blue vertical line in the painting represents oneness, unity, direction, and a straight path. It may also represents the light and the guidance from the Creator. Dimensions: 36x36” Medium: Acrylic on canvas

PARADOX VESTED RELICS PVR HERO HE. RO. HE. MAN. MANNY. PACK.YEW. POW. P.O.W. BOXERS. IN BOXERS. PVR HERO is a film about identity in terms of the Filipino diaspora, nationality, masculinity, and idols. Soundtrack: Android’s Lament by Modulogeek (www.modulogeek.com) Art Installation: “Autobody” by Tim Manalo Filmed on location at Kapisanan Philippine Centre for Arts & Culture and around Toronto, Canada. Medium: Video, 4 min 6 seconds.

A GRACIOUS THANKS to our core team, Jamie Garcia, Michelle Chen, Mollie Q. Coleman, Oscar Olmedo, Shani Shih and Thu Nguyen, and our volunteers and partners, Foreign National, Soul & Ink, DC Public Library, Wong People, Cita Sadeli CHELOVE, Maria Miller and Sadira Benge. Due to your collective efforts, passion, and expertise, we are able to continue to share SAMASAMA with the greater community.

- Seda & Les

Cover & Design Artwork by Henley Bounkhong