DREAMING OF GOLD

After three shows this spring, I was feeling a bit burnt out. But this week, an inspiring conversation with @make.us.visible and another meaningful day with @iss reignited my passion for using art to amplify the AAPI community.

One key takeaway from these conversations was the importance of meeting people where they are. Over the next two weeks, many of us will be glued to our TVs watching the Olympics—I know I will be! According to @amzaznhq, 48 AAPI athletes will be representing the USA this summer.

To honor them, I’ve started a new series called “Dreaming of Gold.” In my previous work, I depicted athletes as adults who had already achieved their goals. But reflecting on my own childhood, I remember watching the Olympics and imagining myself as Carl Lewis, racing toward victory. I’m sure many kids saw themselves as Mary Lou Retton, Rulon Gardner, Flo Jo, and countless others.

This series aims to capture athletes in their youth—dreaming of one day winning gold. Gold, after all, was what drew the first Chinese sojourners to America, making it a powerful symbol of aspiration and perseverance.