Arts

April 26, 2024 0

‘We Who Produce Pearls’ Fills in What the History Books Left Out Sampan Talks With Author, Artist About Asian Americans’ Shared Story, Resistance and Healing

The quality of a picture book depends on the compatibility of two major elements: the words and the images. How well do the images communicate with the text? Are the images competing with the text, or is there an ideal symbiotic relationship between the two? In “We Who Produce Pearls: An Anthem for Asian America,” the written reflections of Joanna Ho find a perfect balance with the vivid and colorful wall-mural style men, women, children, and beasts from Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya’s […]

April 13, 2024 0

Firelei Báez Brings a New Exhibition to the ICA

by Harmony Witte

A new exhibit has opened at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston featuring a survey of the work of artist Firelei Báez with 40 pieces of her striking work on display. This is the first museum survey dedicated to her work with the exhibit spanning 20 years of her career. At a recent press preview Báez spoke about her art, in particular an installation called “A Drexcyen Chronocommons (To win the war you fought in sideways)” created in 2019. […]

March 16, 2024 0

Interview with Greenway Artists Ponnapa Prakkamakul and Zhidong Zhang

by Harmony Witte

The Greenway Conservancy recently announced two new public art installations that celebrate the Year of the Dragon which will be installed at Auntie Kay and Uncle Frank Chin Park. The installations are Year of the Dragon by Ponnapa Prakkamakul and Far Away, From Home by Zhidong Zhang. Sampan sat down with the two artists to talk about their work, which is part of the annual Chinese Zodiac series. Sampan: What does it mean to you to have your installation on […]

March 2, 2024 0

‘Freckled Rice’ and ‘Our Chinatown’ Explore Chinatown’s Past and Future

by Harmony Witte

Arts Emerson brought back to life the local classic narrative film, “Freckled Rice,” on Feb. 18 at the Bright Family Screening Room over the Paramount Theater in a screening that included the documentary short, “Our Chinatown.” “We have found a diamond that was in someone’s treasure box and unearthed it,” said Susan Chinsen, creative producer at Arts Emerson, who is also the director of the Boston Asian American Film Festival. “Freckled Rice” is the coming-of-age story of a 13-year-old boy […]

March 2, 2024 0

Wu Tsang’s ‘Of Whales’ Lets You Immerse Yourself Into the World of Ocean Life

by Harmony Witte

Of Whales by artist Wu Tsang is a gently calming, fully engrossing exhibit in the heart of the Institute of Contemporary Art– first presented at the Venice Biennale in 2022. On display now until Aug 4th the giant, 40-50ft long screen which displays the piece is in the Paul and Catherine Buttenwieser and Fotene Demoulas Galleries. This major work is premiering in New England in a gallery that is positioned above the Boston Harbor. According to the accompanying museum label, […]

February 16, 2024 0

The Final Bow: The Life and Legacy of Maestro Seiji Ozawa

by Damica Feliciano

Famed maestro Seiji Ozawa, who led the Boston Symphony Orchestra for longer than any other conductor at nearly three decades, died last Tuesday at age 88. The eccentric Japanese director will be remembered for his commitment to his craft, attention-grabbing stage presence, and his continual love for the city of Boston. He passed away on February 6 at his home in Tokyo from heart failure, according to a spokesperson for the Seiji Ozawa International Academy Switzerland. Ozawa was championed as […]

February 3, 2024 0

Chinatown Worker Statues Show the ‘Greatness of Our Immigrant Community’

by Brandon Wong

[Editor’s Note: SAMPAN first spoke with sculptor Wen-Ti Tsen nearly two years ago as he was preparing for the opening of his exhibit “Chinatown Worker Statues: A Statue In the Making.” As noted in his artist statement, the mission of this art is to examine “the intersectionalities of people, work, and forms of social constructs.” The exhibit opened October 27, 2023. Interested readers can still see the exhibit through its closing day, February 17, 2024.] Arranging the assorted tools at […]

January 13, 2024 0

Representation, Discrimination, and Stereotypes in Ballet

by Angela Yuan

The classical art form of ballet that we know today was established in 18th century Europe. Many different countries such as Russia, France, Italy, and Germany, developed their own style of ballet that corresponded with the influences of the time. Around the 20th century, the art form spread across the world and widely retained the European style choreography until recently. In the United States, more and more companies are straying away from pure Eurocentric traditions and incorporating more diverse cultural […]

January 13, 2024 0

“Objects of Addiction” Exhibit Confronts America’s Profiteering in China’s Opium Wars

by Ryan Lundgren

At the entrance to “Objects of Addiction” , a new exhibit at the Harvard Art Museums, is displayed, front and center, a very large opium smoking pipe. Its size and elaborate design indicate that it was not a commoner’s opium pipe. This piece, being chosen as the front facing display of the exhibition, speaks to the widespread use of opium in China during the Opium War period and the powerfully consuming and destructive nature of this addiction. The Opium Wars […]

December 23, 2023 0

Lunchbox Moments Interview with Artist Aime Bantz

by Harmony Witte

Step into the Pao Arts Center in Chinatown before Feb 17th of 2024 and you will be greeted with colorful walls covered in metal lunchboxes with phrases painted on them. The phrases are distilled from stories by people in the Asian American and Pacific Islander community who attended workshops with artist Aime Bantz. She wrote down the encounters they shared with her during communal meal times throughout their lives. Some of these encounters were positive moments of cultural exchange, but […]

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