This month I was fortunate enough to sit down with Geoffrey Gaurano, founder of Gaysian podcast, which is centered on “the life of a recovering closeted person, coming of age and coming out, and the state of being simultaneously Asian and gay.” During our chat we got into the nitty-gritty of vulnerability, intersectionality, and Asian America. His podcast is more than just a vehicle for self-identity, it is an invitation to allies to join in the united fight against white supremacy.
Tag: Interviews
Ethan and his artwork got on our radar, when he submitted a series of portraits for our October issue. At first glance I could see the depth and complexity of his art was palpable, and wanted to learn about his process. Ethan was gracious enough to squeeze in some time to chat in between work, school, and his painting; which he makes possible with detailed organization and keeping structured schedule. Over the course of our discussion, we got into how he developed his process of creating art; the portrait series he submitted; and the dialectic between art and science and emotion that cannot be divorced from one another.
A model, dancer, writer, artist - you do it all! What does a typical day look like for you? Yes! I often tell people who ask what I do, that I am a modern day Renaissance man because it’s hard to explain my career. At the forefront, I consider myself as a creative and an entrepreneur. My typical day ( in a pandemic) is to wake up quite early and workout and make breakfast after. I live a very active lifestyle given my careers, and so the upkeep of my body is very important to me. I usually begin my “work hours” in the early afternoon. Among being a dancer and writer, I am also a graphic designer and personal trainer, so my work hours vary from drafting designs in front of a computer, guiding clients through virtual sessions via zoom, and/or working as administration support for non-profit art orgs. By the late afternoon/early evening, I always plan to dance in some capacity as a sort of reward for getting through the day, whether it be just freestyling to a playlist or taking classes virtually or in person.By evening, I like to end the day by watching either some of my favorite Anime or writing in my journal as a way to unwind and reflect where I am mentally.
How do you come up with an idea for each piece of art you create? My idea of a piece would pop up when a combination of these come together: the fold and the available recycled paper with interesting colors and patterns. How big the piece would depend on how much recycled paper I have … Continue reading Interview with Vietnamese-American Origami Artist Nga Trinh
Reviewing Brian Kim’s submission, My Asian American Typecast, I found myself snapping my fingers at certain lines, laughing at others; and was left feeling inspired by the conviction and vulnerability present in his piece. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to pick his brain four a couple hours. Our discussion touched on a … Continue reading Stepping Up to the Plate: Interview with actor Brian Kim
This article contains interviews with #RacismIsAVirus, #HateIsAVirus, #WashTheHate, #IAmNotAVirus Hate is everywhere. Since the rise of Coronavirus, more and more Asian Americans have been forced to fight not only the virus but racist attacks as well. The headlines alone show the severity of the situation. “Spit on, yelled at, attacked: Chinese-Americans fear for their safety.” … Continue reading #We Will Not Stay Quiet : How Asian Americans are using social media to fight back against COVID-related racism
Kathleen Burkinshaw talks with us about writing her novel, The Last Cherry Blossom, her mother's experiences as a child during the Hiroshima bombing, and reconnecting with her culture through writing.
How did you first get into stage management? I started in high school. Someone asked me to pull curtains for a play, and I did. Then that led to just stage managing the rest of the shows in high school, like the fall play and the musical. When did you decide that you wanted to … Continue reading Way down Hadestown: an interview with Stage Manager Cherie B. Tay
What inspired you to create this film? Was there a moment that led to you writing the script, or was it multiple factors? Moving to Paris from Singapore in 2016, whenever I was out on the streets, there would be random guys calling out to me while passing by, "Ni hao!" "Konnichiwa!" That quite frankly … Continue reading The Small Things Matter Too: an interview with Zo Fan, writer/director of short film We Look the Same
Asians in the Arts 