A marriage and one son later, the Lius find themselves north of the border, where the jack-of-many-trades is making noise these days at the 19th century church they purchased in the small Ontario town of Paisley. Currently converting it into a high-design home, he’s doing his own woodworking and welding — just some of his talents — while continuing to give good face (when duty calls), and even taking a role in a box office juggernaut Shang-Chi. Daniel is living life on his own terms. Pews, included.

Personal Stories, Long Reads, Art and FashionFête ChinoiseFebruary 21, 2023danielliu, model, actorComment

The Mother of All Fights: Lainey Lui & Judy Yeung 雷若芬與媽媽楊桂芳:奮勇駕馭那不可預知的未來

Elaine Lui is deep into what she does best – telling tales. But this time the subject isn’t a bad boy celebrity or an errant Royal, to mention just a couple of her typical targets. It’s her mother, a formidable personality in her own right who is presently battling cancer, with her daughter alongside her in the trenches, supporting the struggle. It’s not an easy task. At 72, mom’s no lotus flower. Never has been. Born in the Year of the Tiger, Yeung Kwai Fong has a roar that can be heard around the world, especially now that Lainey’s airing it, here, in these pages, as well as on Instagram, where she posts videos of her mother defiantly laughing in the face of the Big C.

Nicole Chau: Investing Time into My Intuition & My Brand 直覺思維導航的時間資本

I grew up in a traditional Chinese household with two immigrant parents. My parents worked tirelessly to sacrifice every bit of their own life to open up opportunities for my sister and me. My mother worked since she was 16 to support herself through college. She built her company at 29, and ran two companies while raising my sister and me. In turn, we were pushed to succeed, and life was very regimented.

Personal StoriesFête ChinoiseNovember 30, 2022Nicole Chau, La Luer, SkincareComment

Romain Jacquet-Lagrèze: Thirty-Six Views of Lion Rock 獅子山三十六景, a Collector’s Gem

Print is for from being obsolete. Beautiful photo books have become collectors items and coveted print pieces that capture the spirit of collective memory. Celebrated photographer, Romain Jacquet-Lagrèze, launched a brand new book and solo exhibition, Thirty-six Views of Lion Rock 獅子山三十六景. It was unveiled at Blue Lotus Gallery in Hong Kong from September 8th to October 9th, 2022.

Justine Yeung: Still Perspectives 楊應琪: 電影定格

For a long time, many members of the Hong Kong film industry, both on and off screen, have moved to North America or constantly traveled between the two places for work, education, or simply in search of a better life. You can find them on film sets and post-production studios all over Hong Kong and Asia, while simultaneously making their mark in many North American film studios or international film festivals.

Personal Stories, Film & BooksFête ChinoiseAugust 12, 2022Asian Representation, Personal Stories, photography, FilmComment

Artistry in Motion : Emily Gao 高婧瑤：用耳飾捕捉生活中「動」的瞬間

Born in Harbin, China, and raised in Toronto, Emily had a traditional Asian upbringing. This included parents who, naturally, encouraged her to pursue a livelihood that would be financially sound. She dutifully fulfilled her parents’ expectations, studying business and starting a stable career. They were pleased.

Personal Stories, Art and FashionFête ChinoiseJuly 18, 2022Asian Representation, Personal Stories, ArtComment

The Creative Mess that is Emma FYi Khoo: Photographer, Creator and Academic

Artistic soul Emma or “FYi” Khoo has straddled many mediums, including modelling, makeup and photography. She also is an accomplished singer, is pursuing a PhD and has an architecture background. Proudly showcasing her culture, Emma’s content includes stories that she grew up with, including anime, Ancient Egypt, Greek myths to Chinese legends and novels Journey to the West and the Three Kingdoms.

Personal StoriesGuest UserJune 29, 2022Asian Representation, Personal Stories, ArtComment

A DIFFERENT TYPE OF DESIGNER: JULIUS HUI 許瀚文: 建築更美的文字風景

Typeface or font designers are a rare breed. And Chinese typeface designers are even more scarce, which one can understand given this context: The average Western/Latin typeface is comprised of about 200 glyphs (the symbols that make up a writing system, including letters, numerals, punctuation, accents, etc. ) to create a functional set, whereas the average font used for Traditional Chinese in Hong Kong or Taiwan requires over 13,000 glyphs for basic usage. That number jumps up to a staggering 20,000 glyphs for when you add other Chinese dialects and regions, such as the characters in Simplified Chinese!

Personal Stories, Design DialogueGuest UserJune 17, 2022Asian Representation, Personal Stories, Art, typographyComment

Ishie Wang: The name behind the face 改寫海外華裔模特兒歷史的王旖溪

You may recognize Ishie Wang’s face immediately: she is one of the prominent Asian models in Canadian advertisements for Roots, Hudson’s Bay, Sporting Life, and The Shopping Channel. From an early age, her family clearly envisioned a cultivated life of aesthetics and artistic appreciation for her. Ishie began learning piano at the age of 3 1/2, studied calligraphy and Chinese painting at the age of 4, and learned erhu at 6 and percussion instruments at 8. By the age of 11, she had completed her Grade 9 Piano certification and was recognized in numerous musical competitions.

Personal Stories, Art and FashionFête ChinoiseJune 7, 2022Asian Representation, Personal Stories, ArtComment

Discovery With Her Camera: Sophia Chew

Currently 18 years of age, Sophia had an interest in the arts since childhood. It was, however, the pandemic that really pushed her into creating pieces when she was at home. In 2015, Sophia’s father gave her a Nikon D60 and lent her his camera gear. Prior to the pandemic, this camera was a constant companion, making an appearance everywhere on trips, hang-outs with friends, and neighbourhood walks.

Long Reads, Personal Stories, Art and FashionFête ChinoiseJune 6, 2022Asian Representation, Art, artists, fashionComment

Conquering hate with art + Love 用愛與藝術征服仇恨 PART No.2

Art reflects our ever-changing culture and has the ability to shift society's values and views. Racism and injustice have been a huge topics during the pandemic, magnified by the heartbreaking discovery of thousands of unmarked childrenís graves at Indigenous residential school sites, the Black Lives Matter movement, and anti-Asian racism, discrimination and violence in North America.

Conquering hate with art + Love 用愛與藝術征服仇恨 PART No.1

Art reflects our ever-changing culture and has the ability to shift society's values and views. Racism and injustice have been a huge topics during the pandemic, magnified by the heartbreaking discovery of thousands of unmarked childrenís graves at Indigenous residential school sites, the Black Lives Matter movement, and anti-Asian racism, discrimination and violence in North America.