On April 22, 2023, the art world was saddened by the passing of sculptor Ju Ming 朱銘 who was aged 85. He was an internationally-renowned Taiwanese sculptural artist best known for his abstracted, blocky bronze and steel sculptures that masterfully depict human forms with unexpected sharp-edged shapes and a modern palette. A large number of his works are on permanent display in public areas around the world.
Read MoreFor 4 years, Cheuk crossed the globe, travelling to 13 countries, venturing behind kitchen doors to feature the journeys of 15 émigrés he found in each place. From Madagascar to Israel, from Brazil to South Africa, the real-life stories he uncovered along the way were more riveting than any work of fiction could ever be. Some were running from war, many from political oppression, a few from religious persecution; some were highly educated; some were farmers — yet all were forced to pick up a wok and a spatula — not because they loved Chinese food, but out of necessity.
Read MoreHalifax-based, multimedia artist Jenny Yujia Shi talks a lot about growing roots. This is probably because her life has been uprooted almost too many times to count. Not surprisingly, much of her creative output centres around themes of displacement and dislocation, which she attributes to two defining moments in her life: the demolition of her childhood neighbourhood in downtown Beijing and then, the decade she spent navigating the immigration process here in Canada. Shi’s work is as poignant as it is beautiful.
Read MoreFood has always been an integral part of Chinese culture — a reason to bring families and friends together as they share life over a grand display in the centre of the table. Over the last couple of years, food has become the subject of conversations surrounding Asian stereotypes and racism, with stories of childhood snacks,
Read MoreMesmerised by her two (soon to be three) children, Linda Chung wakes up each day in Vancouver to their angelic faces and appreciates every moment of her life. She admits the best part of motherhood is that it made her become an adult and actually learn how to have a life. “Back in the day when I was working 365 days a year, I didn’t know how to live.” Referring to her career in entertainment as an actor, she recounts what it was like in Hong Kong: “you work hard and are dedicated to it, but it was onscreen stuff. I may have grown in strength and creativity, but not in other ways.”
Read MoreAs the old traditional Chinese expression goes, “Studying ten thousand books cannot compare to travelling ten thousand miles.” This common saying happens to also be the one philosophy that I live by. Though books and the advancement of modern technology have allowed us to "travel" easily from the comfort of our armchairs at home, I have always believed that we can only learn about other cultures through first-hand experience. It is only by immersing yourself fully in other people's worlds that you can begin to understand their ways of life.
Read MoreThis year marks a major milestone in artist Don Kwan’s family: they will be celebrating their 100th anniversary since settling in Canada back in November of 1922. One of 8 children, Kwan is part of the third generation of his family and a proud descendant of his paternal grandfather who immigrated to Canada at just 11 years of age. Part of the first wave of Chinese immigrants, his grandfather was affected by the discriminatory Chinese Immigration Act that would charge every Chinese newcomer a $50 head tax (an incredible sum in the 1920s). Like so many of that generation, his grandfather would later go back to China to marry and have children there before his family could fully emigrate to Canada after the Second World War.
Read More“My grandma always said that if you wanted to get revenge on your worst enemy, invite them or their loved ones to work in a restaurant,” remembers Chef Wallace Wong. Despite witnessing how gruelling the restaurant business can be — and happily for the world — our favourite ‘Six Pack Chef’ didn’t heed his Po Po’s advice.
Read MoreAllen and Eva Lau are both a professional and a married couple who share many things in common, including their Two Small Fish Ventures start up investment company and Wattpad, a multi-billion dollar reading and writing platform which they founded with nothing more than a fresh idea during the early days of mobile phones. There’s more.
Read More‘Meng’ is the Chinese word for ‘dream’ and ‘Er’ means ‘child.’ Meng’er Zhang’s Chinese name could be seen as a self-fulfilling prophecy, for this Hollywood star has already realized so much of what most can only dream of. With a playful childlikeness and lack of pretension that melts the hearts of everyone she meets… …
Read More“Help! Someone get some help!”
It was the early days of COVID-19 in Toronto. While much of the city was safely isolating at home and learning to bake sourdough, many people who were homeless and poor were not afforded these same basic luxuries. With nowhere to live, no public spaces open for respite, my colleagues and I worked overtime to provide food, water, bathrooms, and social connection to many. It was in the middle of a community meal when someone found Colin* in his tent… …
Read MoreIn a blaze of publicity, Tsang quit the company that was his creative home for the past twelve years to leap again into the unknown. His latest venture is Azuki, the digital brand known for its collection of 10,000 NFTs on the decentralized Ethereum blockchain. As its name implies, Azuki are little red beans disguised as youth culture rebels who skate the Internet. They are outsiders, prone to taking risks, and alarming the Establishment, much like NFTs themselves, a pandemic-era phenomenon sold in virtual marketplaces, using the same blockchain ledger technology as cryptocurrencies.
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