"Talking Hands"

A.I.R. Gallery, 511 W 25th Street, 3/F, NYC 10001
July 20 - August 7, 2004

Press Release (For immediate release)

FOR INFORMATION CONTACT:
ASIAN AMERICAN WOMEN ARTISTS ALLIANCE
YAN KONG
TEL(FAX) 718-788-6170

www.aawaa.org

The Asian American Women Artists Alliance (AAWAA) is pleased to present "Talking Hands", a group show of twenty-five artists at A.I.R. Gallery, 511 West 25th Street, 3rd Floor, New York City. At the opening reception, on Friday, July 23, 7:00 PM, AAWAA will present Min Xiao-Fen, a virtuoso and courageous pioneer of the pipa, who has performed both breathtaking solos and orchestral and underground projects using this traditional Chinese instrument. Admission is free.

An online catalog of the exhibition will be launched on July 23, 2004, at www.aawaa.org. The catalog will document the artwork in the exhibition, provide backgrounds on each artist, and will present literary works by Asian-American women writers. This year’s literary contributions include "Remembering Minn Matsuda" by Yan Kong, an excerpt and adaptation from The Chopsticks-Fork Principle: "A Memoir and Manual" by Cathy Bao Bean, and "Peaches" by Andrea Louie.

"Talking Hands" emphasizes the different ways we use our hands to communicate in a visual manner. The exhibition reminds the viewer that the hands that create the artwork are the same hands that do daily chores and are the same hands that open doors for themselves in their careers. The artists in this exhibition share many common opportunities and hurdles, aspirations and expectations; however, each works with diligence to develop her own unique artistic vision. In this exhibit, the choices they make add up to a range of expression in diverse forms and media. Viewers will encounter paintings and multimedia work in Western and Eastern traditions.
Works in the exhibit will include paintings by Amy Cheng, Seema Christie, Paula DeLuccia, Junghi Han, Suejin Jo, Yan Kong, Doris J. Lettau, Elim Mak, Regina Perlin, Donna Powers, Micky Schon, Elisa Soliven, Yi Jun Sun, Yeachin Tsai and Ella Yang; paper cut from Chinese folk art tradition and collages by Helen Lin and Xin Song; brush and ink painting by Sung Sook Setton; mixed media works by Jacie Lee Almira, Chie Nishio, HeeJung Kim; digital prints by Ellen Hsiao and Miyoung Song; and glass work by Noriko Tsuji.

This program, in cooperation with the Asian American Women Artists Alliance, is made possible in part with public funds from the Fund for Creative Communities/New York State Council on the Arts Decentralization Program, administered by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council.