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Air and Water Talk: Exploring Heritage and History Through Art and Action

On November 9th, the Heritage Museum of Asian Art hosted the Air and Water Talk, a thought-provoking discussion led by artists Hai-Wen Lin and JeeYeun Lee. Together, they explored innovative ways to engage with heritage, history, and personal identity through art, research, and physical activity. Their conversation illuminated how traditional source materials can be reinterpreted for modern audiences, offering fresh perspectives that bridge the past and present.

Throughout the event, the artists shared their unique creative processes—Hai-Wen Lin, a master kite maker, spoke about elevating traditional craftsmanship into the skies, intertwining creativity with learning and exploration. JeeYeun Lee, a scholar and performer, discussed her work on Chicago’s lakefront, where she employs performative and physical actions to address its complex history and engage the community in meaningful ways.

Attendees were invited to join the artists on their creative journeys, gaining insights into how they approach challenges, draw inspiration, and weave personal narratives into their work. The conversation provided a compelling demonstration of how art, identity, and activism intersect to foster a deeper connection to heritage and a sense of belonging.

By engaging with Lin and Lee’s work on an intellectual, spiritual, and physical level, the audience was encouraged to think beyond traditional boundaries and explore new pathways for understanding art's role in shaping contemporary cultural dialogues.

 

About the Artists:

Hai-Wen Lin is a Taiwanese-American artist whose work investigates the relationship between the body and its environment. An alumnus of the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, and a recipient of the MacDowell Fellowship and LeRoy Neiman Fellowship, Lin holds a Master of Design from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where they were recognized as a Fashion Future Graduate by the CFDA. Lin’s research on smart textiles has been published and presented in workshops at UC Davis, UC Berkeley, and MIT. Their artwork has been exhibited at institutions such as the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles, 3S Artspace, and the Pittsburgh Glass Center, as well as in unconventional locations such as homes, lakes, and even the sky. Follow their work at instagram.com/hai_wen_lin.

JeeYeun Lee is a Chicago-based interdisciplinary artist whose practice spans performance, objects, and socially engaged art. Her work delves into themes of connection, power, violence, and resistance, drawing from over thirty years of experience in social justice and community-based organizing in areas such as immigrant rights, economic justice, LGBTQ issues, and domestic violence. Lee holds an M.F.A. in Fiber from the Cranbrook Academy of Art, an M.A. in Ethnic Studies from the University of California, Berkeley, and a B.A. in Linguistics from Stanford University. Her work has been exhibited in venues across Chicago, Detroit, Santa Fe, Ohio, Missouri, and France. Follow her work at instagram.com/jeeyeun.

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