I am a freelance Visual & Community Artist based in North Oxfordshire, UK after being based in Manchester for 7 years until 2008. Since my (BA) Photography degree and (MA) Media Arts Masters, I have been exploring my experiences of being transracial adopted and now work as a freelance artist working with international adoption communities. For my conceptual [Adoption Art] I mainly use digital medias like photography and video with performance elements.
Since leaving univeristy I have a number of exhibitions/screenings, residenceies, schemes and training. Most noticeably a Whisper residency & Chinese Professional Artist Development (PAD) scheme at the Chinese Arts Centre (2006), a two year business art scheme called the The Setting Up Scheme (2006-2008). I was also the winner of the My Life in the News documentary for NOISE Festival (2006) which I won a two day work experience at the BBC in London and was one of the artist representatives at the opening of the 2008 NOISE Festival that took place at Downing street, London. More recently I have also had works published in two adoption anthology book collections, Pieces of Me & More Voices, and had a video screened as part of the Touring Trans-cultural Adoptee Films’ (2009) in Australia. Go to the [Key Works CV] page for a list of other works I’ve been a part of.
In 2008 I shifted my art practice focus to [Community] and [Design & Freelance] work, though occasionally I still do contemporary work for a display. I do talks/panels where I speak about my experiences of being an adult adoptee. I also plan & lead art workshops mainly with adopted kids/teens/families or people that have an East Asian connection ranging from simple crafts to custom themed workshops. I am involved in a number of international adoptee groups and projects, notable I am the founder and artist of Adopted the Comic, Website Designer & Advisory Network Member of Adopted Vietnamese International (AVI) and between 2009-2011 designer & committee member of Chinese Adult Adoptee Worldwide Reunion (CAAWR). I have done talks & workshops in the UK, Ireland and Hong Kong. I really love my community work and all the wonderful people that I have met so far. My freelance work ranges from photographs to logo design to language book illustrations.
Sometimes people ask me how I become an artist. I’ve always been a creative person since I was a child. I found out when I was a teen that I was dyslexic and art just seemed to fit with me as just another form of communication for me. Dyslexia has never held me back from achieving my goals, and I’d like to think that my dyslexic mind helps me think outside the box. I’ve also always been interested in technology, and if I’d not pursued art I’d have done I.T. I haven’t let that stop me as most elements of my work incorporate some form of technology. I taught myself how to video edit, manipulate photos, digitally draw/illustrate and make websites… and I’m still learning new things every day.
I am a very passionate and hard working person who has many questions about the world, probably stemming from my curiosity of [My Adoption Story]. I feel there is so much fascination in the world and in people. I feel very lucky that I can work in a field that lets me observe and connect.