Illuminate: Window Murals

These window murals were commissioned by the Harvard Radcliffe Institute’s Schlesinger Library for their Illuminate exhibition, featuring archival materials about the lives and lived experiences of Asian American women. In that vein, I chose to illustrated three different pieces, inspired by archival material featured in the exhibit.

巾幗不讓鬚眉 / “A Heroine Will Not Admit Defeat to the Hero.”

Women dragon dancers and lion dancers leap through the air, chasing a pearl. Dragon dance, operated by a large team of dancers, and lion dance, performed by two dancers, are centuries-old cultural arts, performed all around Asia and in Chinatowns across the world. Here in Massachusetts, women have been breaking barriers by dancing in the lion and in all roles of the dragon in these traditionally male-dominated arts.

(The English title comes from Gund Kwok’s English translation of 巾幗不讓鬚眉. The Chinese title is a well-known saying.)

“See The Dish Cooked in Front of Your Eyes."

Myriad spices, herbs, and aromatics from different Asian culinary traditions spill out from above. Food, which holds a powerful role in many Asian American stories, has often preserved stories and traditions in immigrant families.

Pictured: Scallions, garlic, ginger, cloves, black cardamom pods, green cardamom, cumin, cilantro, basil, dried curry leaf, star anise, cinnamon, fennel seeds, gochugaru, red chilli peppers.

(The title comes from Annada Rathi’s distillation of a piece of advice from actress and Indian food ambassador Madhur Jaffrey.)

“They Didn’t Do it For Themselves.”

A woman speaks on a stage against the Combat Zone in Chinatown; a organizer flyers in support of Long Guang Huang, a victim of police brutality; and an elder speaks on a megaphone against a garage development on Parcel C. In so much of Boston Chinatown’s organizing history, Asian American women lead the charge for justice.

(The title quote comes from longtime organizer, educator, and community leader Suzanne Lee.)