Healing after intergenerational trauma and abuse
March 31, 2021, marks the 12 year anniversary of my dad's passing. In the Chinese Zodiac, 12 years represents one complete cycle. CW: abuse, violence.
Jenie Gao Studio BEFORE, fully furnished production studio.
Moving to Vancouver BC in fall 2021
Hey, friends, I am moving to Vancouver, BC, this September, to expand my research on art and gentrification. Jenie Gao Studio will remain open and continue accepting clients.
“Not hating” Asians is not enough to achieve true justice.
Asian and Pacific Islander Americans have consistently been excluded from and undermined in race conversations. This exclusion has fueled a rise in anti-Asian hate crimes, including murder. What are Americans prepared to do to change this and achieve justice?
Juncture, ink drawing.
Small Magic: on self-compassion and resolution following 2020
There are many things I could write in a 2020 recap post. I could write about challenges, accomplishments, and life milestones. I could write about what it's like for my business to enter its sixth year during a pandemic. I could write about activism and advocacy and all the heavy lifting we must do in the face of injustice. I could show my best bravado and shake all my glittering, roaring resilience in the face of 2021. But honestly? What I want to offer, as we end this year, is self-compassion, and a chance for closure and resolution with ourselves.
Is Madison ready to prioritize people over property?
Community activists pushed back on the city for prioritizing the use of public funds to repair private property while taking no meaningful steps towards racial justice. An adapted version of this essay also appeared in the Isthmus.
How resolutions 60995 and 61060 are rooted in institutional racism
The following are my public comments for two resolutions that would have redirected money from public infrastructure and given it to private commercial property owners. I was one of several…
Destructive force: when we justify it, and when we don’t
The US has a long history of looting and property destruction in other countries. Yet recent debates surrounding BLM protests have centered on the tension between those who condemn the destruction of property during protests and those who want lives to take priority over property.
We should not take public tax dollars away from public services to fund private property on State Street
These are public comments in opposition to 61060 and 60995 currently under review by City of Madison's Economic Development Committee.
Boarded up windows in downtown Madison and on State Street prior to murals.
The politics of temporary murals in response to Black Lives Matter protests
In the weeks following Black Lives Matter protests, murals have popped up all over the country. In particular, murals have appeared on boarded up windows in business districts, like Madison,…
Detail shot of "In Memoriam: Everything We Remember, Everything We Forget."
Stay focused on justice, hold space for nuance
Over 11 weeks after most states announced their #SaferAtHome orders, many things are coming to a head. COVID-19. The ultra wealthy gaining $500 billion more in wealth while 39 million Americans file for unemployment. White violence and police brutality towards the black community. Each of these events was like a flame traveling down a line of gunpowder destined to culminate in an explosion.