imagine the stories we share...

Younger me believed in keeping my birth name as I grew into adulthood. I imagined my medical degree, white lab coat, name tags... the usual identifiers labeled with "Dr. Ho" in honor of my family. At 21, I had not planned on finding a friend who would embrace what it means to keep my family name. As a tribute to us, I sign all art-work GYang - a reflection of me, Ken and our life together.

detail of #BLUE no. 6 - mixed media on canvas

Marriage traditionalists have asked, "Why didn't you take his last name?" What's in a name? A birth name. Family name. First and middle names. Nicknames. How much of a person's identity is tied to the implications of a name: ancestries, assumptions of race, nationalities, cultural norms, gender, societal expectations and the many stories that go with it? A name can say everything, something, and nothing more or less than what was intended. 

In the art world, consider the name given to a painting; the title, even when labeled "untitled" suggests something about the work. Each painting holds stories not only about the art and its artist, but also stories imagined by its viewers. The deeper impact, beauty and wonder exist in these stories that live beyond the title and visual first impressions. 

Recently finished: "finding common ground" (#BLUE no. 5, 6, 7) - 3 side-by-side canvases, each 24x36" mixed media (black inks, chalk pastels, dried flowers, glass beads, acrylics) 

#BLUE no. 5 (finding...) - 24x36" mixed media on canvas

#BLUE no. 6 (common) - 24x36" mixed media on canvas

#BLUE no. 7 (...ground) - 24x36" mixed media on canvas

​So when we meet, after that first, "hello, my name is..." I hope to have the chance to swap stories. It's about understanding who we are, what we don't know, how we care for one another and choose to be together... imagine the stories we share. 

March 16-18, 2021 - in my sketchbook #TrippingThisLife3

March 19, 2021 - in my sketchbook #TrippingThisLife3

​Dedicated to strangers, the ones unafraid to walk this path with me, with us
-- Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders --
​it's worth repeating, ​Thank You. 

#BLUE series (Feb. 2020 - present) updated for no. 5, 6, 7 and no. 12