Bridging Community: Asian American and Black Unity Art Exhibition

In November 2022, CHNSC, in partnership with Black Women for Wellness (BWW) announced the winners of the Asian American and Black Unity Art Contest 2022: Solidarity, Trust and Community Health.

Submissions highlighted the efforts of Asian American and Black artists and organizations bringing communities together to create practices of solidarity, trust and healing to prevent violence and racism towards Asian American and Black communities. During our art exhibit from November 14 to December 10, 2022, we displayed all submissions that collectively expressed this message: we have the power to shape and share our stories to change systems and enhance community safety and health.

This exhibit, hosted at the LibroMobile Arts Cooperative, showed the importance of creating and sharing art that reflect the togetherness, unity, strength and humanity of our communities despite efforts to keep us divided.

First PLace

Christine Yoon & Andrew Hem, Illustrators; Ko Kim, Author

“Although Black & Asian solidarity has a long history, this history gets overlooked by mainstream media and our education system. Our artworks highlight Asian American elders, such as Grace Lee Boggs and Ram Manohar Lohia, whose legacies have always been rooted in interracial solidarity. All three artworks highlight how solidarity is THE key to community health and wellness. Wellness for one group isn't wellness at all. Wellness is collective and communal in nature, as our artwork/book shows.”

Second Place

Jenny Lee

“As I worked in community health centers, I saw many acts of kindness by community members who were complete strangers. From immigrant patients scrapping their limited English to help one another to kind customers at the nail salon, I saw the foundation of healing. Thus, this is a watercolor piece of the healing I witnessed; the ‘mindfulness’ and mental health I thought were lacking were right in front of me in the form of community.”