Of Wave and Stones, 16x16x35ft interactive tulle and river rocks installation, 2023

Photo courtesy of SOMArts Cultural Center

Commissioned by the Asian American Woman Artists Association of San Francisco, this piece anchors the themes for their 2023’s exhibition Jade Wave Rising: Portraits of Power, an exhibition that explores and celebrates how AAPI woman artists have embodied and manifested their power in creative and community work. This sculptural installation, made from over 4,000 yards of tulle and hundreds of river rocks, reflects upon the inherent power in each of us, and how this power is magnified when we come together.

Artist’s Statement:

Using the icon of a wave to capture power’s complex and dynamic nature, I pay homage to the ancient wisdoms that I learned from family elders during my childhood in Vietnam. In these stories, water is a symbol for the patient, quiet determination that will inevitably triumph over obstacles. The smooth river rocks at the base of the sculpture serve to complete and balance this metaphor, representing the Yang-facet of power: tough, resilient, unyielding.

The wave is at once overwhelming and calming as it pours over us. The hundreds of river rocks, hand-painted with personal mantras of empowerment by visitors, instills a sense of collective ritual and grounding to the meditative space enclosed by the shifting-color folds of fabric. Audience is encouraged to spend time in the meditative alcove inside the wave, inscribe their personal power mantra on a piece of river rock, and contribute it to the installation so future visitors can feel inspired by these words left-behind: creating a collective legacy of empowerment.