Asians in Art | Podcast in RSS.com

Asians in Art

di Karuna Shinsho/Szewah Chin

Arte Società e cultura

Perry Yung — Bruce Lee's Warriors, the Three Body Problem & Working with Soderbergh

In this episode we sit down with Perry Yung, a veteran actor, musician, and activist who embodies the essence of "Be water". The Oakland, California-native who grew up idolizing Bruce Lee, the martial artist renowned for his iconic quote, has navigated his career with remarkable flexibility and an open embrace of change. Originally destined for a career in modern dance after winning a scholarship to study at the esteemed Martha Graham Dance Company, Perry's curiosity for exploring diverse art forms led him to pivot towards acting. Perry's breakthrough came when he landed the role of opium den owner Ping Wu in Steven Soderbergh's critically acclaimed TV series, The Knick. This paved the way for other memorable roles, including Father Jun in Justin Lin's action-packed Warrior and Professor Ye Zhetai in the popular series Three-Body Problem, based on the sci-fi novel by Liu Cixin. Music also holds a significant place in Perry's artistic endeavors. As an accomplished craftsman of the Japanese flute, known as the shakuhachi, he not only performs it, but also lives it as a breathing mediation in motion. Despite his immense success, Perry remains dedicated to amplifying the voices of other Asian Americans through the SLANT Performance Group, which he co-founded in 1995.

One Stage, Many Worlds — Aya Ogawa on Motherhood, Translation and Making Theatre With Many Dimensions

Multi-award winning playwright, director, and translator, Aya Ogawa knows what it's like to live in many worlds and in between. Born in Tokyo and based in Brooklyn, their work centers women and non-binary perspectives and uses the stage as a space for exploring cultural identity and the immigrant experience. In this conversation, Aya opens up about the deeply personal journey behind their Obie Award-winning play The Nosebleed — and the profound emotion of bringing that story back to Tokyo. They talk candidly about motherhood as a glorious, chaotic shitshow, the inspiration behind their latest work Meat Suit, and what it truly means to translate — not just words, but entire worlds — from Japanese to English. Recipient of the 2025 Doris Duke Artist Award, the 2023 Helen Merrill Award for Playwriting, and the 2023 Obie Award for the conception, writing and direction of The Nosebleed, Aya Ogawa is one of the most energizing voices in US theatre today. Follow Aya at https://www.instagram.com/ayagwa/ Their next show and other works: https://www.ayaogawa.com/

Following the Groove — Wen-Ting Wu on Jazz and Drumming

Wen-Ting Wu is a drummer, composer, and educator from Taiwan, now at the heart of New York City's jazz scene. From the moment she felt the swing, she followed it — across genres, across oceans, and deep into the spiritual heart of the drum. She has performed at some of New York City's most iconic venues — including Jazz at Lincoln Center's Dizzy's Club, Smalls, Smoke, and at large festivals across the US and Taiwan. Wu’s diverse musical career also includes international tours with the indie-pop band Sunset Rollercoaster. She is a regular member of Frank Lacy's Septet & Classical Jazz Ensemble, and the AAPI Jazz Collective and has shared the stage with notable artists such as Ed Cherry, Mimi Jones, Charenee Wade, Helen Sung, and Lonnie Plaxico. For Wen-Ting, drumming is more than a career — it's something deeply spiritual. In this interview, she opens up about that profound connection to her craft, what it means to be a woman behind the kit in a male-dominated world, and what's next for one of jazz's most compelling drummers. Wen-Ting is part of a new generation of female jazz drummers stepping into the light — bringing not just extraordinary technique, but a depth of feeling and philosophy that is reshaping what it means to sit behind the kit. You can follow Wen-Ting at https://www.instagram.com/wentingating Subscribe to our Asians in Art's YouTube channel, Apple Podcast, Spotify or follow us on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aiashow/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61581717263443 Music: Justin Jen Video Editor: Szewah Chin Social Producer: Karuna Shinsho Producers: Szewah Chin, Karuna Shinsho Exec Producers: Szewah Chin, Karuna Shinsho

From Alaska to New York — Actor Ariel Estrada, Champion for Asian American Artists

Growing up Filipino American in rural Alaska, Ariel Estrada learned early that he existed at the edges. Raised in a strict Asian household, he carried those pressures with him when he set his sights on New York's acting scene, only to find new walls waiting: class barriers, industry gatekeeping. Searching for empowerment, he spent twenty years inside a brutal martial arts cult before finding his way out — and his way forward. Today, Ariel is an actor, theater maker, producer, and the founder of Leviathan Lab, an award-winning nonprofit creative studio dedicated to advancing Asian and Asian American performing artists. In this episode, Ariel talks about the journey that shaped him and the community he built because he needed it to exist. Learn more about Ariel at: https://www.arielestrada.com/ Follow Leviathan Lab for upcoming shows, events or how to support them: https://www.instagram.com/leviathanlab/ Subscribe to Asians in Art YouTube channel, Apple Podcast, Spotify or follow us on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aiashow/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61581717263443 Music: Justin Jen Video Editor: Szewah Chin Social Producer: Karuna Shinsho Producers: Szewah Chin, Karuna Shinsho Exec Producers: Szewah Chin, Karuna Shinsho

The Voice that Crosses Worlds — Tharanga Goonetilleke on Opera and the Meaning of Art

Tharanga Goonetilleke is one of opera's most distinctive voices — and one of its most thoughtful minds. We talk to her about her origins, the teachers who changed everything, taking her gift and passion to global audiences on stage, in TED talks and in classrooms, and a question that sits at the heart of art: what is the point of artistic expression? Artwork courtesy of Tharanga Goonetilleke Learn more about Tharanga at: https://www.tharangagoonetilleke.com Her music and TED Talks https://www.tharangagoonetilleke.com/listen Her artwork https://www.tharangagoonetilleke.com/art-gallery Subscribe to our YouTube channel, Apple Podcast, Spotify or follow us: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aiashow/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61581717263443 Music: Justin Jen Video Editor: Szewah Chin Social Producer: Karuna Shinsho Producers: Szewah Chin, Karuna Shinsho Exec Producers: Szewah Chin, Karuna Shinsho

Peter Lin — Jazz Trombonist, Teresa Teng, and Anime

Peter Lin is a Taiwanese-American trombonist, producer, and educator based in New Jersey & New York City. He was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and raised in northern New Jersey. His parents love classical and Christian rock music. So how did he find his way into jazz? In this episode of Asians in Art, we unpack Peter's story – from school band to quartet – exploring what jazz means to him, his love of Anime and how his cultural heritage became a source of inspiration. Music courtesy of: Peter Lin - Sweet as Honey from the album With Respect. https://peterlin.bandcamp.com/album/with-respect Peter Lin with the AAPI Jazz Collective - Alishan from the album Identity. https://peterlin.bandcamp.com/album/identity You can listen to Peter's works or find out about his upcoming shows at https://www.peterlinmusic.com/ _______ Subscribe to our YouTube channel, Apple Podcast, Spotify or follow us: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aiashow/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61581717263443 Music: Justin Jen Video Editor: Szewah Chin Social Producer: Karuna Shinsho Producers: Szewah Chin, Karuna Shinsho Exec Producers: Szewah Chin, Karuna Shinsho

David Lee Huynh — From stage to DC's All-Star Superman and D&D: Encounter Party

Tom Hanks called him “Mr. Badass”. He’s been described as a “bro-ish menace” as Lorenzo in The Merchant of Venice and an “actor of the first order” as Prince Hal in Henry IV I. This episode of Asians in Art features the award-winning actor, writer, and narrator David Lee Huynh. He talks about the challenges of growing up in Louisiana as a child of Vietnamese immigrants to acting in Shakespeare plays and lending his versatile voice to numerous characters in audiobooks, including Superman from the DC Comics franchise. _______ Subscribe to our YouTube channel, Apple Podcast, Spotify or follow us: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aiashow/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61581717263443 Music: Justin Jen Video Editor: Szewah Chin Social Producer: Karuna Shinsho Producers: Szewah Chin, Karuna Shinsho Exec Producers: Szewah Chin, Karuna Shinsho

Lauren Yee — Cambodian Psych-Rock, Chinese Basketball and a Post-Soviet Store

It's said that history is written in stone, but playwright Lauren Yee finds it in the ordinary, whether in the groove of a Cambodian psych-rock record, at a basketball game in Beijing 1989 or in 1990s post-Soviet Union. San Francisco-born Yee has made a career of exploring the crossover of the personal and the political, finding humor in the heart of great historical change. In this episode of Asians in Art, we trace her trajectory from a childhood interest in storytelling to her position as one of the most vital voices in US theater. Inside the Episode: - Yee's childhood in San Francisco and how it fostered a unique perspective on identity. - The stories behind her acclaimed plays, from The Great Leap's exploration of US-China relations at a critical juncture to Mother Russia's portrait of post-Soviet change. - Advice for up-and-coming writers on cultivating community. _______ Follow us: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aiashow/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?... Music: Justin Jen Video Editor: Szewah Chin Social Producer: Karuna Shinsho Producers: Szewah Chin, Karuna Shinsho Exec Producers: Szewah Chin, Karuna Shinsho Topics covered: Lauren Yee, Asian American playwright, The Great Leap, US-China relations, Beijing 1989, Cambodian psychedelic rock, Dengue Fever, post-Soviet Central Asia, Mother Russia (play), San Francisco Asian American identity, theater writing advice, Asian American writers.

Jo Mei and Kenneth Lee — On Grit and Acting

How has acting changed? What does it mean to be an Asian American working actor? In this episode, actors Jo Mei and Kenneth Lee discuss a life devoted to acting, the essence of acting and the drive for greater representation of Asian Americans in movies, television, and theater productions. Kenneth Lee is an accomplished actor and advocate known for his versatility across major international stages and television. He famously originated the leading role of Hsu in Matt Charman’s The Machine, performing at the Park Avenue Armory, Donmar Warehouse, and the Manchester International Festival. His extensive theater credits range from classical turns in Hamlet and Henry IV Parts 1 & 2 at The Shakespeare Theatre to contemporary works like Snow in Midsummer at Classic Stage Company and The Great Leap at Portland Center Stage. A familiar face on screen, Kenneth has appeared in critically acclaimed series such as Mr. Robot, Search Party, The Blacklist, and Power Book III: Raising Kanan. Beyond his performance work, he is a founding member of the Asian American Performers’ Action Coalition (AAPAC), a recipient of a Tony Honor for Excellence in the Theatre. Jo Mei is an OBIE Award-winning actress currently appearing in Compagnia de’ Colombari’s production of King Lear at The Ellen Stewart Theatre (January 23 – February 8, 2026). She is widely celebrated for her work in the world-premiere of Salesman之死 with Yangtze Rep, and her notable New York stage credits include Anatomy of a Suicide at the Atlantic Theater, The World of Extreme Happiness at Manhattan Theatre Club, and Lunch Bunch with PlayCo/Clubbed Thumb. On the regional circuit, she has appeared in acclaimed productions such as The Great Wave at Berkeley Rep, King of Hell’s Palace at The Goodman, and Fingersmith at A.R.T. _______ Follow us: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aiashow/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?... Music: Justin Jen Video Editor: Szewah Chin Social Producer: Karuna Shinsho Producers: Szewah Chin, Karuna Shinsho Exec Producers: Szewah Chin, Karuna Shinsho Topics covered: Jo Mei, Kenneth Lee, Asian American working actors, acting craft, actor's life, representation in Hollywood, Asian American representation in film, television and theater, AAPAC (Asian American Performers Action Coalition), Tony Honor for Excellence in the Theatre, OBIE Award, The Machine (play), Park Avenue Armory, Donmar Warehouse, The Great Leap, Salesman之死, Yangtze Rep, Asian American theater advocacy, stage acting, acting craft

Xyza Cruz Bacani — Beyond the Lens

For this episode of Asians in Art, we spoke with interdisciplinary artist Xyza Cruz Bacani at her most recent installation, The Diaspora is Home, at Flux IV in New York. At the age of 19, Xyza travelled from Bambang, Nueva Vizcaya to join her mother in Hong Kong, to work as a nanny for an affluent family. Bacani started taking casual photographs after purchasing her first digital single-lens reflex camera with a loan from her employer. She is known for her black-and-white photographs of Hong Kong and documentary projects about migration and the intersections of labor and human rights. She is one of the Magnum Foundation's Human Rights Fellows and a winner of multiple awards for her works. She has been recognized as one of Asia Society’s Asia 21 Young Leaders, Artpil’s 30 Under 30 Women Photographers, Forbes’s 30 Under 30 Asia, and BBC’s 100 Women of the World. Her artistic accomplishments are documented by the Philippines House of Representatives under ‘House Resolution No. 1969’. Follow us: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aiashow/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?... Music: Justin Jen Video Editor: Szewah Chin Social Producer: Karuna Shinsho Producers: Szewah Chin, Karuna Shinsho Exec Producers: Szewah Chin, Karuna Shinsho

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