Opening Reception with Special Guest DJ Qbert
VIEW EVENT DETAILSCelebrate diversity with the opening of Portraiture Now: Asian American Portraits of Encounter and kip fulbeck: part Asian, 100% hapa
Join us for an entertaining and enlightening evening to open two new exhibits that highlight the diversity among their featured subjects as well as among guests who attend this reception.
The evening will feature the turntable wizardry of DMC World Champion DJ Qbert, an internationally renowned Filipino-American performer and composer. Credited with championing the turntable as a musical instrument, DJ Qbert is recognized for developing some of the most important works that have shaped the hip-hop and electronic music landscapes. Houston-based DJ Henry Chow (Crossroads, Harmonious Discord) will set the stage with minimal techno and electronic beats.
A sushi bar by Glen Gondo and Sushic® – the Sushi Company, and a cash bar will also be available.
An interactive exhibit invites guests to participate by being photographed and answering the question: “What are you?” At the recent Texas Contemporary Art Fair, over 400 Houstonians participated, and selected photos and responses will be displayed.
Free parking is available in the Asia Society Texas Center lot, and overflow parking is available at Holocaust Museum Houston, Children's Museum of Houston, and Clayton Library.
In Collaboration with Zulu Creative
Host Committee
- Laurette Cañizares
- Sacha Nelson Chapel
- Carolyn Casey Figueroa
- GONZO247
- Anthony Guevara
- Viet Hoang
- Morgan Holleman
- Solkem N’Gangbet
- Heather Pray
- Eva Sagisaka
- Ashley Small
- Kim Stoilis
- Jerome Vielman
- Dandee Warhol
- Asia Society Texas Center Young Professionals
Sponsors
- Underwriting provided by Texas Capital Bank
- Sushi by Glen Gondo & Sushic®, the Sushi Company
About the Exhibits
Portraiture Now: Asian American Portraits of Encounter is a groundbreaking exhibition and the Smithsonian’s first major showcase of contemporary Asian American portraiture. Through the work of seven artists from around the world, the exhibition offers thought-provoking interpretations of the Asian American experience. Their portraits of encounter offer representations against and beyond the stereotypes that have long obscured the complexity of being Asian in America. The exhibition includes works by CYJO, Zhang Chun Hong, Hye Yeon Nam, Roger Shimomura, Satomi Shirai, Shizu Saldamando and Tam Tran.
kip fulbeck: part Asian, 100% hapa is an exhibition of portraits by award-winning filmmaker and artist Kip Fulbeck, who traveled the country photographing hapa of all ages and walks of life. Originally used as a derogatory label derived from the Hawaiian word for “half,” hapa has since been embraced as a term of pride by many of mixed racial heritage with partial roots in Asian or Pacific Island ancestry.
Fulbeck’s work seeks to address in words and images one question that hapa are frequently asked: “What are you?” By pairing portraits of hapa—unadorned with makeup, jewelry and clothing—along with their handwritten statements on who they are, this exhibition offers a powerful yet intimate perspective on the complex nature of contemporary American identity.
Seen as a microcosm of the entire country, Houston is a compelling host city for these exhibits after being named the "most ethnically diverse city in the United States" in a study led by Dr. Stephen L. Klineberg of Rice University.
Both exhibits open on November 9, 2012, and will run through April 14, 2013.