Durham Art Guild
May 17 - June 17 2024
Durham, NC
Counterpoints uses storytelling and art to delve into the convergence of Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (AANHPI) identity and mental health. Inspired by the intricate layers of musical counterpoint, its purpose is to weave together diverse narratives and confront the stigma surrounding mental health within our communities. Hear and see the stories of six people from the Asian diaspora in NC and their relationship with their mental health.
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A Dialectic Silence, Acrylic and Fabric on Canvas, 30 x 40"
"My mom happens to be a psychotherapist. Mental health [in the Asian community is highly stigmatized. Even when I have mental health challenges, I do not talk to my mom because, the ultimate anxiety is, “oh, what's mom going to think?” ...Maybe in part it could be related to being an immigrant and not wanting to show any sign of weakness...One of my grandmothers would ask these questions point blank, wanting to know the precise salary or the square footage. But she also lived through World War II, under extreme hardship. I heard stories from my dad about how they had to bury their supplies in the garage so that when they got ransacked where they live, they might have some food and rice. And my dad had to travel by night and live with another family so that he would be safe. So, I guess it's easy to be judgmental about the mental health stigma in our community, but for someone who has not had a whole lot and who has also had to go through hardship, it might be very important to be able to have all of these things that will keep you safe…"
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A Part [of], Acrylic and Family Photos on Canvas, 30 x 40"
"American psychology and psychiatry does not always relate to me personally because of the fact that many times it's things such as like, “oh, you need to create these boundaries or cut ties with certain people”. And culturally, that's not something that's a norm for us. I can't really create these boundaries with my parents… My parents didn't get their education here. So it was me navigating everything by myself. It was also then me helping my siblings navigate these spaces. Culturally your family is a big part of your identity and who you are…So [mental health] is something that I've had to define for myself. And maybe it's not drawing boundaries, but maybe it's like soft boundaries or it's things that I'm doing for myself that is self-care that I've had to learn over time."
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Shadow Trees, Acrylic, Thread and Gold on Canvas, Tryptic of 12x12"
"Epigenetics is the study of how behaviors and the environment can change how genes work, without altering the DNA sequence...Every time I think about intergenerational trauma, I think about epigenetics, and I think about how much trauma is a part of epigenetics and how much we are shaped by the trauma and the experiences that our ancestors had and how those epigenetics continue in passing down the generational line. And so not only do you have intergenerational trauma, but then you have the epigenetics of everything passed down to you through all the trauma that happened through your ancestral line as well."
If you are in need of mental health resources, click the link below.