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1984 – 1985

People of China: Photos by Lee C. Lee

February 1 - February 27, 1985

Lee C. Lee (or Lee Charlotte Lee) was not only an artist but a pioneer of Asian American studies. The first woman professor of Asian ancestry at Cornell University, she helped initiate the institution’s Asian American Studies program, which was the first of its kind on the East Coast. Lee was known for her passion towards student needs, children’s welfare, and especially the cross-cultural issues between Americans and Asians. Her work is informed by such causes.

Participating artist:

Emily, Anna & Ti Shan: the First Generation

March 8 – April 5, 1985

These three artists together signify a direction Asians in America have come to take. All born and raised in the United States with little or no contact with their Asian heritage, they partake in a very American tradition of painting, yet add something unique of their own. Their works and styles bear many differences but are alike in their meditative tone. Curated by Robert Lee. Learn more: catalog, press release.

Participating artists:

Triangular Landscapes

April 12 – May 10, 1985

These three young Asian American women bring a particular sensibility to the man-made object and its accompanying space. Drawing upon both Asian and American traditions and employing man’s tool of geometry, the artists create unique and unusual works. “…Awesome powers to plan, manipulate, and control the natural environment…contrast sharply with the Chinese conception of a primal timeless landscape…” Quote by Robert Lee.

Participating scholars:

Symposium on Contemporary Asian American Art

May 1, 1985

A slide show of forty Asian American artists were presented from AAAC Artist Archive to art professionals, corporate-based art curators and independent consultants. Organized by Margo Machida, AIR. Held at NYC Department of Cultural Affairs.

Participating artists & speakers:
  • Benny Andrews
  • Robert Lee
  • Geri Thonas
  • Fong Chow
  • Woong Kim
  • Helen Oji
  • Krishna Reddy

Dreams and Fantasies

May 17 – June 14, 1985

In the work of Paul Wong, Helen Oji, and Ming Fay, nature is openly celebrated. Their dreams and fantasies are expressed by novel imagery, which releases a psychic drive, a source of energy and inner joy, an unhibited power contemporary society has sought to control, to hide, and even to deny. Something elemental, hidden from conventional pretenses that has eluded contemporary men and women, is expressed here. Essays by Barry Schwabsky and Robert Lee. Curated by Robert Lee.

Participating artists:

The First Annual Open Studio Show

June 1985

Featured guided tours to ten artists studios in Chinatown community and a group show of works by eleven artists. Learn more: brochure, postcard.

Open studio participants:
Gallery show participants: