Mural Artists — *Image Credit: Danny Peña*

Asian Joy Mural Unveiling on July 21

A SEEK Raleigh project

News Published 7/8/2024 Updated 7/12/2024

As part of the SEEK Raleigh program, Raleigh Arts is excited to announce the completion of a new mural for the Raleigh community to enjoy. Titled "Asian Joy," the mural is an oral history and community-driven project created by Ina Liu, Isabel Lu, and Sophie Tô.

The goals of this project are to:

Celebrate and share experiences of Asian Americans' joy in North Carolina.
Explore how the convergence of Asianness and Southernness shape Asian Americans' well-being and community.

Based on Asian American oral histories centered on finding joy, these stories were collected and publicly archived by the UNC Southern Oral History Program.

Join us for the unveiling event on July 21 at 4pm to celebrate the mural's completion and the rich stories it represents. This event is a wonderful opportunity to engage with the artists and the community, and to experience the joy and heritage captured in this mural.

View the Mural

The mural can be found adjacent to Union Station at the end of West Street in downtown Raleigh.

About the Artists

Ina Liu

Ina, PharmD, MS is a public health pharmacist, the 2022-2023 UNC Asian American Center fellow, and co-creator of “Plural of Me,” an art platform that uses music, visual art, and oral histories to tell narratives of Asian American women. Ina’s work has been exhibited at UNC Chapel Hill, VAE, and Artspace.

Find Ina on Instagram: @inaliuart

Isabel Lu

Isabel, MPH, RD is a visual artist and the 2023 Emerging Artist-in-Residence at Artspace. Their work explores ethnic, sexual, and gender identity through food, history, and relationships. Isabel’s work has been shown across the state, including VAE, Durham Arts Guild, and CAM.

Find Isabel on Instagram: @iisabellu

Sophie Tô

Sophie, MPH is a field scholar with the Southern Oral History Program (SOHP) and a PhD candidate in Health Behavior at UNC. They study how media, arts, and storytelling can support health advocacy. Her PhD dissertation will focus on how Asian American comedians, especially in the South, have experienced and told stories about racialization, identity, and health.

Find Sophie on Instagram: @brophiebbro

About SEEK Raleigh

SEEK Raleigh is an experimental public art program by Raleigh Arts that engages the community through public art in City of Raleigh Parks, greenways, and/or community spaces. The program provides an opportunity for artists to introduce the public to new, unusual, and thought-provoking experiences through temporary public art.

Learn more about SEEK Raleigh projects.

Learn more and apply to the SEEK Raleigh artist call

About Raleigh Arts

Raleigh Arts, a part of the City of Raleigh’s Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department, fosters and promotes the arts in Raleigh by administering the programs of the Raleigh Arts Commission and the Public Art and Design Board and supporting the Pullen and Sertoma Arts Centers.

Associated Event