7 Continents 9 LIves Author:Fay Chiang Fay Chiang's work is complex. Born of anger, it is ultimately optimistic about the importance of the artist as a preserver and perpetuator of culture, and of the self-determination of the individual in a society in which pressures to conform persist. Her unflinching sense of fairness and justice and her intolerance of hypocrisy seem at odds with... more » her joie de vivre and good humor. In truth, her tenacity and clear vision are the strength of her work, both artistic and political.
Fay Chiang is a writer, artist and community/cultural activist living and working in Chinatown and the Lower East Side of New York City for the past four decades. Raised in the backroom of a laundry in Queens by immigrant parents from Guandong, China, she writes from her experiences as a woman of color from the working class. She believes culture is a psychological weapon to reclaim our past, define our present and to envision possibilities for our future; that the development of culture is an integral part of progressive social change and social justice movements.
". . .through her words we feel the crackle and pain of being othered. . . ." states John Kuo Wei Tchen of New York University and the Museum of Chinese in America« less