跨, A-CROSS: a zine launch and artist talk with Isabel 玥 Li

跨, A-CROSS: a zine launch and artist talk with Isabel 玥 Li borders, boundaries & binaries... what does it mean to live a-cross? Come join us for 跨, A-CROSS, a queer zine launch and artist talk with Now Place’s winter artist-in-residence, Isabel 玥 Li. 跨 comprises three short essays around the artist’s experiences as a queer Chinese person from New Zealand, with accompanying illustrations in Isabel’s signature vibrant style. These essays are written primarily in English but contain the artist’s reflections on learning queer Chinese vocabulary, gender fluidity across Eastern and Western cultures, and the transness of creating communal, diasporic language. Akaa Ling will facilitate an artist Q&A, and then together we can view behind-the-scenes of the zine-making process, risograph prints of the zine illustrations, and purchase or pre-order copies of the zine. Isabel is also excited to lead the creation of a “community dictionary”—they invite you to bring your unique experiences and vocabulary to this day of celebrating language and identity. ✦ Event Flow ✦ 2:00 PM — Doors Open Arrive early and take your time to explore the zine, risograph prints, and the exhibition. 2:30 PM — Artist Talk Begins Including a short reading, followed by a facilitated conversation and audience Q&A. Community Dictionary Activity ✧ Led by Isabel — a collective, open-ended activity to close, where we build a shared language together. (We’ll begin in a more guided, intimate format, and gradually open into a softer, free-form space through the activity.) About the Artist Isabel 玥 Li (they/any) is an artist, poet, and creativity researcher from Tāmaki Makaurau. They are currently investigating how technology can better serve art education, experimenting with gouache painting, and making zines about queer bilingualism. @ilyues $10 goes towards the zine purchase! All donation go toward supporting the artist and sustaining the space ❤