The past five years of my life have been every and anything but the word ‘normal’. I moved to New York City in 2016, arriving at what I can only describe as my happy place. New York City has been all I ever wanted to experience since visiting at the age of twelve. So naturally, when I was invited to write about Art in Odd Places 2021: NORMAL festival taking place on 14th Street, I was in total anticipation – looking forward to the event. I woke up on Thursday ready to see the art that awaited me on 14th Street and specifically in one of my favorite areas of the city – Union Square. I even invited a friend.  The energy was vibrant in the city that day. Waves of people swarming in the park, sitting, singing, dancing, people shopping from store to store, the streets were filled. It made me once again realize why I moved to New York, and notice how much has changed since I’ve been here. And how much I have changed.

Photo: Angela Liao
Made In Power

The first artist I met was Xiao Yang, whose work was a response to  the human rights violations in her mother country, China and the equally distressing treatment of African Americans in the US.  Xaio had the Universal Declaration of Human Rights -made by the United Nations- be shredded through  a matrix dot printer. A metaphor on how we have spoken volumes about human rights and social justice, Xiao stated “it is like we keep talking and talking, but all the voices go into the social structure shredder, everybody has the right to live, it doesn’t matter the color of your skin.” Thank you for sharing your art with the world, Xaio, and for taking a stand on what you believe in. You remind me light shines in all and all are wanting the same, a life of love, a life of peace, a life humans have the right to.
Photo: Noah Herman

Photo: Noah Herman
Leaf Memorial 

Next my journey took me to Kato Stewart. 21 years ago, her younger brother passed away. Her family decided to spread his ashes in the backyard under a Japanese Maple tree. Time had passed and her family never really talked about the death. It was about a year ago when they had to sell the house, overcome with the sadness of leaving the ashes of her younger brother, Kato felt she had to do something to memorialize him. She began making leaves out of paper and painting them to symbolize the tree where the ashes of her brother were laid. It wasn’t long before she realized how healing and therapeutic making these leaves had become. After sharing her leaves with her community and support groups, they started sending in their own leaves, having online gatherings and workshops. Even before this event, people sent in leaves to be hung on this stand-like figure with the others. A collective memorial of leaves for our lost ones. I was touched by Kato’s artwork because I immediately thought of a close friend I lost seven years ago, I quickly told her I would join and wrote down his name on the leaf. Walking away from her made me feel like my friend was with me in New York that day. I had written his name on that leaf, in Union Square, a place he had never been to, but somehow it felt like he was right there with me at that moment. Thank you for sharing your art with the world, thank you for showing us how to keep our loved ones that have passed, in our mind and spirit. On that day, you showed me that my friend is right by my side and for that I will forever be thankful. Rest in peace to all those we lost. Rest in peace Andrew.

Photo: Bob Krasner

Photo: Brian Schutza

Photo: Angela Liao