Selina Pope is an Eurasian portrait artist based in London. She has studied under portrait artist Nicole Porter while growing up in Aberdeen and has completed short courses at the Maryland Institute College of Art, the London Art Academy and the Charles H. Cecil Studios in Florence, Italy. Selina mainly utilizes graphite and oils in her art and is influenced by traditional “old master” techniques, such as the limited palette. A mixed ethnicity background, along with growing up in Scotland, inspires the theme of identity depicted throughout her works. In February, her drawing of TV and radio presenter Norman Busigu was accepted into the 2021 Royal Society of British Artists exhibition at the Mall Galleries, one of the oldest art exhibitions in Britain. Following, another prestigious organization, the Royal Scottish Academy, accepted the piece for their online exhibition. These artistic achievements along with a creative spirit continue to ignite passion and purpose for Selina as she balances her full-time law career with being an artist. Read on to learn more about Selina and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
Sujana Chand is a professional singer, actress, vocal coach, ESL teacher and food blogger based in Las Vegas, Nevada. She studied Acting, Music and Dance at Tisch School of the Arts at New York University and ever since has continued to follow her love for the performing arts. Career highlights include the lead singer for three Cirque du Soleil shows; a cast member for the Broadway National Tour of Bombay Dreams; lead singer in Maui’s Ulalena; and premiering Stephen Schwartz’ “Secret Silk” on The Coral Princess as the Old Woman. Recently she produced her first CD, Sujana Chand – R&B Hits of Yesterday and Today -and has taken up food blogging, a new passion she thoroughly enjoys. She is inspired by successful people who remain humble and kind and admires her mother for her consistent and loving support throughout her life. Read on to learn more about Sujana and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
When’s the last time you reminded yourself that you are amazing? Like not just “pretty cool,” but a literal freaking miracle! Your existence is such a gift to the world!
I like to include a positive affirmation as part of my Morning Routine. When you get up in the morning to use the bathroom, make sure to look yourself directly in the eyes in the mirror and tell yourself something loving to remind yourself that You Matter.
Jenelle Catherina is an actor, singer and musician based in Las Vegas, Nevada. She stays very active in the local theater scene, having worked on productions with Super Summer Theater, Las Vegas Little Theatre, Vegas City Opera, and UNLV Opera. Her favorite credits include recognition as a Top 3 Finalist in BroadwayWorld’s Next on Stage; being part of the Swing It! Girls; and her role as Extraordinary Girl in Majestic Repertory Theatre’s production of Green Day’s American Idiot. Jenelle is currently in her last semester at University of Nevada, Las Vegas where she is completing her Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance and Bachelor of Science in Human Services. Her future plans and dreams include being part of a Broadway production, leading a neo-soul/jazz group, traveling the world while making music and honing her musical instrument playing skills, which include focus on the piano, guitar, violin, and cello. The talented and busy artist also has made time to give back to the community. Jenelle recently was an intern at the Garden Foundation, an educational program for special needs adults. Read on to learn more about Jenelle and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
I’ve heard a lot of different definitions of “self-care” so I decided to look it up. The definition I found is: the practice of taking an active role in protecting one’s own well-being and happiness during periods of stress. I’m going to go ahead and expand that too, REGULARLY.
I think I can get caught up a lot in all the harmful things I do/think about myself. The past year instead of trying to cease bad habits and thought patterns, I've tried to practice adding one good thing. I'm a firm believer in not being able to replace something with nothing. For example, I struggle a lot with body image, and most days I look in the mirror and feel very down on myself. Instead of telling myself "stop that!" I try to say one good thing. So yes, maybe today I hate my acne scars, but I can also say "wow, my body is really incredible in the way it tells me what it needs. These scars are proof of how it tries to communicate with me.
Carol Nguyen is a talented 22-year-old filmmaker, based in Toronto and Montreal, who explores the subjects of family, memory and cultural identity within her work. The 2019 documentary, “No Crying at the Dinner Table,” premiered to rave reviews at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) before going on to receive the Jury Prize for Short Documentary at SXSW. Carol’s incredible talent and passion has awarded her recognition as a 2018 Sundance Ignite fellow, Adobe Creativity Scholar and a TIFF Share Her Journey ambassador, a role with a mission to champion female storytellers. Read on to learn more about Carol and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
Something that helps me in keeping present and grounded within my mind and body, is going outside every day for at least an hour. It allows me to unplug from whatever I've got going on and I get to fill my lungs with fresh air. By prioritizing time in my day to play (ex: walk, run, skate, bike) outside, I can be every inch of human-simply-BEING that I am. It is time set aside to connect with my breath and celebrate my body for its ability to carry me into whatever this life throws.
Bri Ng Schwartz is a facilitator and curator of artistic community engagement programming based in Brooklyn, NY. She is passionate about creating programs, performances and digital spaces for and by intersectional communities, working with groups such as the National Queer Theater, New York Theater Workshop and Theater Communications Group. Her future goals include getting a PhD in Performance Studies and teaching university-level classes in Applied Theater. Read on to learn more about Bri and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
Today’s self care tip is from Patranya Bhoolsuwan!
I have to admit, I am one of those people where "self care" is not something I put at the top of my "to do" list. And trust me, I always have a "to do" list. But with this pandemic and a career change happening at the same time, it forced me to stop and think about how much my life & health really go hand in hand.
Karla Garcia is an actor based in Oxon Hill, MD! She has performed on Broadway in Hot Feet and Hamilton, performing in the 2016 Tonys with the original cast of Hamilton! She was also in the NBC TV show Smash and is currently choreographing a new musical called Other World. Keep reading to find out more about what makes Karla an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
Today we start our new Self Care Series! With so much going on in the world it’s easy to feel like you’re struggling alone. But the truth is you are not alone! Everyone struggles whether you can see it or not. This series is designed to show how even the most successful people still have to deal with life and find ways to self care. We hope that you will discover something from them that can help you!
Self care is an important part of life, and with so many things in the world disconnecting us we want to reach out and let you know that you are seen, you are heard, and you are not alone in your struggles.
Next month we will be putting out a series of self care tips and practices from some of our Amazing Asians in the Arts. We hope that you can find something that helps you stay sane and focused, and realize that we are ALL going through the same daily struggles.
Joanna Sotomura is a TV/Film actor based in Los Angeles! She has been in Major TV series like Hawaii 5-0 and Criminal Minds, has a recurring guest role on a series called Wayward Guide for the Untrained Eye, and appeared in the Emmy Award winning film Emma Approved! Keep reading to find out more about what makes Joanna an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
Kathleen Choe is an actor and writer based in New York City! She comes from a background in film production before transitioning into acting. Her work spans the stage and screen, as well as voice over work for audio books! Keep reading to find out more about what makes Kathleen an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
