Yuko Torihara is an actress based in NYC, but she’s tried just about everything in-between offstage – from wardrobe styling, photography, producing,, set design, and more across the UK, US, and Japan! Over the pandemic, she directed a short film (Chinatown Beat) in collaboration with prominent Asian artists (such as Henry Chang and Corky Lee), was recently seen in the new Starbucks Reserve campaign, and currently stars as Miko Kaplan in the hit Netflix show,The Watcher. Her advice to young artists? “Work on cultivating a solid and deep self love, a healthy relationship with yourself… Keep on saying yes to change and transformation, as you don’t know where you will end up.” Read on to learn more about Yuko Torihara and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
Rachell Ellen Wong is a violinist, pickleball fanatic, and bunny mom based in New York City. She began her musical journey at six on the violin thanks to her father’s influence, and went on to attend the University of Texas at Austin, Indiana University, and the Juilliard School to further her education. Now, Wong has performed with “the Academy of Ancient Music, American Bach Soloists, Jupiter Ensemble, Bach Collegium Japan, Les Arts Florissants,” and more – and is the co-founder of her own ensemble, Twelfth Night! Her advice to young artists? “Make sure you really love your art and that you always have a goal in what you want to do with it.” Read on to learn more about Rachell Ellen Wong and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
Rumi Oyama is a multidisciplinary artist based (and ex-fortune teller!) in NYC. She got her start dancing at 15 years old in high school, taking up part-time jobs to support her dancing and singing lessons. After getting her B.A. in law, she went on to make her Broadway debut in Allegiance, starred in Running for Grace streaming on Amazon Prime, and is currently working on a new film, Spirit Box! In addition to performing, Oyama founded her own film company, Kuma Dakko Productions, to “unite people despite race, gender, class and sexual orientation.” Her advice to young artists? “Don't be afraid to be “you”. You don’t have to shape yourself to please other people.” Read on to learn more about Rumi Oyama and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
Jessica Wang is a freelance musician based in NYC. She got her start from her mother at 4 years old with the piano, and picked up the cello at 6. However, music wasn’t always the path she envisioned – Wang also held an interest in psychology and therapy, and recieved her B.A. in Psychology from Harvard before realizing music was her true passion and obtaining her Masters in Music from Julliard. Her work includes playing on “the first North American tour of An American in Paris…Saturday Night Livewith musical guest Shawn Mendes, …Radio City Christmas SpectacularOrchestra… [and the] NYC premiere of the off-Broadway show "Between the Lines.” She also collaborates with her husband for Chips n Cellos (a chiptune music project)! Wang’s advice to young artists? “Work hard, show up prepared and be nice to everyone.” Read on to learn more about Jessica Wang and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
Saki Kawamura is aninterdisciplinary artist and award-winning director based in NYC. She got her start at just two years old dancing, but it wasn’t until she spent more time observing directors while onstage as an actor that she realized directing appealed to her too! Now, her work includes Disney’s Broadway Hits, Serenity and Delight by Momo Akashi, The Tree by Barbara Anderson, and directing The Man who Turned into a Stick as well as Assistant DirectingCLUEat Paper Mill Playhouse. Now, she serves as the Associate Director at George Street Playhouse for Joy (The New Musical)! Kawamura also recently became the “Associate Artistic Director of Ren Gyo Soh, a butoh theatre company in NYC” where she plans to highlight stories about immigrants, and is collaborating with Mudita, a non-profit interdisciplinary show. Her advice to young artists? “Always remember to listen to your heart. Keep creating and don’t forget to learn!” Read on to learn more about Saki Kawamura and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
Kai An is an actress based in New Jersey. Thanks to extracurricular involvement encouraged by her mother, Chee found a passion for music at every school she attended. In middle and high school, she began picking up theatre – upon graduation, she toured withMiss Saigonas a Kim alternate and was most recently seen inMr. Holland’s Opusat the Ogunquit Playhouse! As a performer, Chee finds it important to prioritize health above all else and to take comfort in knowing her concerns and perceived shortcomings are shared by fellow artists. Her advice to young artists? “There are no rules… be open to working on other things at the same time… and financial stability is nothing to laugh at.” Read on to learn more about Kai An Chee and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
Jeena Yi is an “actor, crafter, baker, and eater” based in NYC. She got her start interning at a theatre in L.A., where she came to realize how much she loved storytelling through her work. After moving to New York and getting her MFA at Columbia University, Yi saw a production at the Belasco Theatre that inspired her. Four years later, Yi made her Broadway debut in that very theatre inNetwork. You can also find her in popular TV series such asOnly Murders in the Building,Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,Succession, and soon to be in the filmNYADon Netflix andGood Enemyat the Minetta Lane Theatre! Offstage, she enjoys crafting and sewing, finding that creative outlets without the pressures of expectation or perfection help enrich and destress her. Yi’s advice to young artists? “No job is too small. Use every gig as an opportunity to work on your craft and watch your peers work. You can learn so much from each other and help one another.” Read on to learn more about Jeena Yi and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
The Cre8sian Project is thrilled to announce the winners of the
2022-2023 Cre8sian Project Scholarships! Because we had so many outstanding applicants, our scholarship committee decided to award an additional top prize this year! Click here to see this year's winners!
Sami Ma is an actress based in NYC and former band nerd. After taking up dance and piano classes at a young age, she auditioned for “a very illegalproduction of Wicked Hairspray” that shaped her career path! Since her days as Tracy Turnblad, Ma is currently in the world premiere of Nativity Variations at Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, made her off-Broadway debut in Once Upon A (korean) Time (Ma-Yi Theatre Company), performed regionally in The Chinese Lady, The Great Leap,and Gloria, and starred as Jen in Tender Ears (a film to premiere this October)! Offstage, Ma is a diehard Celtics fan and “self-proclaimed Chinese grandma to all!” in the process of creating a cookbook with her family’s Indian and Cantonese recipes.Her advice for young artists? “Get into the habit of cheering for everyone and remembering that their successes are NOT your failures. There’s room for every single person in this industry and all you have to do is focus on enjoying your own path!” Read on to learn more about Sami Ma and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
An Phan is an actress, filmmaker, equestrian, and pageant community member based in Los Angeles. She fell in love with the Arts as a ballerina, artist, and pageant candidate, before going on to pursue theatre in high school. After obtaining her master’s in acting for film, Phan went on to appear as the first Asian-American girl on HBO’s hit seriesEuphoria, Showtimes’Kiddingas a leading co-star for the season finale, multiple Vietnamese talk shows,Vogue Italia, a TEDx speaker, and even the America Regency International 2021 Winner as Miss Vietnam! Offstage, she’s a professional equestrian, and combines her love for helping children with ADHD and autism with riding horses as a therapy tool – all while acting as ambassador for the National Organization of Vietnamese American Leadership of Greater Washington and promoting the work of the National Alliance on Mental Illness and working towards her Ph. D! Her advice to young actors? “Keep doing what you love with authenticity… [and] be sure to give back to your community.” Read on to learn more about An Phan and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
Wen Wu is an artist and musician based in Phoenix. Through her father’s clarinet, she found a love for music and decided to pursue it professionally. After attending Capital Normal University in China, she became an exchange student at Northern State University in South Dakota, transferring to Arizona State University to get her Master’s and Doctorate! Now, Wu plays with the national tour of Anastasia and various Brazilian, Cuban, and jazz groups. Offstage, Wu is a paper artist and practices quilling and sculpture art. Her advice to young actors? “Enjoy it!” Read on to learn more about Wen Wu and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
Sushma Saha is a singer, dancer, and performer based in New York City (with the same size hands as Michael Jackson and the ability to sing the alphabet backwards). Encouraged by her sister and mother to pursue musical theatre, Saha attended Ithaca College and got their start through the department’s email, which led to a casting call for the new musical Interstate by Melissa Li & Kit Yan at New York Musical Festival. Finding representation in that work, ze submitted and booked the show. Now, Saha’s credits include Girlfriend (the Matthew Sweet jukebox musical), The Wolves, and most recently Broadway’s revival of 1776! Offstage, she’s working on an EP (“This Isn’t About You”) to be released this summer and makes it her mission to “represent the underrepresented and to be a voice for the voiceless.” Her advice for young artists? “Making art for a living is a doozy because art is usually a source of joy and part of our identities . . . but you also gotta pay the bills, ya know? Just know there are going to be jobs you take to serve the former, jobs you take to serve the latter, and the lucky jobs you get that serve both purposes.” Read on to learn more about Sushma Saha and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
Christine Heesun Hwang is an actress, playwright, and lyricist based between NYC and Seattle. Entering the entertainment industry in high school purely by chance, Hwang is currently working on Les Misérables and a new play (confirm me) in development with Leviathan Lab, and was commissioned by YES Theatre to pen the book and lyrics to the new musical, renewal. Between writing and performing, she found that discovering and prioritizing a work/life balance preserved her identity, allowing her to dedicate her best self to all she does. Hwang advises young artists to focus on their “why” and feed their love for their passion. Read on to learn more about Christine Heesun Hwang and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
Melissa Li is a musician, writer, and composer based in Montreal. She got her start creating her own scripts as a child before turning to songwriting and short film development in high school! After finding a home with True Colors at The Theatre Offensive in Boston, Li began to craft her very first musical. After a stint as an editor on a (bad) self-help book, wedding videographer, office manager, and director of nutrition, she attended Boston University and got to work onInterstate,MISS STEP, andAgain,and has several TV/Film projects in the making! Li finds in writing that the details – from the way characters stand to how something is placed – can really aid in her storytelling process. Her advice to young artists? “Don't be afraid of your own voice. It's what makes your art special and unique.” Read on to learn more about Melissa Li and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
Grace Aki is a writer, performer and illustrator based in NYC. After making her stage debut at 5 as Quackers the Duck in a local production of The Three Little Pigs, she studied at the The Barrow Group School and went on to perform on the Cartoon Network, in her solo show To Free a Mockingbird (which was chosen for the SheATL & NYC New Play festival!) and assorted new works, and to open her own Etsy shop for her art – but offstage held the crown of North Georgia Fair Queen and is an avid hot dog enthusiast. Through her work, Aki hopes to both shed light on important topics like invisible abuse and to provide her community with characters that “look and sound like [them].” She advises young artists to “engage in pop culture” and to “learn from everyone.” Read on to learn more about Grace Aki and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
