Art and Design Commons^™

Soheila Azadi Interview, Jillian Bridgeman

Asian American Art Oral History Project

Artist Bio: Soheila Azadi is an interdisciplinary visual artist and lecturer based in Chicago and Iran. Born in the capital of Islamic cities, Esfahan, Azadi absorbed story-telling skills through Persian miniature drawings since she was nine. Azadi’s inspirations come from her experiences of being a woman while living under Theocracy. Now residing in the U.S. Azadi is dedicated to transnational feminism with a passionate devotion to the ways in which race, religion, gender, sexuality, and ethnicity intersect. Azadi uses performance art and performative installations as methods to both materialize and narrate stories about women’s everyday struggle in the world. Her …

Catherine Cajandig Interview, Rebecca Murphy

Asian American Art Oral History Project

Bio:

Catherine Cajandig is a painter, printmaker, muralist and curator. At an early age, she showed an interest in art that was encouraged by her parents and teachers. She attended classes in the SAIC Junior School. In 1960, she was juried into The Chicago Society of Artists and has remained an active member. She has served as a board member that included various committees and was the President for one year. She is the committee chairwoman that publishes the yearly CSA Print and Drawing Calendar.

Her images are of personal topics and observations, developed through series and recurring themes. She …

Kaveri Raina Interview, Eva Swiecki

Asian American Art Oral History Project

Kaveri Raina is an artist working in Chicago, IL. She was born and raised in New Delhi, India and moved to the States at the age of eleven. In 2011 she received her BFA in Painting and Photography from the Maryland Institute College of Art, and in 2016 her MFA in Painting and Drawing from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Raina was a 2016 recipient of the James Nelson Raymond Fellowship, Fred and Joanna Lazarus Scholarship, amongst others. In fall 2016 she completed a five-week residency at Ox-Bow, in Saugatuck, MI. Raina has exhibited in Chicago, New …

Jun-Jun Sta.Ana Interview, Jackson Hughlett

Asian American Art Oral History Project

Bio: Jun-Jun Sta.Ana is a self-taught multi-disciplinary artist born on September 19, 1963 to Remigio Benavidez Sta.Ana and Emma Cecilio Catral in Manila, Philippines. He moved to the United States at the age of 24, shortly after finishing a degree in Dentistry. He started his art career late just before he was turning 40- having a solo show of digital works using appropriated images from free porn sites which he deconstructed and embellished with images and symbols culled from Filipino talismans. His practice has become multi-disciplinary, and while still utilizing found images and materials, he also employs the technique of …

James Kao Interview, Alice Haller

Asian American Art Oral History Project

Artist Bio: James Kao was born and raised in Houston, Texas. After studying philosophy and focusing on the texts of Ludwig Wittgenstein at the University of Chicago, he worked as a bakery buyer for a specialty foods retail chain in Southern California. In 2001, James forwent his corporate career and returned to Chicago to take classes at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago where he received an MFA from the Painting and Drawing Department. He is Assistant Professor of Art at Aurora University in Aurora, IL, and is co-founder and co-director of 4^th Ward Project Space in …

Cesar Conde Interview, Ramona-Sky Rosenthal

Asian American Art Oral History Project

Artist Bio: A post-contemporary painter, Conde uses old world technique using modern materials to paint his realistic portraits. Conde is a Filipino-American Chicago based artist who was primarily self-taught until he hit a wall with his technical skills. Upon realizing his artistic limitations, Conde decided to study at Angel Academy of Art in Florence, Italy with John Michael Angel, who apprenticed for Pietro Annigoni. He also studied with Master Painter of Technique Mixte, Patrick Betaudier in his atelier in Monflanquin, France. Conde’s influences are Carravaggio, Rehmbrant, and Goya. Conde continues to learn and explore the infinite possibilities of painting.

Conde’s …