Joya: AiR / Laurie Wen / USA - Hong Kong

“On my first day at Joya: AiR, fellow resident Maraid said to me, “Wow, everything here is so beautifully framed.” I said, “I know!” We had a good laugh when we realized she was referring to the physical frames of paintings, while I was thinking of “framing” in the abstract sense. It was clear to us both that Joya: AiR is a living frame joyfully curated by Simon and Donna. Frames make us pay attention. Being at Joya reminded me of going to Isamu Noguchi’s garden museum in New York City: paying attention to every slit in Noguchi’s stone sculptures primed me to marvel at every crack in the sidewalk after leaving the museum.

Donna and Simon say people tend to have more vivid dreams at Joya. I wonder if it’s not so much the dreaming part that is more vivid, but the remembering part. When we’re at Joya, we intentionally abandon our regular life rhythms. Our usual schedules, tasks, and mental habits fall away. I think our brains have more open space for our conscious and unconscious thoughts to take shape and wander. Dreams that we may not remember in our normal life may find it easier to get our attention when we’re here.

In that seemingly paradoxical frame of mind cultivated by Joya—a focused sense of openness—I allowed myself to take creative steps that probably wouldn’t even have occurred to me elsewhere. I arrived at Joya planning to make monotypes and to work on my book about the Hong Kong democracy movement. I did make dozens of monotypes, using ink made of poppy petals and acorn caps gathered from Joya’s grounds, thanks to fellow resident Marta, who shared her skill with us. But I didn’t touch my book at all. Instead, amidst birdsong, crickets’ chirping, howling winds, and Frida’s barks, I started writing songs for a musical about the democracy struggle in Hong Kong. The attempt is absurd—I’ve never written songs before; I’ve only watched a few musicals in my entire life; and the topic is, well, counterintuitive. But somehow Joya made me think it was possible, even sensible, to move forward with this crazy idea. I wrote six songs and a basic structure for the musical during my residency. I can’t wait to perform the finished spectacle at Joya in the future”.

Laurie Wen

Laurie studied filmmaking and worked on independent films in New York City before switching her focus to activism and writing. She's working on a book about the democracy movement in Hong Kong, her hometown. She also dabbles in printmaking. Laurie's currently based in San Francisco and loves to play the accordion.

Simon Beckmann30 July 2023