Interview is edited for length and clarity.
What drew you to the field of art history?
My introduction to the field of art history took place during my high school sophomore year history class. I was given the opportunity to develop a research project on a topic of my choice. Through my research, I stumbled across essays written by scholars in the field and was enamored by the ways in which they articulated the passage of time through visual culture.
It was then that I realized this was a tangible career path that I could pursue. Ever since then, I took any opportunity I could to write about art in any capacity. On a personal level, I chose art history because it was a way to engage with my own cultural history. My experience as a Chinese transnational adoptee separated from my birth culture prompted me to study the history of the culture I was removed from.
With my specialization in 20th century China and an interest in connecting global histories, art history and visual culture became a vehicle to connect these overlapping stories and find agency in my own cultural expression. Within my work, I hope to represent the discipline of art history as a tool for others to encourage ongoing connection through visual culture.
What were your internship experiences like?
I was fortunate enough to work in multiple galleries and institutions during my undergraduate career. I worked at the Trustman Art Gallery at Simmons as a Gallery Assistant and Curatorial Fellow during my senior year. From that time on, I made quite a few wonderful connections with artists, many of whom I am still connected with post-grad.
I also worked at the Institute of Contemporary Art in the South Boston Seaport District as a Visitor Service Associate while living off campus and still attending classes. That experience, as well as those in smaller galleries I worked in, showed me the inner workings of how museums operate.
Are you still in touch with professors and peer alumnae/i?
Yes, I am delighted to still find myself running into many professors and peer alumnae/i as I continue to expand my network in the Greater Boston area. Working in the arts as lively and well connected as Boston’s, I am bound to run into people I already know and can reconnect with.
Even at my job now, at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, I have professors and colleagues reaching out to see if they can bring their class there for a tour as well as hearing from me about any advice or stories I have to tell. The art world is small, and the art world in Boston can feel even smaller. Networking and having those strong connections with peers and professors can go a long way.
What advice would you share with a current art history student?
Prioritize connectivity. The art world is tirelessly competitive, with limited opportunities that require specialized skill sets as the field continues to fight for space. Yet through the tireless competition and the grit it builds — to the celebration that such tenacity rewards — I stay committed to serving as a resource to peers with similar aspirations.
With how small the art world is, it can be challenging to navigate a competitive space alongside your peers. However, I implore young art professionals to build their network, expand their community, and don’t be afraid to reach out to one another for support.
Portrait in Dean Kothari’s Office
In 2024, my self portrait, “Look at Me,” was acquired by the Simmons University Art Collection through the support of former Trustman Art Gallery Director Helen Popinchalk. The portrait was originally an assignment from Professor Colleen Kiely’s portrait course that I took my senior year. The assignment was to compose an “anti-selfie self portrait” as an exercise to challenge conventional representations of ourselves in a culture so heavily influenced by social media and editing tools.
I took a humorous approach to the assignment. As someone who stands at a grand 5 feet tall, I am conscious of the way that most people view me from the top of my head, rather than straight on or from below. As a result, the foreshortened view of this self portrait positions the viewer as if they are looking up at me, up my neck, through my nostrils — a rare sight.
The reference image was taken in 2020, and in 2022, was used as the headshot for a feature story on the Simmons website when I received the Gwen Ifill Scholarship Award. This image has lived many lives at this point, now as the center portrait installed in the office of Ammina Kothari, Dean of the Gwen Ifill School of Media, Humanities and Social Sciences. It feels almost serendipitous. In many ways, the image has been an emblem of my achievements and generous opportunities awarded to me during my time at Simmons.