KNOT SEEN - Dumpling Diaspora Artist Collective

"Dumpling Diaspora Artist Collective" is the intersection of the work of three artists (Sammy Lee, Maki Teshima, Chinn Wang) working collaboratively and experimentally within the disciplines of installation, performance, textiles, printmaking, papermaking, ceramics, sculpture, and more. The collective was created to expand upon individual interdisciplinary conceptual art practices and to provide a necessary sense of belonging and shared purpose for Denver AAPI artists and beyond. The conception of Dumpling Diaspora and its inaugural project was funded in 2024-25 by a grant from the City of Denver Mayor’s Office AAPI Committee (DAAPIC). Our second year together as a collective will focus on a year-long experimental project, Knot Seen, in which we surrender our individual practices with the intention to collectively investigate the conceptual potential of knot-tying practices through collaborative site-specific installations and participatory performance in which audience action will help transform and evolve the project.

Knot Seen is a conceptual exploration of the simple yet profound act of knot tying – a universal symbol of connection and bonding, and a ubiquitous practice in many Asian cultures and around the world. Knots are important not only culturally but also functionally, used in more common practices from outdoor activities like camping, fishing, boating, to surgical practices and theater production. The shared human experience and the structure and systems of knotting provide a visual metaphor, with each fragile strand selected from our own cultural heritages and combined with strands from the larger Denver community, joining together to weave a rich and empathetic cultural fabric. The symbol of the knot is especially significant for us now in a world that feels disconnected and dispersed. The knot functions as both a material and symbolic framework – representing connection, interdependence, lineage, and resilience across cultures. In its intertwined and tightly woven nature, knotting resonates with the parts of us that desire closer connection, blessing, and a path towards a universal bond that could unite us as a society

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