Envisioning GLAS: A Discussion with the Visual Artist-in-Residence Interns

Hana Rafee and Gabe Tiemann are two visual Artist-in-Residence interns in the Global Asian Studies program. They will be presenting their works, Faces of GLAS and Rewritten and Retold, respectively.

The goal of Faces of GLAS is to demonstrate the critical thinking that is fostered in the Global Asian Studies Program (GLAS) and the impact of the diverse UIC community on its students. Meet GLAS minors Krystal, Elena, Theresa, Shukri, Lillian, Patrick, Ada, and Kavya who tell their stories of studying Global Asia and Asian American. Although what they learned through the program seems like small details in their lives, these small details lead to changes in the ways that they think about the world around them and the ways that they form or improve relationships. As illustrated in Faces of GLAS, artist Hana Rafee drew out moments wherein their perspective, ways of thinking, and career goals shifted, while demonstrating how being a GLAS or ASAM Minor and student impacted their lives.

Rewritten and Retold is a fantastical retelling of the Global Asian Studies Program (GLAS) that seeks to interpret the program’s robust history and the journey to its formation in a fantastical way. The story is set during a more rural time and heavily inspired by medieval life. It depicts the Anru Kingdom, which represents the struggles that both Asian Studies and Asian American Studies faced to reach a point where they could come and work together to form a new village – Global Asian Studies. This project was conceived and edited by Gabe Tiemann, in collaboration with Chris Dantis.