Little Tokyo Stance
public art, inkjet on vinyl
location: Brunswig Square, 211 N. Central Avenue, Los Angeles, California
commissioned by Sustainable Little Tokyo for Windows of Little Tokyo
2018
photos by Elon Schoenholz
Little Tokyo Stance
public art, inkjet on vinyl
location: Brunswig Square, 211 N. Central Avenue, Los Angeles, California
commissioned by Sustainable Little Tokyo for Windows of Little Tokyo
2018
photos by Elon Schoenholz
Little Tokyo Stance
public art, inkjet on vinyl
location: Brunswig Square, 211 N. Central Avenue, Los Angeles, California
commissioned by Sustainable Little Tokyo for Windows of Little Tokyo
2018
photos by Elon Schoenholz
Proposal for a Mural Dedicated to David Tran
gouache on Fabriano paper
19 x 27 inches
2014

Proposal for a Mural Dedicated to David Tran was inspired by community murals that chronicle and glorify immigrants’ pursuit of the American Dream, commemorating heroes, martyrs, and elevating the quotidian in a didactic folk vernacular. The Huey Fong freighter carried Tran and Vietnamese refugees to the U.S. in 1978 after the Vietnam War. The ship churns through a red sauce, foreshadowing his promise as an aspiring entrepreneur, but also serving as a reminder of the bloodshed and death of millions of Vietnamese during the war and the boat people who perished in transit.
Press:
“Audrey Chan’s painting, Proposal for a Mural Dedicated to David Tran, might at first seem like a simple ode to Sriracha’s Vietnamese creator and his success story. But [Steven] Wong says that once again, there’s more than meets the eye. The painting isn’t just a proposal for a mural, but a commentary on the genre of community murals as a whole. “While it honors the history of David Tran,” Wong says, “at the same time it’s analyzing and deconstructing that way of communicating history.”” —Sam Dean, NPR
“Audrey Chan’s proposal for a mural poses the immigrant success stories prevalent in community art in contrast with the reality of global-political discrimination and violence. Sriracha’s founder, David Tran, is depicted alongside a freighter carrying refugees across a blood-red sea.” —Annie Buckley, Artforum.com
“It’s that necessary courage that once again arises in Audrey Chan’s “Proposal for a mural dedicated to David Tran.” …Her work highlights the long journey Tran had made to create what is now cult culinary favorite.” —Carren Jao, KCET Artbound
Exhibitions:
Kuwento Engkuwentro: Angeleno Folkore, Legends & Sidewalk Stories, Pico House, El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument, Los Angeles, California, May 14-31, 2015
L.A. Heat: Taste Changing Condiments, Chinese American Museum, Los Angeles, California, curated by Steven Wong, March 13-July 12, 2014