{"id":7019,"date":"2022-01-05T19:10:18","date_gmt":"2022-01-05T19:10:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/speccoll\/?p=7019"},"modified":"2023-08-06T20:08:44","modified_gmt":"2023-08-06T20:08:44","slug":"monica-ong-an-asian-american-visual-poet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/speccoll\/2022\/01\/05\/monica-ong-an-asian-american-visual-poet\/","title":{"rendered":"Monica Ong: An Asian-American Visual Poet"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The following is written by Olson Graduate Research Assistant Matrice Young<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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\"Monica<\/a>
Monica Ong (photo by Matthew Fried and from Positively Filipino<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Special Collections & Archives recently acquired two artists books from Monica Ong,<\/span> a <\/span>second generation <\/span>Chinese-<\/span>Filipino <\/span>American <\/span>woman<\/span> born and raised in <\/span><\/span>Chicago, Illinois<\/span><\/span><\/a>. <\/span><\/span>Her family history, <\/span>like many Americans, is a complex one<\/span>. <\/span>During World War II, her grandparents<\/span> left Fujian, China and immigrated to Manila in the <\/span>Philippines<\/span>. <\/span>There, both of her parents were born and raised. Her father, a medical resident, <\/span>moved to the US in the early 1970s with his family to settle <\/span>down<\/span>. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ong <\/span><\/span>studied studio art as an <\/span>undergraduate<\/span> at New York University and earned her MFA in <\/span>digital<\/span> media from the Rhode Island School of Design. <\/span>She <\/span>currently works as the user-experience designer at the Yale Digital Humanities Lab at the Yale University Library in Con<\/span>necticut. Ong was also a literary fellow with the organization Kundiman<\/span><\/a>: which seeks to create a mentorship and community space for Asian Americans exploring their creative craft, artistic freedom, and the challenges within the Asian-American diaspora. When it comes to her influences<\/span><\/a>, some of them include Theresa Hak Kyung Cha, Claudia Rankine and Barbara Kruger, Daisaku Ikeda<\/span><\/a>, her family, and learning and connecting more with her own cultural history and heritage. Monica Ong is also a Bodhisattva, and Buddhism has influenced her work and her personhood, which you can learn more about from her interview on the podcast Buddhability<\/span><\/a>, “Episode #30: How to overcome resistance in creative work.”<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her first book, <\/span><\/span>Silent Anomalies<\/span><\/span><\/em>, is a combination of her visual art and poetry <\/span>that <\/span>touches on many subjects of her life and family history. The poems speak on <\/span>Chinese and Filipino <\/span>history, politics, and identity from her perspective and understanding. She also speaks on social norms<\/span>, cultural silence,<\/span> an<\/span>d <\/span>the <\/span>“medical-emotional family diaspora<\/span>\u201d of her family which extends <\/span>from China<\/span> to the Philippines to the United States. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

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\"\"<\/a>
Ong’s mother dressed as a boy, image from Off the Shelf<\/em> interview with Yvonne Wolfe.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Ong spoke in an interview <\/span>on Off the Shelf<\/em><\/a> <\/span>with Yvonne Wolfe about how <\/span>ashamed <\/span>her <\/span>grandpa<\/span> was<\/span> at having <\/span>5 <\/span>daughters, as in their culture, having sons was considered a <\/span>true <\/span>blessing. As a result, <\/span>her grandfather dressed her mother<\/span> a<\/span>s a boy for family portraits for several years<\/span>, and Ong saw how <\/span>that made her think about the cultural narratives of women\u2019s bodies, the shame and negative values placed upon them.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

She then spoke about her <\/span>maternal <\/span>aunt<\/span> who<\/span> struggled with <\/span>m<\/span>ental illness<\/span>, and how her dad, trained in Western medicine<\/span>, <\/span>attempte<\/span>d<\/span> to help her but was at odds with <\/span>Ong\u2019s grand<\/span>mother<\/span> who was superstitious and <\/span>said <\/span>h<\/span>er daughter <\/span>was <\/span>possesse<\/span>d<\/span> as a way of saving face in a world that did not understand, and still struggles with, mental illness. A<\/span>s such, Ong\u2019s aunt remained undiagnosed and untreated for most of her life<\/span>. <\/span><\/span>Ong\u2019s <\/span>mother and aunt\u2019s experiences were<\/span> two crucial <\/span>moments <\/span>in her <\/span>development of what she <\/span>wanted to <\/span>accomplis<\/span>h<\/span> in <\/span><\/span>Silent Anomalies<\/span><\/span><\/em>. She w<\/span>anted to think of art as a sa<\/span>f<\/span>e space to create and entertain dialogue about health issues, par<\/span>ticularly where health and culture intersect<\/span>. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ong’s latest <\/span>work<\/span>, the exhibition <\/span><\/span>Planetaria, <\/span><\/span><\/em>is full of visual poetry inspired by astronomy, where text is integral to her artistic creation. <\/span>The works in her exhibition has many different forms<\/span>: <\/span>shadow boxes, slideshow reels, and book carts <\/span>are<\/span> a few. <\/span>Her <\/span>pieces combine <\/span>different representations of cosmological forms and celestial bodies<\/span>, <\/span>examples<\/span> being <\/span>tarot cards and Chinese astronomy<\/span>. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ong’s interest stemmed from wanting to know more about astronomy<\/span> and Chinese cosmology.<\/span> In an article for the New Haven Independent<\/em>, she <\/span><\/span>mentions<\/span><\/span><\/a> how she was only semi-familiar with the Chinese system of constellations as a child. \u201cEvery fall we would have a moon festival and my family would get together, play games, and have a feast, and then there would be the story about a woman who drank a potion for everlasting life, and she went to the moon, but her lover stayed on Earth.\u201d <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Blue<\/a>
The Star Gazer: Planisphere Poetry<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

When she became an adult and a parent, she wanted to pass her cultural heritage down to her son, so she began learning more about Chinese cosmology. She learned that some of the constellations in Greek cosmology appear in Chinese cosmology, as do some of the same star forms, but they are interpreted differently. <\/span>For example, <\/span>the stars that make Orion’s belt are three Gods of fortune in China. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot less emphasis on mythical gods,\u201d Ong said. \u201cIt\u2019s a lot more a reflection of the hierarchy of society. <\/span>So<\/span> there are asterisms for accountants and archivists, as well as the king\u2019s chariot drivers, and empty wells and fields. It\u2019s a geography of the way the <\/span>Emperor<\/span> saw life (New Haven Independent<\/em>).\u201d <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Ong learned more about Chinese cosmology, she saw how it, like the Greek system, is “centered around male power.” She <\/span>sought<\/span> to change that in her work by using a<\/span> feminist and personal narrative<\/span>. She does this by using womanhood, <\/span><\/span>the body<\/span><\/span><\/a>, female <\/span>scientists,<\/span> and female cosmonauts. Her exhibition pieces also include her family’s ancestral history and immigration stories. <\/span><\/span>Ong states that \u201cWhat\u2019s empowering about being an artist is that you can say, \u2018how can we flip the script and write from a different point of view that centers the reader? How can we rethink our stories in a way that\u2019s more inclusive for everyone?\u2019 The palace is not up there; it\u2019s actually your own life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This flipped script can especially be seen in the pieces here at Special Collections & Archives. <\/span><\/span>The Star Gazer: Planisphere Poetry<\/em> depicts the Chinese night sky from the northern hemisphere. It is based on the Soochow Astronomical Chart of 1193. This star chart holds small phrases of beautiful prose weaved around constellational lines to form the poetry within this piece. Taken directly from her Proxima Vera site,<\/a> there are a few steps to read this structured poem:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cTo view the stars, turn the disc to align the desired date with the hour of night. Face south and hold the planisphere overhead with the corner marked North facing north. The map will reveal a celestial poem that awaits you among the asterisms. Let the eyes wander and read aloud to someone dear.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n

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\"close<\/a>
Close up of Lunar Volvelle<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Her other work in our collection, Lunar Volvelle,<\/em> also demonstrates how science, family, and poetry can weave together. Based on a device from the medieval era<\/a>,<\/span> Ong’s volvelle includes fragments of poetry along with an image of her paternal grandmother, whose image waxes and wanes with the phases of the moon. Ong explains her design on Proxima Vera stating, <\/a>“During the full moon, my father’s mother will watch over you.”*<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overall, Ong\u2019s <\/span>work has been an exploration, a dive into <\/span>family and research, connections and experiences, and solving the mysteries of what she wishes to learn more about<\/span>. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Monica Ong i<\/span>s a visual poet, an artist, a mother, a sister, a daughter. She\u2019s a driven Asian American woman who speaks <\/span>her story, her family\u2019s story, the story of women, particularly Asian American women, the story of immigrants and their families, cultural politics and traditions, and what it means to be<\/span>an Asian American woman living <\/span>in today\u2019s society<\/span>. <\/span>You can check out <\/span>her works<\/span><\/span> at the <\/span><\/span>Special Collections & Archives<\/span><\/span><\/a>, <\/span>and her book <\/span><\/span>Silent Anomalies<\/span><\/span><\/em> <\/em>from our Main Library! Happy Explorations<\/span>, everyone.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

*Correction on description of Lunar Volvelle<\/em> made 1\/13\/2022. Original content said piece contained multiple images of family members. Imagery in piece does not include multiple faces as described before, but one, Ong’s paternal grandmothe<\/span>r. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sources<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Aidasani, S. (2018, November 24). Monica Ong: Capturing poetry’s healing power – positively Filipino: Online magazine for Filipinos in the Diaspora<\/i>. Positively Filipino | Online Magazine for Filipinos in the Diaspora. Retrieved December 16, 2021, from http:\/\/www.positivelyfilipino.com\/magazine\/monica-ong-capturing-poetrys-healing-power<\/p>\n

Bigelow, K. (2021, April 15). 2021 cover artist: Monica Ong<\/i>. Dogwood. Retrieved December 16, 2021, from https:\/\/dogwoodliterary.com\/2021\/04\/15\/2021-cover-artist-monica-ong\/<\/p>\n

Institute Library Press Release (2021). The Gallery Upstairs at the Institute Library presents: Monica Ong: Planetaria. <\/em>Retrieved December 16, 2021, from https:\/\/institutelibrary.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/planetaria-PR-final.pdf<\/p>\n

Posted on July 2, 2021. (2021, November 9). Episode #30: How to overcome resistance in creative work<\/i>. buddhability. Retrieved December 16, 2021, from https:\/\/buddhability.org\/podcast\/monicaong\/%C2%A0%C2%A0<\/p>\n

Slattery, B. (2021, June 15). Art exhibit traces a path to the stars<\/i>. New Haven Independent. Retrieved December 16, 2021, from https:\/\/www.newhavenindependent.org\/index.php\/archives\/entry\/planetaria\/<\/p>\n

Yau, J. (2021, August 6). A poet-artist looks to the stars<\/i>. Hyperallergic. Retrieved December 16, 2021, from https:\/\/hyperallergic.com\/667278\/monica-ong-poet-artist-looks-to-the-stars\/%C2%A0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The following is written by Olson Graduate Research Assistant Matrice Young Special Collections & Archives recently acquired two artists books from Monica Ong, a second generation Chinese-Filipino American woman born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. Her family history, like many Americans, is a complex one. During World War II, her grandparents left Fujian, China and immigrated to Manila in the Philippines. There, both of her parentsContinue reading “Monica Ong: An Asian-American Visual Poet”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":219,"featured_media":7025,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,79,7],"tags":[69,538,707,713],"syndication":[435],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/speccoll\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7019"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/speccoll\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/speccoll\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/speccoll\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/219"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/speccoll\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7019"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/speccoll\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7019\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7521,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/speccoll\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7019\/revisions\/7521"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/speccoll\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7025"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/speccoll\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7019"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/speccoll\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7019"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/speccoll\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7019"},{"taxonomy":"syndication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/speccoll\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/syndication?post=7019"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}