Alumni Stories: Monyee Chau – A Journey of Artistic Growth and Community Engagement
Meet Monyee, a 2018 Art Graduate from Cornish College of the Arts, whose artistic journey has been both inspiring and impactful. Growing up in Seattle, Monyee was drawn to Cornish for its focus on the arts and its proximity to home. With a passion for painting and illustration, Monyee’s time at Cornish was marked by exploration and growth, ultimately shaping a dynamic career in the arts.
Q: Where are you from, and what drew you to attend Cornish?
A: I am local to Cornish, growing up here in Seattle. I was drawn to Cornish because I wanted to be close to home and I wanted to be at a school that specifically focused on the arts.
Q: Did you know what discipline you wanted to focus on when you were admitted? How did this evolve during your time as a student?
A: I didn’t have discipline in mind when I was admitted to Cornish. Although I had always been drawn to painting and illustration, I let myself feel open to the process of what Cornish would teach me. With the curriculum I went through at the time, Cornish let us experiment through a multitude of processes which helped strengthen a conceptual voice expressed through different types of materiality.
Q: What is your current artistic practice, and how did your experiences at Cornish prepare you for your career as an artist?
A: My current practice has been working on paintings, illustrations for clients, and public artworks. The working faculty made a world of difference in understanding how to build relationships and navigate the art world outside of school.
Q: Where are you from, and what drew you to attend Cornish?
A: I am local to Cornish, growing up here in Seattle. I was drawn to Cornish because I wanted to be close to home and I wanted to be at a school that specifically focused on the arts.
Q: Did you know what discipline you wanted to focus on when you were admitted? How did this evolve during your time as a student?
A: I didn’t have discipline in mind when I was admitted to Cornish. Although I had always been drawn to painting and illustration, I let myself feel open to the process of what Cornish would teach me. With the curriculum I went through at the time, Cornish let us experiment through a multitude of processes which helped strengthen a conceptual voice expressed through different types of materiality.
A: My current practice has been working on paintings, illustrations for clients, and public artworks. The working faculty made a world of difference in understanding how to build relationships and navigate the art world outside of school.
Q: What is your favorite memory from your time at Cornish?
A: My favorite memories from Cornish were impromptu “speed demos” with faculty member Bradley Taylor in the print lab. I’d ask him to teach me how to make a different type of book in between classes as fast as humanly possible, and it has truly stuck with me throughout these years! (The chaos, not so much the bookbinding techniques.) If any students end up asking him to do this with him after this interview, I’m sorry Brad!
A: I loved working across mediums at Cornish, it was an environment that allowed me to nurture all aspects of my practice.
A: Working with multiple mediums has taught me the importance of voice that should carry through all of your works, despite your medium. It has also helped me practice a sense of flexibility.
Q: Do you have a particular artwork with a special place in your heart? If so, what is it?
A: I recently finished a project with KEXP for Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AANHPI), with their Pushing Boundaries campaign. It features an abstracted map of the Chinatown International District (the CID), through the design elements of a Chinese Seafood Restaurant. My practice has been heavily influenced by my relationship to space, as my grandparents owned a restaurant in the CID which was the first to offer live seafood in the neighborhood. I illustrated my grandfather in the top of the tanks and fishing for seafood, all representing organizations based in the CID. I love this project because it weaves together my family’s history, the neighborhood, and the aspects of it that make it special.
Q: After graduating from Cornish, have you worked on any particularly rewarding projects? And, if applicable, how did Cornish help prepare you for them?A: I worked on a mural about the Chinese Railroad laborers and their relationship to the Pacific Ocean. This project was curated by faculty Lele Barnett and allowed me to do a deeper dive into a history I have been unfamiliar with. It lives at the Tacoma Art Museum, facing the very street where Chinese residents were marched out of Tacoma during the expulsion of 1885, and will be up until September 2027. It also highlights the goddesses that played an important part of the spiritual guidance to these laborers. I am profoundly grateful for this project because it helped me understand history that has been intentionally omitted from US history curriculums.
Q: What projects are you currently working on?
A: I am currently working on a workshop series with my partner and friends that cultivates an intersection between Traditional East Asian Medicine, herbs, somatic healing, and a community art piece. It is a ‘Spirit of the Organs Workshop Series’. Our next workshop is coming up August 4th and will embrace the San Fu season, for the health and wellbeing of our communities.
Q: At Cornish, our focus is helping students become multi/interdisciplinary artists and creatives. What does the term “multidisciplinary” or “interdisciplinary” mean to you, and how has that applied to/helped your career in the arts?
A: Interdisciplinary means your work and your voice moves across mediums. I believe that this type of practice strengthened my voice and flexibility when it comes to different projects. This has helped me find new places of life for my artwork, as well as navigating the arts economy.
A: I am grateful for everything at Cornish that strengthened me and my practice, and I hope I can make my alma mater and my ancestors very proud. You can see current work at KEXP’s gathering space, Tacoma Art Museum’s Soft Power exhibition, and [Re]Frame Haub Family Collection of Western American Art.
Q: Where can people follow your work?
A: My work can be found at chinesebornamerican.com, and on Instagram @monyeeart
Monyee’s journey showcases the transformative power of a multidisciplinary approach to the arts, illustrating how diverse skills and experiences can lead to a fulfilling and dynamic career. Her story is a testament to the creative spirit fostered at Cornish College of the Arts. If you’re inspired by Monyee’s path and want to explore the endless possibilities that Cornish offers, visit our Art department page or fill out the Tell Us More form to connect with our Admissions team.
Monyee Chau Bio
Monyee Chau (they/them) is an artist based on Coast Salish/ Duwamish land, and has graduated with a BFA from Cornish College of the Arts in 2018. They explore a journey of personal and collective healing through their lens as a queer Taiwanese/Chinese American, believing in the power of storytelling and breaking bread as a means of community building for the path to justice and liberation. Monyee’s work spans across mediums to speak to the multitude of themes of labor, diaspora, and collective community care. They invite audiences to be vulnerable as a response to their personal practice of healing and relationship in their practice.
