Meet the 2024 AVA Lab Cohort

What is the AVA Lab Inaugural Cohort? KSW and Kimberley Acebo Arteche piloted the AVA Lab, a program intended to mentor emerging APA visual artists rooted in KSW’s organizational principles. 6 Bay Area artists were chosen in the inaugral cohort: Houyee Chow-Jiménez, Michelle Lin, Kim Requesto, Malaya Tuyay, Ngân Vũ, Jes Young. These artists were selected base on how their work and practices align around ancestral healing and collective empowerment. Together, the 6 artists organized the group exhibition "Trust the Tides" to offer their viewers a place to find rest and camaraderie through our work as individual artists and as a collective.

What is the AVA Lab Inaugural Cohort? KSW and Kimberley Acebo Arteche piloted the AVA Lab, a program intended to mentor emerging APA visual artists rooted in KSW’s organizational principles. 6 Bay Area artists were chosen in the inaugral cohort: Houyee Chow-Jiménez, Michelle Lin, Kim Requesto, Malaya Tuyay, Ngân Vũ, Jes Young. These artists were selected base on how their work and practices align around ancestral healing and collective empowerment. Together, the 6 artists organized the group exhibition "Trust the Tides" to offer their viewers a place to find rest and camaraderie through our work as individual artists and as a collective.

Michelle Lin

Michelle Lin (they/she) is a textiles and mixed media artist, cultural worker, and author of the poetry collection A House Made of Water (Sibling Rivalry Press, 2017). Their writing and art practices are rituals of grief and healing from the violence of patriarchy, capitalism, assimilation, and living within the imperial core. Passionate about building liberatory spaces for diasporic and queer artists, they work as the Artist Growth Program Director at ARTogether and serve on the Advisory Councils for Vital Arts and Artists’ Adaptability Circles.

Houyee Chow-Jiménez

Houyee Chow-Jiménez pronounced HO- YEE (she/her) is a first generation, queer, biracial, multidisciplinary artist, and educator from San José, CA. She earned her bachelor’s degree at San Francisco State University in Studio Art with a minor in Philosophy. During the day, she works at a non-profit managing a free arts and multimedia program for youth. She uses painting, mixed media, and public art to depict themes of culture/ancestry, queer experiences, and the exploration of oneself. Houyee makes art to heal from her life and to grow into a better person. She invites you to reflect, explore, and feel connectivity with her work.

Jes Young

Jes Young (they/them) is a multidisciplinary artist, maker, story-teller, educator, curator, and student of herbalism from the Bay Area. Their practice connects process and material storytelling to deepen and honor ancestral and collective relationships. They primarily use craft based processes that include patchwork quilting, natural dyeing, photography, and herbalism. They draw visual and energetic inspiration from objects / imagery used in Chinese ancestral worship, funeral rituals, divination, lore and both traditional Chinese medicine and Celtic herbalism.

Kim Requesto

Kim Requesto (she/they) is a Philippine born, Mission District raised Cultural Worker and Interdisciplinary Artist based in unceded Ramaytush Ohlone Territory (San Francisco, CA). With an artistic foundation in Philippine folk dance, Requesto has dedicated herself to cultural expression and advocacy through movement, photography, and community outreach. Requesto is currently with Parangal Dance as part of their Artistic Team and the founder of Pangalay Circle.

Malaya Tuyay

Malaya Tuyay (she/they) is a multidisciplinary artist and an organizer. She believes art is a tool to connect with the darker parts of ourselves that are not easy to face - in order to heal ourselves and our communities. They also believe art is a practice that can allow us to imagine liberated futures for ourselves and generations to come.

Ngân Vũ

Ngân Vũ (she/her) is a Sài Gòn born, Bay Area raised visual artist, photographer and storyteller, exploring the depths of identity, culture, and vulnerability in her work. As a first-generation daughter of the Vietnamese diaspora, she draws inspiration from her vibrant community and ancestral lineage. Ngân's creative practice, harnesses the transformative power of personal storytelling to cultivate collective intergenerational healing within our shared narratives. Her work aims to evoke empathy and foster a heart-centered tenderness in human connection.