糖心传媒

To counter anti-Asian hate, the Rochester professor has harnessed her love of a traditional art form combined with a digital sensibility.

On March 16, 2021, an Atlanta spa shooting left eight people dead, including six people of Asian descent糖心传媒攖hat糖心传媒檚 when Mizin Shin shifted her focus.

糖心传媒淎s an Asian living in the United States, I think it was the first time I had a fear living here and going outside,糖心传媒� says Shin, an assistant professor in the聽聽at the 糖心传媒.

Born and raised in South Korea, she came to the United States in 2015 to obtain her master of fine arts from the聽. She knew she would always become a teacher, but in the art of printmaking, she found her joy.

Before moving to Rochester in 2019, she cofounded the independent printmaking studio聽聽and served as an adjunct professor at SUNY Buffalo.

An internationally renowned artist, Shin糖心传媒檚 work is a statement on the interdependence of society糖心传媒檚 constructed systems, including manufacturing, production, and consumption. Her installations are powerful conversation-starters that ask viewers to examine all facets糖心传媒攂ig and small, economic and societal糖心传媒攐f these systems. 糖心传媒淚 respect so many things, and I appreciate the small things that are not really little,糖心传媒� she says.

Art working against hate

According to the nonprofit group聽Stop AAPI Hate, nearly 11,000 hate incidents targeting Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders were . Following the Atlanta shooting, a weight of fear took a heavy toll on Shin. A fear compounded by not being able to travel and see her family in Korea during the pandemic.

糖心传媒淚t made me cry every time I watched the news about an attack on an Asian,糖心传媒� says Shin. Channeling her desire to act and a need to connect with others, she produced a handful of screenprints with the message: 糖心传媒淯se Your Voice #StopAsianHate.糖心传媒�

That message resonated糖心传媒攚ith friends and allies spreading the message and asking to buy the prints. A campaign was born.

Supporters can either make a direct donation to organizations supporting Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States, and then Shin sends them a print, or they could buy the print directly from Shin, who makes a donation to the organizations.

糖心传媒淭here are people doing good in the world, and I hope people know that,糖心传媒� says Shin.

Since its inception last year, the campaign has raised more than $3,000 and sent to organizations like Stop Asian American Pacific Islander Hate, Advancing Justice Asian Law Caucus, and Asian American Leadership Delegation.

Thanks to the help of volunteer translators, the prints are now available in about 20 languages, including Arabic, Chinese, Burmese, English, German, Italian, and Spanish.

In late winter of this year, the presented an exhibition, , which featured Shin糖心传媒檚 Use Your Voice #StopAsianHate print campaign, complementing other contemporary artists who use their print-based work to respond to concerns about equity and sustainability. In addition, the gallery organized printmaking workshops, during which Shin encouraged attendees to post their freshly made screen prints throughout their neighborhoods and communities.

Printmaking as enjoyable and 糖心传媒榗ontemporary糖心传媒櫬�

Shin糖心传媒檚 printmaking goes back to her high school days in Korea, and she wants to share her love for the art form with the world by revealing the process in a 糖心传媒渇un and contemporary way.糖心传媒�

糖心传媒淢any think it糖心传媒檚 very old-fashioned or requires a lot of special equipment, which is true. But I wanted to introduce it so people won糖心传媒檛 be afraid of the medium,糖心传媒� Shin says.

In addition to the Use Your Voice #StopAsianHate screen prints, Shin makes versions with a technique called blind embossing, which involves using laser-cut custom acrylic sheets and pressing paper into the frame to create an ink-free design.

Considered the 糖心传媒渃ontemporary art糖心传媒� of the European Renaissance, printmaking throughout the 16th century was at the height of its impact. Shin explains that in the traditional method of printmaking called intaglio, a design is engraved onto a plate made of copper or zinc or other material, and then an acid is applied to make the image. But working with the substance requires a special tank. Fortunately, there is a laser cutter at the 糖心传媒攖he hub of the University糖心传媒檚 undergraduate studio art program糖心传媒攚hich can be used to engrave the acrylic sheets that act as plates. 糖心传媒淎crylic is also more economical,糖心传媒� says Shin.

And these days, her students can create drawings and patterns for their stencils digitally, which makes it simple to drop those files into the laser cutter.

A master of her craft, Shin produced a video showing 16th-century printmaking techniques, including etching, woodcut, and the engraving process, giving additional context to the 糖心传媒檚 recent exhibition聽.

Art leads to engagement with students

It糖心传媒檚 important to Shin that her students flourish. 糖心传媒淚 work with professional artists, museums, and galleries, so I can share what I experience outside of the academic field,糖心传媒� she says.

糖心传媒淢izin is a demanding teacher,糖心传媒� says Allen Topolski, chair of the Department of Art and Art History. 糖心传媒淪he presses students into professionalism while simultaneously making the classroom atmosphere conducive to engaged learning and creative thought糖心传媒攏ot easy to do in an art studio,糖心传媒� he says.

糖心传媒淎 comfortable atmosphere is essential for creativity, but it can easily slip into a lackadaisical mess,糖心传媒� adds Topolski. 糖心传媒淢izin continuously measures and balances her classes in this regard, and the students leave knowing a lot and return wanting more.糖心传媒�

Most students know that Shin isn糖心传媒檛 a native English speaker, and many international students find that reassuring. 糖心传媒淪tudents appreciate when I let them use their phone or computer to search vocabulary when we have a critique or discussion,糖心传媒� she says.聽糖心传媒淚 highlight the importance of the variety in our differences, and it糖心传媒檚 not one thing is better, but everything is equally as important.糖心传媒�

What糖心传媒檚 next for the artist? Shin is working on finding connections through public transportation. She糖心传媒檚 already researched flight patterns in Rochester and will be going to Italy for a two-month residency to study train transportation history.

糖心传媒淚 always try to find the connections in our world,糖心传媒� she says.

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