“Asian Joy” mural by Ina Liu, Isabel Lu, and Sophie Tô.
Learn more about the project and oral history
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Mural Location About the Artist SEEK About Raleigh
The “Asian Joy” mural adjacent to Union Station at the end of West Street in downtown Raleigh was installed in July 2024 as part of the SEEK Raleigh program.
Created by Ina Liu, Isabel Lu, and Sophie Tô, this community-driven project celebrates the experiences and joys of Asian Americans in North Carolina. It explores the intersections of Asianness and Southernness and focuses on their impact on Asian American well-being and community.
Oral histories of Asian Americans centered on discovering joy were recorded as part of the project. These stories were collected and publicly archived by the UNC Southern Oral History Program.
Follow the project and listen to oral history at isabel-lu.com.
mural location
The mural is located next to Raleigh Union Station at the end of West Street in downtown Raleigh.
Ina Liu
Ina, who holds a Pharm.D., M.A., is a public health pharmacist, 2022-2023 UNC Asian American Center Fellow, and founder of Plural, an art platform that uses music, visual art, and oral history to tell Asian stories. He is also the co-creator of “of Me.” American woman. Ina’s work has been exhibited at UNC-Chapel Hill, VAE, and Artspace.
Find Ina on Instagram: @inaliuart
Isabel Lu
Isabelle, MPH, RD is a visual artist and Artspace’s 2023 Emerging Artist in Residence. Their work explores ethnicity, sexual identity, and gender identity through food, history, and relationships. Isabelle’s work has been exhibited throughout the state, including at VAE, Durham Art Guild, and CAM.
Find Isabel on Instagram: @iisabelle
Sophie To
Sophie MPH is a field scholar in the Southern Oral History Program (SOHP) and a doctoral candidate in health behavior at UNC. They study how media, art, and storytelling can support health advocacy. Her doctoral dissertation will focus on how Asian American comedians, particularly in the South, have experienced and told stories about racialization, identity, and health.
Find Sophie on Instagram: @brophiebbro
About SEEK Raleigh
SEEK Raleigh is an experimental public art program by Raleigh Arts that engages the community through public art in the City of Raleigh’s parks, greenways, and/or community spaces. This program provides an opportunity for artists to introduce new, unusual, and thought-provoking experiences to the public through temporary public art.
Learn more about the SEEK Raleigh project here.
Learn more and apply for the SEEK Raleigh Artist Call
