My foray into neon began as an accidental side quest that quickly grew into an obsession. Translating the fluid gestures of lettering and calligraphy through fire and glass requires a balance of intense physical precision and mental focus, which mirrors the physical and mental rigor of dance. For me, these glowing pieces are an exploration of movement pathways, gestural rhythm, breath alignment, and choreography execution.
DREAM 夢
My final piece of 2024 was “DREAM 夢”, which was the most physically, mentally, and emotionally challenging, but also the most rewarding piece. In addition to overcoming technically difficulties and broken glass, this piece is deeply personal and alludes to the immigrant struggle and generational clashing of dreams and values. It was created at Brooklyn Glass, modeled after @kaori_shodo‘s Kanji calligraphy.
Behind the creative process: DREAM 夢
Jaz That Ink
“Jaz That Ink”, was initiated at the end of 2023 and completed in 2024, created at a workshop at Brooklyn Glass. It was kinda ridiculous that I had the audacity to attempt not only lettering, but script lettering (ie. cursive) for my first ever neon sign project. Script lettering is more complex than regular block lettering since there’s no distinct separation between letters, and a blurry distinction between front and back planes. I spot a lot of imperfections and wonky kinks in this piece, many times where I messed up and the bend didn’t go as planned, but I’m damn proud of it regardless.
Behind the creative process: Jaz That Ink
Untitled Abstracts
These pieces were created during my first ever workshop at Urban Glass in Brooklyn, which was actually a dual class on mirrors and neon. We chemically mirrored flat pieces of clear glass, and hand-bent glass tubes into abstract shapes which were filled with neon and argon+mercury. Needless to say, I was OBSESSED.
