A sample of pieces I created as part of my monthly calligraphy subscription, Snail Mail Art Club. It was my hope that this analog art subscription offers a tactile respite from our increasingly digital world. From February to September 2026, I sent subscribers an original piece of calligraphy every month, along with a letter sharing its meaning and my creative insights.

命

Translation: Life

Edition #8, September 2026

The final edition of the Snail Mail Art Club closed with the word for life, reflecting on the preciousness of existence and the choices we make in it.

舞

Translation: Dance

Edition #7, August 2026

I have been a dancer for almost 20 years, and there are no words to explain my relationship with it. Dance is my first love, and my soul mate.

靜

Translation: Tranquility

Edition #6, July 2026

Finding a moment of calm and tranquility during a transitionary period in my life where a lot of dust has been kicked up.

無為

Translation: Wu Wei (“non-doing”)

Edition #5, June 2026

無為, or Wu Wei, is a deep philosophical concept in Taoism, referring to letting things be as they are and unfold naturally rather than forcing outcomes. Ironically, my parents used this term colloquially with the negative connotation of being aimless or unproductive. I’m reclaiming it for its original meaning of allowing, surrendering, and releasing.

領悟

Translation: To comprehend profoundly

Edition #4, May 2026

領悟 means to comprehend or to grasp profoundly, as in an internalized insight or dawning realization. It has a sense of embodiment, like “I know this in my bones”. At this point in my artistry, I finally feel like I’m beginning to grasp, in my bones, who I am as an artist: what I like, what is beautiful to me, what little details I love to obsess over.

永

Translation: Forever

Edition #3, April 2026

This month, I tore my pinky ligament! My right hand will be in a splint for a while, and my calligraphy technique needed to adapt. Mobility is something I’ve taken for granted, and the more we age, the less that will be a given. What in this life truly lasts forever?

期望

Translation: Hope, as grounded aspiration

Edition #2, March 2026

For the month of March, the beginning of spring, I wanted to convey a feeling of hope towards the future. Not in the lofty, idealistic language of dreams, but in a humble, grounded way that implies dedication and effort.

馬

Translation: Horse

Edition #1, February 2026

The first edition coincided with Chinese New Year, so I chose to honor the Year of the Horse.