Meet Charlotte’s Most Exciting Asian and Pacific Islander Creatives
For AAPI Heritage Month 2021, we asked our readers and followers for nominations for Charlotte’s Favorite Asian and Pacific Islander Creatives doing notable creative in the Queen City. To continue building this list of creative profiles, we did the same again in May 2022.
We’re excited to shine a spotlight on these five artists, adding to those local creatives we featured in 2021. From calligraphy to photography, visual art to healing art, these artists’ mediums reflect the breadth and diversity of the creative community in Charlotte. All of these artists are currently taking commissions, so if you’re intrigued by what you read, visit them on Insta, get in touch and imagine the art you could create together.
View a similar feature on Charlotte’s Latinx creatives.
2022 Creatives
SHAMILA VARNER
Queen City Crete
IG: @queencitycrete
WEB: Queencitycrete.com
LOCATION: 224 East Blvd, Suite B
Shamila is a concrete artisan and creative entrepreneur. She is first-generation. Her parents are from Trinidad. They move from New York to Charlotte in the 1990s.
In 2018, she started Queen City Crete, a concrete decor store that offers candles, hanging and beautiful concrete vessels made of concrete – work that satisfies her urge to create something artistic and renewable. Through her work, she wants to show the world that concrete can be beautiful and sustainable.
Queen City Crete is a family-owned and operated business. They’re dedicated to their belief that “[e]ach corner of your life should be eye-catching and unique. Ultimately, Shamila hopes that her work makes people feel “inspired, calm and happy.”
Shamila also shared her thoughts on the local creative community with us: “I love my local CLT creative community. Everyone is so talented and unique. Honored to be a part of it!”
“Everyone is so unique and talented. I love how so many new people pressed into their creative side during the pandemic to release stress.”
ALICIA MARTIN
Plant Therapy
IG: @planttherapyclt
WEB: Planttherapyclt.com
“I want people to feel inspired to bring plants into their homes – and to have the confidence to be successful with plants!” That’s how Alicia “Moss Lady” Martin describes her creative passion to bring houseplants and people together.
Martin’s business, Plant Therapy, pops up at local markets and social events in the Queen City “slinging houseplants and other fun plant-related things.” Plant Therapy sells a wide array of plans and containers. And, they offer customers:
- Consulting and design services to help them select plants that complement their lifestyle
- Houseplant 101 classes
- Virtual house calls to diagnose issues plants
- Complimentary potting with purchase of plant + pot combos
What are your biggest creative challenges right now?
[F]inding new ways to stay in front of the plant community – which is often split between plant collectors and newbies – who look for different content, plants, materials and art.
I’m also a one-woman show, so finding the time to work on my ideas while also running the business, in addition to the other things going on my life like a family and full-time job, is very difficult.
Please share your thoughts on Charlotte’s creative community.
Since breaking onto the small business scene in 2019, I have felt nothing but encouragement from local creatives and business owners. I have loved connecting with creatives of all types and giving them a boost whenever and however I can.
The people of Charlotte have shown a truly remarkable side when it comes to supporting and believing in artists around town. Some of my best friends have come out of this community, and I love watching it grow and coalesce into something that reaches all parts and people of the Charlotte area.
TIM NHU
Queen City’s Custom Jewelers
IG: @qccustomjewelers
WEB: qcjewelers.com
LOCATION: 3039 South Blvd E., Charlotte, NC 28209
In 2017, Tim Nhu and his partner, Artem Mouradkhanian, founded Queen City’s Custom jewelers to create a highly-personalized approach to jewelry design. They offer custom design, sizing, refurbishing, polishing, watch repair, stone replacement, engravings and more. This indulges Nhu’s passion to “break the mold and create something unique and extraordinary together!”
But, his creative passions don’t stop at jewelry design. “Besides the shop, I also play in two bands called Funeral Chic and Donnie Doolittle. Outside of jewelry, music has always been a passion of mine,” he says.
“We are always working on new and exciting pieces,” said Nhu. “I am personally working on a custom pendant for a client of ours and I’m very excited to see how it all comes out! The best way to view our work is to follow us on Instagram @qccustomjewelers.”
We asked Nhu several questions about himself and were humbled when he chose to talk about Charlotte Is Creative’s work, instead.
“I think what y’all are doing is wonderful. Helping shine light on the people of Charlotte to help bring us all together and giving opportunities to small business owners myself that I wouldn’t have had otherwise.”
BRYAN LI
Restauranteur & Founder of Group Hugs-n-Harmony Improv
IG: @BryanIsWriting
WEB: openriceclt.com
Local creative Bryan Li moved here to attend the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. And, like so many others, he fell in love with the Queen City. After a successful career developing restaurants (Pisces and Open Rice), Bryan has embraced a new creative passion – improv comedy.
Most recently, he’s taken on a role as a community leader by accepting the position as the Board Chair of Charlotte Is Creative. Get to know him below.
How can people experience your work?
If you want a great meal, come eat with us at Open Rice. We specialize in Cantonese cuisine such as the Cantonese roasted duck, double pan-fried noodles and, of course, everyone’s favorite, THE BUBBLE WAFFLE! And, if you want to have the best time laughing, come to one of our comedy improv parties –@ImprovWithHugs. It’s an unscripted, 90-minute audience interactive comedy performance!
How do you want people to feel when they see your work?
Make what makes you happy. I want people to feel joy when they see my work. I want to inspire people, if you have an opportunity to put a smile on someone’s face, don’t pass it up.
What are your biggest creative challenges right now?
None. I love what I do. When customers leave our restaurant smiling … when audience members leave our show laughing … it’s the best feeling in the world and that feeling is what keeps me going.
Please share your thoughts on Charlotte’s creative community.
I love everything that is happening. The Charlotte creative community has all the crucial ingredients to succeed as a whole – the positive energy, the support for each other, and the collaborations between artists. It’s about togetherness and that mindset will take this community to wonderful places.
JEANNA USCIER
@CLTDesserts
IG: @CLTDesserts
PHOTO: @corine.photo
A resident of Charlotte for the past eight years, Jeanna Uscier — AKA @CLTDesserts — has a mission that’s simple and sweet, but she pursues it with incredible passion: “to inspire and encourage my followers to try new desserts in the Greater Charlotte Area.”
But, that’s far from her only interest. Ultimately, Jeanna wants to help develop creative and business success for the people behind Charlotte’s best desserts. “I want to create an inclusive space to showcase not only storefront businesses, but home-bakers and dessert creators without a brick and mortar location.”
And, she’s also ready to pass along the best practices she’s learned along the way. “Charlotteans can experience my work through my Instagram, @CLTDesserts, or reaching out to me by DM. I’m always responsive and willing to meet and share my knowledge as an influencer or partner to promote businesses, both large and small.”
What are your biggest creative challenges right now?
[Mo]netizing my platform on a consistent basis and creating a foundation and expectation for that in our city. I’m hoping that as our city grows and more creatives commit to doing work for what it’s worth that it’ll help fuel more creatives.
Please share your thoughts on Charlotte’s creative community.
Charlotte features a large creative community with many different perspectives and personalities who share what’s going on in our city, what to do and what to try. It’s been amazing to network and collaborate with everyone I’ve met so far — from owners and managers to influencers and home bakers. I’m excited to see what more we can all create together!
Umayal Annamalai
Umayal Art LLC
IG: @umayalart
WEB: umayal.art
Umuayal Annamalai grew up in India and has lived in Charlotte for 15 years. She said she’s proud to be a creative in Charlotte and is encouraged to see how active, diverse and creative the arts community in Charlotte has become.
What are your creative disciplines? How do you want people to feel when they see your work?
I want people to feel more connected to their heart and authentic self when they view my work. My vision as an artist is to tell stories to help heal our past in order to spread more love in our future. My inspiration is fueled by my life experiences. I start each piece with an emotional foundation by adding lots of textures and expressive marks. By using bright colors, I am able to add depth and contrast in an impressionistic way.
What are you working on now? How can Charlotteans experience your work?
I am working on building my business. I want to teach and support moms to use their creativity to heal and connect more deeply with their kids. I have a program called “Unlock your Creative Superpower.” I teach [mothers and children] how to use creative expression as a tool to move and shift your relationship, and to find more spark and joy in life. I want to teach about cultural values and art rituals from our ancestors that can connect us more to our authentic selves and interconnectedness. People can experience my work on Instagram or by joining my page on Facebook.
Ali Loncar-Bridges
Artist and Calligrapher
IG: @ahloncar
WEB: etsy.com/shop/ahloncar
Ali Loncar-Bridges has been in Charlotte since 1999 when her parents moved from Buffalo, N.Y. In that time, she believes Charlotte’s art scene has changed from “very corporate to a push for street art and grassroots arts.” She has described her thoughts and emotions as a blender filled with confetti and has found art as a way to express herself in an easily digestible way.
What are your creative disciplines? How do you want people to feel when they see your work?
I want to invite people to see that the processes I use to create are just as much an art form as the finished product. Craftsmanship and intention are important to me. Of course, I want the art to be visually pleasing overall, but I also find pleasure and joy in the planning and physical production. I’d like the viewer to walk away thinking about a piece’s subtle intricacies.
What are you working on now? How can Charlotteans experience your work?
Currently, I’m working on a few custom watercolors that have intricate cut-outs and metal leafing. I’ve also challenged myself to start producing a series of works that are passion projects. I feel at home with a brush in one hand and an X-Acto knife in the other. People can see my work hung in the TAC Gallery in NoDa and if they want to paint with me, they can check out one of my courses with Skillpop!
What are your biggest creative challenges right now?
Self-doubt and criticism hold me back creatively sometimes but can also push me to explore different methods. It’s really a double-edged sword. Also the balance between being the mother I’d like to be while furthering my creativity can be a struggle.
After having our two children, I was apprehensive about getting involved in the arts again because having kids means a lot less time to meet new people. I’m very fortunate to have a husband, family and “friend family” who are constant pillars of support.
Quynh Vu
Visual Artist
Charlotte native Quynh Vu is a visual artist. Much of her work reflects the continuous process of attempting to understand her identity as a Vietnamese-American woman.
What are your creative disciplines? How do you want people to feel when they see your work?
I do not assign intention to my work in regard to how others feel or perceive it. I expect that they use their own personal contexts and experiences in order to inform their own understanding of it.
What are you working on now? How can Charlotteans experience your work?
I just graduated from Wake Forest University with a bachelor’s in studio art. In June, I am beginning my residency at Goodyear Arts. In August, I will begin working on an independent installation showcase in Los Angeles with another collaborating partner. Charlotte friends and homies can see my upcoming work at Goodyear Arts at the resident showcase July 29.
What are your biggest creative challenges right now?
Affordable access to resources such as space and materials.
Please share your thoughts on Charlotte’s creative community.
Charlotte’s creative community has always been welcoming of my work. In recent years, I’ve been impressed by how supporting and inviting certain art spaces have been toward a diversity of work as well as identities. However, at times, it feels that the creative scene is moving in a more commercial direction. The art scene is still young and, in the future, I hope to see the rise of more DIY art spaces.
Rico Marcelo
Photography
IG: @ricomarcelophotography |@rmp_food | @rmp_travel
WEB: ricomarcelo.com
Rico Marcelo relocated here in January 2021 from Virginia Beach, Virginia and fell in love with Charlotte the very first time he visited. He says the Queen City checked all the boxes that he was looking for and he’s never looked back.
What are your creative disciplines? How do you want people to feel when they see your work?
When people see my work I want a story to be told. I want color. I want contrast. I want boldness to show through all my photos. I want people to see the different types of images that I capture. I shoot it all: Portraits, food and beverage, families, weddings, music, fashion and commercial content. It’s not just an image that gets produced, but rather a whole experience that I provide from the conception of ideas to the final image.
What are you working on now? How can Charlotteans experience your work?
I am a concert and event photographer for Eagle Nest Management, a boutique artist management company for musicians that holds concerts and events around Charlotte. I am also a photographer for Esther & Elsa which puts on community events and markets in South End, such as Front Porch Sundays and Camden Commons. You can keep up with my delicious food adventures over at @rmp_food.
I am the leader of the newly established Barn Burners Run Club. We meet every Monday evening at Trolley Barn in South End. Come ready to run and meet the community! And when I’m not partaking in any of these other groups or events, I’m actively creating in Charlotte and around the country.
What are your biggest creative challenges right now?
The trend in media right now is that everyone wants video. I’m solely a photographer but I’m slowly doing more and more videography and short-form video. Videos usually equal more engagement on all social media platforms and I’m just trying to keep up! It’s definitely a fun challenge and helps me become more well-rounded in all types of media.
Please share your thoughts on Charlotte’s creative community.
Charlotte supports the creative community in so many ways. There is a place and an outlet for everyone! Let’s celebrate each other and each other’s successes. Community over competition!
OB Marz
Calligraphy
IG: @eastern_glory_
WEB: easternglorybymarz.com
OB Marz is a native Charlottean who focuses on modern and traditional aspects of Arabic calligraphy.
What are your creative disciplines? How do you want people to feel when they see your work?
Complicated question because it depends on the piece and the reason behind why I made it. For example, with most calligraffiti pieces, I like to have a good message behind the scrambled letters. But at the same time I try to create a feeling of intensity due to the abstractness of the piece, yet satisfaction due to the flow and balance of the piece.
What are you working on now? How can Charlotteans experience your work?
I’ve been very busy with finishing my degree and work so I haven’t been as active lately. My latest piece was based on the creation of Adam, done for a business in Charlotte. People can experience my work simply by seeing my Instagram, and I also aspire to do more work including murals so hopefully, that will also be another outlet.
What are your biggest creative challenges right now?
I’m working on finishing my degree and work, so I’ve been pretty busy and have trouble finding time to create new pieces.
Please share your thoughts on Charlotte’s creative community.
I think it’s a great platform for local artists to gain some exposure in the community and also a good resource to get people to start doing collaborations.
2021 Creatives
Evelyn Tsai
ETSAIArt
IG: @etsaiart
WEB: etsaiart.com
Our exploration of Charlotte’s AAPI creatives rolls on with a woman you must meet. Visual artist, Evelyn Tsai, was born and raised in the Queen City. She moved to California for a few years, but she’s back and immersing herself in Charlotte’s creative community, including working with Meredith Connelly on LIGHTS at the US National Whitewater Center.
How do you want people to feel when they experience your work?
“My art is often made with a variety of emotions in each piece. My most commonly portrayed themes are nostalgia, melancholy longing, and self-love. I am a strong advocate for mental health, personal identity, and exploring Asian-American identity.”
“I would hope that the themes are noticeable throughout my work. However, above all, I just wish to evoke some type of resonating emotion with my work, and to form a connection.”
Please share your thoughts on Charlotte’s creative community.
“Charlotte’s creative community is extremely vast and I’ve been doing my best to explore it since moving back to town. There’s even more creatives than I remembered, and I enjoy discovering new artists, exhibits, and hidden gems throughout town.”
“I’m very grateful for the chance I had to work with local artists, including Meredith Connelly, and for the connections and other opportunities that experience brought me. I am excited to continue to learn and grow with the community.”‘
Mark Borja
Mark Borja Creative
IG: @marknow
WEB: markborja.me
2020 Charlotte Magazine “Best of the Best” winner for photography, Mark Borja grew up in North Carolina and moved to Charlotte after graduating from UNC Charlotte. He loves how collaborative and connected Charlotte’s creative community is and believes “our humility & spirit to create & connect makes us stronger than any other!”
How do you want people to feel when they experience your work?
”I would love for people to feel like they’ve really found themselves in their work with me or be inspired through my craft. I’m building my journey & I want people to believe in their own & feel the spirit when they see my work!”
Malu Tan
Visual Artist
IG: @malutanart
WEB: malutanart.com
📸 by @jonmac330
As we’ve seen over the past few weeks, Charlotte is home to an incredibly diverse and vibrant community of creatives with Asian and Pacific Island heritages. There’s no way one month can contain it all, so our exploration continues!
Malu Tan is a self-described “ballet student, runner, nature lover, wife, mom.” She’s also a gifted and passionate visual artist. This summer marks four years of her time in Charlotte.
Like so many, she moved here with her spouse. In Malu’s case, she arrived from the New York Metropolitan area and was excited to find her creative place in a growing city.
How do you want people to feel when they experience your work?
“People always tell me that my work brings them a sense of joy or that it makes their home happy. My work is generally colorful and I tend to use happy and bright colors–so I love it when I am told that!”
Please share your thoughts on Charlotte’s creative community.
“Initially I had a hard time figuring out Charlotte’s creative community, I think because I was in South Charlotte. After doing some research, joining events and getting a studio space uptown, I realized that there is so much opportunity here!”
“The creative community is still quite young, but is vibrant and diverse. I’ve met so many talented artists here. I hope the city continues to support the arts even more.”
Varsha Pradhan
Visual Artist
IG: @varshaart
WB: VarshaPradhan.com
Varsha Pradhan is a fine artist who studied painting in college and privately under artists known worldwide. Inspired by her interaction with nature, Varsha moved to Charlotte in 1976 after getting married. She sells her work in Charlotte and internationally.
How do you want people to feel when they experience your work?
“I work in oils and acrylics and mixed media. I paint portraits, landscapes and other subjects. My style of painting is evolving to abstract expressionism. I’d like the viewer to react with their own emotions to the colors and shapes and subject of my paintings.”
Please share your thoughts on Charlotte’s creative community.
“I have seen Charlotte’s creative community grow in the last 40+ years. There are more galleries now and opportunities offered for artists — you just have to look and do your research.”
“There is so much great talent out there. Just look around the city and you see it — murals, art leagues, groups of artists collaborating on different projects, avenues to display work on social justice, some wonderful people promoting artists and helping them show their work publicly. Grants offered by some generous institutions.”
Pooja Nair
ArtnDzine
IG: @artndzine
FB: Facebook.com/artndzine
Pooja Nair embraced her love for visual art at a young age, making portraits of family and friends. This passion led her to earn a bachelor’s degree in fine art. After moving to the US nearly 20 years ago, she took on commissioned artwork and freelancing as Web and Graphics designer. After raising her children, Pooja returned to full-time work and has indulged her lifelong desire to be art artist and an art instructor.
How do you want people to feel when they experience your work?
“I want people to feel a connection with my art. I want my viewers to experience the vibrant colors and people from India and to see my portraits come to life!”
Please share your thoughts on Charlotte’s creative community.
”I love Charlotte’s creative community! It makes me feel connected and seeing what other creative people have been doing! Very inspiring!”
Angela Kollmer
Upcycle Arts
IG: @upcycleartsclt
WEB: upcycleartsclt.org
Angela Kollmer is a former Army field artillery officer stationed at Ft. Bragg. Today, she’s the founder and executive director of Upcycle Arts, an organization that “collects materials from Charlotte’s 4,000+ manufacturers to divert those materials from the landfill and provide you with low-cost art supplies.” She’s married to Charlotte musician, Matt Conroy.
How did you get to Charlotte?
“I’ve been in Charlotte for about 3 years. I first moved to North Carolina when I was stationed at Fort Bragg for 4 years. When I got out of the military, I decided that I wanted to stay in NC but moved to Charlotte because I liked the city.”
How do you want people to feel when they experience your work?
“I want people to feel like a little kid in a toy store! There are so many different ways that people can reuse everyday items or unusual items in a creative way. The fun part about upcycling is seeing where people’s imagination, problem-solving, and skills can take them! I love seeing how people apply their experience to our curated, reuse materials.”
Please share your thoughts on Charlotte’s creative community.
“We have been so overjoyed with the response from Charlotte’s creative and nonprofit communities. We have already been so blessed to partner with so many different artists, organizations, creatives, and businesses. Creative reuse has so many different applications and provides an accessible entry point into the arts. Art doesn’t exist in a vacuum and we’re so excited to see what Charlotte creatives will do with upcycling!”
Billy Leng a.k.a. DJ ThrillBill
DJ/Musician
IG: @djthrillbill
WEB: Soundcloud
PHOTO CREDIT: @ufficialedjyosenkai
Charlotte DJ, Billy Leng, moved here in 2005 … and he brought with him the passion to move people on the dance floor. He’s a proud member of the growing CLT music scene and we’re excited to share him here as part of our celebration of AAPI creative shaping our city.
How do you want people to feel when they experience your work?
“If anyone knows me, they know that DJing is my passion and I set out to put on a show during each and every gig — whether it’s at a club, private event, or wedding. I try to take patrons on a musical journey because I love to see folks singing and dancing to the music I’m playing for them at that moment. I love to see others happy, that gives me personal satisfaction that I know that I’m giving them the performance they deserve.”
Please share your thoughts on Charlotte’s creative community.
“I truly believe Charlotte is on the rise. We are a growing city and the culture around us is, too. Love it!”
Jenn Lin
Profound Sass
IG: @profoundsass
WEB: profoundsass.com
Jenn Lin has a familiar Queen City origin story. She moved to Charlotte in 2012 with her boyfriend (now husband). He came here with a job. She didn’t. So, using her creative skills, she built her jewelry business from the ground up.
How do you want people to feel when they see your work?
“SEEN. I love making my customers laugh with my jewelry and I want them to feel like I have insight into their daily frustrations, highs and lows. The phrases on my jewelry are liberally laced with profanity and/or sass, meant to elicit either gleeful or baffled laughter – that it even exists or that it dares to exist at all (especially in the South!).”
Please share your thoughts on Charlotte’s creative community.
“I think the Charlotte creative community is the heartbeat of the city. I also believe there are so many more creators of color out here making huge impacts in their communities and breaking intergenerational trauma with their art. Art is courageously reimagining what’s possible.”
Kenny Nguyen
Kenny Nguyen Contemporary Art
IG: @KennyNguyenCLT
WEB: kennynguyen.org
Vietnamese-American visual artist, Kenny Nguyen, moved to Charlotte with his immediate family in 2010, reuniting with extended family members who’d lived in Charlotte for more than 30 years. Kenny displays his work at Sozo Gallery and has shown his work publically through Art Pop Street Gallery and at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport. He is currently working on a new solo show that premieres in August.
Please share your thoughts on Charlotte’s creative community.
“I think we have a very diverse creative community here in Charlotte. We’re very lucky to have so much support from creative leaders, the press and other creative individuals. I love the energy and constant blooming of new creative platforms, venues and young artists. I’m proud to call Charlotte home and be a to be part of this dynamic community.”
Kenty Chung
Kenty Chung Photography
IG: @kenty_eats
WEB: kentychung.com
No exploration of Charlotte’s AAPI creative community would be complete without featuring Kenty Chung, one of Charlotte’s most popular food photographers. Born and raised in Charlotte, Chung moved to California for six years … but he came back hungry to take a big, creative bite out of the Queen City.
How do you want people to feel when they see your work?
“When people see my work, I want them to feel hungry, mouth salivating and know what restaurant they’re going to eat at next. Food is a huge part of my life. My mom is a chef and used to own a restaurant. I’d always see people come in and create memories while eating.”
“A motto I go by is that ‘food bridges cultures.’ It’s beautiful seeing a group of people venturing out of their culture to try other cultures’ food. To be able to photograph a chef’s work and passion, share it with the world and get people to come in and try it themselves is a pretty damn good feeling.”
Please share your thoughts on Charlotte’s creative community.
“As a native, I didn’t really see much going on (early 2000s). As social media established a stronger presence, it gave creatives a platform for exposure and their reach to Charlotte … and the world is unlimited. I love the vast amount of creatives that we have from music, arts and innovation. The city is a huge hub for people of many talents and with more people moving here, I can’t wait to see what is to come.”
Robin Stallings
Visual Artist
IG: @raraworks
WEB: robinstallingsart.com
Raised in Gaston County, Robin moved to Charlotte nine years ago. She’s currently accepting commissions for nature scenes, portraits and refurbished furniture upcycling. And, the public can view her work at the Rock Hill Artists’ Collective.
How do you want people to feel when they see your work?
“I want people to feel joyful, and feel excited about the colors, textures and patterns that my work presents. I want them to see the connections both to my Japanese and Southern roots and to think about the complexity and beauty of their own ancestry and upbringing.”
“My work is often nature-inspired, asking the viewer to pause, take a moment from their busy lives and think about the beauty that lives all around us.
Please share your thoughts on Charlotte’s creative community.
“We are diversified but close-knit! We are truly a family that looks out for each other, wanting to lift as we climb, and help each other get ahead. I am proud to be from a family of artists and to contribute to our community. I’m excited for Charlotte to take its spot in the ‘big arts scene’ cities list, we are ready!”
Kevin Young
Photographer/Videographer
The 5 & 2 Project
IG: @the5and2project
WEB: The5and2Project.com
Over the 17 years he’s lived in Crown Town, Kevin Young, a graduate of UNC-Charlotte, has explored our city a photographer and videographer.H e’s seen our skyline at sun up, sundown and midnight and invited us to be his passengers.
How do you want people to feel when they see your work?
“When people see my work, whether it’s a drone photo of Uptown or a construction video, I want people to feel like they are being given free VIP access to unseen parts of Charlotte and the opportunity to meet the people who live here. In watching my content, my hope is that viewers see ordinary things from a totally different perspective become educated, and inspired to impact their communities in their own unique way. I believe everyone living in Charlotte is part of our growing story and legacy.”
Please share your thoughts on Charlotte’s creative community.
“I think we have a very diverse creative community here in Charlotte. We’re very lucky to have so many support from creative leaders, the media and creative individuals. I love the energy and constant blooming of new creative platforms, venues and young artists. I’m proud to call Charlotte home and be a part of this dynamic community.”
Audrey Baran
Baran Dance
IG: @barandance
WEB: baran.dance
Like Kevin Young above, Audrey Baran moved here 20 years ago to attend UNC-Charlotte. In 2012, she founded Baran Dance, a collaborative dance company known for engaging with other artistic disciplines ranging from music to multimedia. She is a passionate advocate for accessibility to the arts, creating performances in bars, galleries and sidewalks, as well as on stages.
How do you want people to feel when they see your work?
“Curious, excited, inspired and challenged.”
Please share your thoughts on Charlotte’s creative community.
“It’s growing but also tightening. I’ve been here 20 years and have basically seen the dance community grow from the ground up. There used to be only the big few companies (North Carolina Dance Theatre, Moving Poets) and now there are so many incredible independent artists, collaborative collectives, and small companies like my own.”
“Resources are still strapped and largely distributed to the big names and organizations, so we need more support. Artists are banding together to uplift each other instead of tear each down, but it’s not sustainable. We will make it and keep making it, because that’s what creatives do, but certain aspects of the system are not supportive of DIY artists like myself.”
Vedavalli Saravanan
Visual Artist
IG: @veda4art
WEB: veda4art.com
Born in India, Vedavalli Saravanan moved to Charlotte 25 years ago for work and became an active member of the creative community. Since debuting as an artist in 1997, Saravanan has shown her work at Hart Witzen Gallery, Charlotte Art League, Le Meridien Hotel, McColl Center, Charlotte Trolley Museum and many more.
How do you want people to feel when they see your work?
“I want people to see my art and just enjoy it. Sometimes there are hidden meanings but sometimes I just create art to make something eye-catching!’
Please share your thoughts on Charlotte’s creative community.
“I have watched Charlotte’s creative community grow over the years. It has given me so many opportunities and I am glad to be a part of it!”
Tanner Morita
Co-Founder of Hex Coffee Roasters
IG: @tannermorita | IG: @hexcoffee
WEB: www.hex.coffee
Photo Credit: Logan Bryan
Tanner Morita is the co-founder of Hex Coffee. He invites everyone to “stop in to our Roastery at Camp North End for a cuppa, order some beans online, or grab a coffee at one of our partner shops all across the states.”
How do you want people to feel when they experience Hex?
“I want people to feel special and taken care of. The support of our community is what has brought us to where we are today, and I want people to feel the gratitude that I have for that support.”
Please share your thoughts on Charlotte’s creative community.
“There’s an incredible amount of creative people here in Charlotte, and the community is just starting to thrive.”
“Previously, I feel most of our community has left the Charlotte area to seek work elsewhere, as Charlotte has been slow to really invest into building culture and community here. I see the city slowly turning a corner with that, though, and I’d love to see Charlotte continue to really invest into small businesses, and local arts.”
Rexii Wilson
Proud Pacific/The Pure Store
IG: @xorexii
WEB: proudpac.com
Mural in Background: @RedCalacaStudio
Rexii Wilson is a visual artist and a fashion designer. With his “Proud Pacfic” clothing line, he blends “popular modern culture with tropically exotic influences of the islands.”
How long have you lived in Charlotte?
“I came to Charlotte when I was only 8. My parents moved us out from the islands of Micronesia for a better opportunity.”
How do you want people to feel when they see your work?
“I grew up knowing I didn’t fit in, and I knew I was different from the other kids in school. I was born in Pohnpei, Micronesia. a small tiny island located in the Pacific Ocean, surrounded by clear salty waters and coral reefs.”
“Asians are a minority here in Charlotte, North Carolina, but Pacific Islanders are even rarer. As a Pacific Islander growing up in the states, knowing that I was different, helped me learn to just be myself and love who I am. I grew up with a heavy island culture where Jawaiian music (Hawaiian style reggae) is popular, our elders are treated as authoritative figures and tribals are a way of adulthood.”
“An island culture mixed with an American urban influence cultivated my art style. Nowadays, Pacific Islanders are starting to be known because of figures like Dwayne The Rock Johnson, or ‘Moana’ in Disney or Troy Polamalu in football. I would love to one day include myself in that group. When people see my work I want them to see the journey the kid from the island took, and how he overcame and expressed it in his clothing line, his artwork, and through himself.”
Please share your thoughts on Charlotte’s creative community.
“Back in the day, you would get in a lot of trouble to put paint on a wall. It was a lot harder because no social media directed artists to get together and create a collective art show or what is known today as ‘pop-ups.'”
“Today, because of the growth of the art community, you are seeing a lot more ‘pop-ups’ every weekend. Giant murals are being more accepted around the city like a Pittsburg or a New York. Being a part of this movement, this community, brings me great joy and pride because it tailors not just visually but also through music and food.”
Ju-Ian Shen
Landscape Architecture/Ceramic Artist
Ju-Ian moved to Charlotte in 1985 after receiving her master’s degree in landscape architecture from NC State University’s College of Design (now School of Design). She has now retired from her landscape architecture career and focuses her attention on her pottery and visual art.
Please share your thoughts on Charlotte’s creative community.
“Charlotte’s creative community is springing like mushrooms after a nice rain. It is exciting to see the makers have their voices and the tremendous support for this community is abundant. I am personally always feeling the love from this community.”
“I would like to see the Charlotte creative community collectively has a bigger presence.”
Indrani Nayar-Gall
Visual Artist/Yes She Rises LLC
WEB: IndraniNayarGall.com
IG: @indraninayargall
Indrani Nayar-Gall is a Charlotte-based artist who uses 2-D media, printmaking, film and craft to address the global narratives of marginalization, patriarchy, and misogyny. Her work is rooted in social activism. She seeks to unpack “traditional codes expressed through the parallel constraints of media, and transcending the barriers they impose.” In April 2021, she received a “Creative Renewal Award” from the Arts & Science Council.
How do you want people to feel when they see your work?
“I build clues/meaning into my work, which, through the associations, they evoke, trigger emotions and thoughts that I hope would let the viewer experience and understand my work.”
Please share your thoughts on Charlotte’s creative community.
“Charlotte has a diverse and vibrant creative community. Through the support of our Arts and Science Council, other partner organizations, museums, galleries and artists residences.”