impressions of shanghai: from china to nyc
Impressions of Shanghai is a small printmaking series inspired by everyday moments I experienced while living in the city. Rather than focusing on landmarks or iconic skylines, these prints capture quieter moments of joy: aunties dancing in public parks, street skewers, and the ritual of sharing soup dumplings.
China has the longest printmaking tradition in the world, with woodblock printing dating back over a thousand years. The history of carving and printing images—bold, direct, and reproducible, is a nod to the history of China, its impact on the world and how it continues to influence contemporary artists. I’ve always been drawn to the physical act of carving and printing as a way of translating moments into imagery. In the past I’ve enjoyed printmaking through copper etchings, linocut, screen printing and even letterboxing. Impressions of Shanghai is a new way to honor the art and history of printmaking. Starting as an illustration, I separated each layer prior to production and had it manufactured. Once ink is laid onto the stamp and absorbed, the excess ink is wiped away, leaving the remainder of ink on the illustration relief. Layered one stamp at a time, each stamp represents a different color and piece of the picture. Once all the stamps are pressed into the same paper placement, the illustration is complete.
By illustrating these scenes and manufacturing them as stamps, I was able to transform fleeting observations into lasting impressions, preserving moments that brought me a lot of joy.
Xiao Long Bao
Coming in with 18 pleated folds, a melt in your mouth sensation, straight from the burbs of Shanghai— I introduce to you: the Xiao Long Bao!
Shanghai was home base for me during this time, so I knew this had to be the first execution of this project. The xiao long bao (xlb) hails from just outside of Shanghai in a suburb called Nanxiang, a historic water town. Filled with hot soup and your choice of protein, it’s really a choose your own adventure. With a touch of vinegar and ginger, and shared amongst friends, these bad boys can turn around or enhance any kind of day you’re having.
People’s Park in the Old French Concession
Picture this: it’s a Tuesday (or a Saturday) and you’re walking home. You hear music softly roaring from afar. As you get closer, the music grows louder. Through the trees you can see small groups of people spinning and twirling. It’s the aunties and uncles of Shanghai gathered in the evenings and dancing together. Chinese pop, folk or remixed music. Ballroom, fan or Guangchang Wu— they do it all. Watching these proud, lively elders became one of my favorite rituals to walk by on my way home. What a beautiful reminder of community, movement and shared joy.
Chuan’r (Street Skewers)
Oh street skewers. How many times have you come to side in moments of need. On the street, at the mall, along a tourist road or late at night— chuan’r always hits. What started as curiosity quickly became an obsession. As I learned more about the connections between Xinjiang cuisine and the Silk Road, I became enraptured between the cultural hotpot of Uyghur traditions, the impact of the Tang Dynasty and how it’s seen today. Covered in spice, skewers sizzling on charcoal grills filled the air with cumin and chili, defining a lot of my evening walks and soon creating a gathering place for my friends and me. What’s wild is that Chuan’r is not just a snack, it’s a social verb. A place of gathering, community and culture transformed through the ages. I’m not sure how much RMB I’ve spent on these guys, but clearly more than enough to impact my impression of Shanghai and make its way into this project.
If you’ve made it this far, I commend you. And so I’ll leave you with this: while my mandarin is limited to the numbers 1-10 and a few phrases, the one sure fire thing I do know how to do is order by pointing while saying ‘juggha’ which means ‘this’. If my poor Chinese didn’t send the message, my enlarged eyeballs definitely did. So I’m just saying, if you ever need a snack buddy— I’m your gal.