Artist Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya is a daughter of Thai and Indonesian immigrants who splits her time between Brooklyn and just about anywhere where there’s an opportunity to create public art that fosters social connection and a sense of belonging. With her background in neuroscience in tow, Phingbodhipakkiya strives to reclaim space and create community monuments through public art.
“Whether you’re getting a bagel or walking your dog, public art is a way to engage with the truth I’m speaking in a way that’s impossible to ignore,” she told me in a recent conversation. For her, public art is a particularly powerful medium because it demands to be seen and allows her art to spark curiosity and action in people of all backgrounds.
Photo: Deb Fong.
Phingbodhipakkiya’s mural series, I Still Believe
In Our City. Photo: MK Luff.
Phingbodhipakkiya’s mural series, I Still Believe
In Our City. Photo: MK Luff.
Phingbodhipakkiya’s mural series, We Are More.
Photo: Ben Lau.
“Public art is a way to engage with the truth I’m speaking in a way that’s impossible to ignore.”
“Often my work involves asking for the gift of stories and participation to co-create art with me,” says Phingbodhipakkiya. “I treat these gifts as sacred—these are pieces of our collective history that I have the privilege of bearing witness to. I hope that community members experience both healing and transformation when they engage with me.”
“I reflect on moments like those when the work gets tough to remind myself why I do what I do,” Phingbodhipakkiya says. “I know my practice can inspire people to embrace their multitudes and remember that their voices are unique and needed.”
Phingbodhipakkiya’s civic practice work continues to flourish. As part of a residency with Poster House, she’s currently working on a portrait series called We Are Chinatown depicting specific individuals who have shaped and sustained Manhattan’s Chinatown, and the impact of their legacy on this historic neighborhood. She’s also building an archive of AAPI stories, histories, and dreams as part of a civic practice residency with the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco.
GATHER, at Lincoln Center.
Photo: Ximena Natera.
GATHER, at Lincoln Center. Photo: Deb Fong.
Phingbodhipakkiya’s mural series, FINDINGS, in
Oakland, CA. Photo: Carolyn Fong.
Phingbodhipakkiya’s mural series, FINDINGS, in
Washington, DC. Photo: Will Martinez.
May We Know Our Own Strength.
Photo: MK Luff.
“My soul is lifted when people reach out and share how my work has made them feel seen, given them solace, and infused them with courage.”
“I spent time in the Bay Area at the start of the year meeting with over 100 community members, who shared reflections on their inheritance and their shared futures,” Phingbodhipakkiya says. “I also have some large-scale installation work that I’ll share more details on later this year. In all my upcoming work, I’m looking to uplift and reveal the depth, beauty, and resilience of our communities.”
Phingbodhipakkiya feels especially moved when people use her art to express themselves, whether people add it to their storefront or classroom or carry signs with her art as symbols of pride, solidarity, and allyship. “My soul is lifted when people reach out and share how my work has made them feel seen, given them solace, and infused them with courage—whether in New York, across the country or anywhere around the world.”
Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya will be participating in A4’s upcoming panel, AAPI Artists on Public Art.
Aleenah Ansari is a Seattle-based writer covering travel, entrepreneurship, mental health and wellness, and representation in media for Insider, The Seattle Times, Byrdie, and more. You can usually find her searching for murals in Seattle and beyond, reading a book by a BIPOC author, and planning her next trip to New York. Learn more at www.aleenahansari.com.
Phingbodhipakkiya’s mural series, We Are More.
Photo: Adrian Childress.
Phingbodhipakkiya’s mural series, I Still Believe
In Our City. Photo: MK Luff.
Source:
Aleenah Ansari, “Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya’s Public Art Creates Places to Heal” Asian American Arts Alliance, March 28, 2023, https://www.aaartsalliance.org/magazine/stories/amanda-phingbodhipakkiya-s-public-artworks-create-spaces-for-healing
