Biography
Born and raised in Flushing, NYC, Ivy Tong’s work is inspired by and addresses her culture, family, the Asian American diaspora, and the immigrant stories she grew up witnessing. By reaching into the nooks and crannies of her own immigrant family’s experiences, she shares their memories, struggles, and perspectives with the world through photography, videography, and bookmaking. Tong is a senior at the University of Rochester currently pursuing a double major in Studio Arts and Computer Science. Her work has been exhibited at the Sage Art Center and the Art and Music Library Gallery at the University of Rochester.
Artist Statement
Ivy Tong's work is inspired by her experience as a second-generation immigrant born and raised in Flushing, NY, surrounded by immigrant stories. Her work addresses her culture, family, and the Asian American diaspora. Growing up with one foot in American culture and the other in Chinese culture, Tong navigates the world through translation. From age three, when she began to learn English, she found herself translating the language she spoke at home into the language she was learning to speak at school. Tong uses translation to bridge her two distinct identities with disparate languages and values, examining her bilingual, Asian American identity in her art through translating her emotions into photography, bookmaking, and videography.