Found in Translation: Explorations by 8 Contemporary Artists

We often hear of the risks of losing meaning in translation. But visual artists are skilled at converting ideas and questions into art. Found in Translation: Explorations by 8 Contemporary Artists reveals the richness and nuance that can be discovered through this process of change and transformation. 

The art in Found in Translation is informed but not defined by artists’ individual experiences with immigration from places across Asia to the Kansas City region. It reflects their perspectives on the world and their places in it, shaped through a range of styles and media. These eight artists use their practices to explore evolving personal questions tied to place, memory, relationships, and other complex topics.  

Found in Translation is the second exhibition in the Nelson-Atkins initiative KC Art Now, which celebrates the talent of local artists.

Organized by The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Generous support provided by Linda Woodsmall DeBruce and Paul DeBruce, and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.

Heinrich Toh (American, born in Singapore, working in the United States, born 1972). From the Roots…That’s Rarely Seen, 2022. Monoprint and paper lithography on Rives BFK paper, dimensions variable. Courtesy of the artist. Photo © 2022 The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.

Hong Chun Zhang (Born in China, working in the United States, born 1971). Continuity, 2022. Chinese ink on Alcantara fabric with scrolls, 240 × 58 inches. Courtesy of the artist. Photo © 2022 The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.

Hyeyoung Shin (Born in South Korea, working in the United States, born 1973). Left: Red and Blue Consequences, 2021. Color pencil on cast paper sculpture, 36 1/2 × 17 1/2 × 4 inches. Right: Flying High, 2022. Color pencil on cast paper sculpture, 38 1/2 × 18 1/2 × 4 inches. Courtesy of the artist. Photos © 2022 The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.

Noriko Ebersole (Born in Japan, working in the United States, born 1949). Self-Portrait Diary: One-a-Day Drawings for 10 Years, 2003, 2005–2013. Graphite, charcoal, color pencil, conté, and ink on paper, dimensions variable. Courtesy of the artist. Photo © 2022 The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.

Priya Suresh Kambli (American, born in India, born 1975). Buttons for Eyes, 2016–2022. Archival inkjet prints and flour, dimensions variable. Courtesy of the artist. Photo © 2022 The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.

Shreepad Narayan Joglekar (Immigrant worker, born in India, born 1976). Tempora Incognita, 2022. Archival pigmented prints and stereo sound, dimensions variable. Courtesy of the artist. Photo © 2022 The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.

Yoonmi Nam (Born in South Korea, working in the United States, born 1974). Keeping, 2022. Slip-cast porcelain with celadon glaze, dimensions variable. Courtesy of the artist. Photo © 2022 The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.

Kathy Liao (Taiwanese American, born 1984). Returning, 2022. Site specific installation: charcoal, collage, gesso on canvas, graphite, fixative spray, sanded debris, and monotype on eight BFK papers, dimensions variable. (sculpture) Thread, 2022. Plaster, cardboard, and graphite, 53 × 30 × 30 inches. Courtesy of the artist. Photo © 2022 The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.