I’m a Lao American multidisciplinary public artist: playwright, poet, cultural producer, curator, and social practitioner. Public practice to me is about building relationships between people, between people and experiences, between people and stories, and between people and information. I was born in a Thai refugee camp, immigrated to Minnesota in 1985, and was raised in Rondo (a thriving historically Black neighborhood that was violently dismantled to make way for a highway). I grew up translating my family’s stories to our neighbors who would in turn ask me to translate their stories. The threading of loss, systemic violence, resilience, healing, joy, and connections between communities is what drives my artistic practice.

The Lao is grossly underrepresented in popular narratives in the media, books, public discourse, and the arts. I engage Minnesotans on Laotian and refugee-centered stories using theater, literary, and performance art because multiple creative platforms and genres allow for greater access points for audiences to learn more about the Laotian diaspora. In order to live in a fully inclusive world, 'others' benefit from knowing we exist despite the fact that our stories are ignored, distorted, and erased by mainstream narratives and imagery.

My work allows other Laotians to see themselves represented more fully and it allows non-Laotians to see us. My work focuses on creating spaces/amplifying refugee stories for myself and others. My work also aims to provide creative and financial opportunities for Laotian artists as well.