A Lotus Blooming in a Sea of Fire Opening Reception
6PM
2025 marks the 50th anniversary of the end of the U.S. wars in Southeast Asia, wars that caused international outcry. As wars continue across the globe—from Gaza to Ukraine, from Syria to Ethiopia—this exhibition asks: How do we rebuild a world scarred by destruction? What can art teach us about healing and renewal?
Scars of conflict endure long after the last shot is fired. From the ashes of war, Southeast Asian refugees have cultivated new life, embodying the resilience of the lotus— a symbol of rebirth that blooms even in the harshest conditions.
Opening: Fri, Nov 7, 6:00-8:00 pm with curator present
Gallery Times:
- November 7 - December 20, 2025
- Tues - Sat, 11am - 6pm
- Online starting November 7, 2025
A LOTUS BLOOMING IN A SEA OF FIRE draws on the wisdom of Southeast Asian refugees, the largest refugee group ever settled in the U.S., to explore how art can foster healing. Through immersive sculptures, textiles, films, and performances, visitors are invited to reflect on their own roles in cultivating a world where war is not the end but the beginning of new possibilities.
Southeast Asian artists will be showcasing text-based installations displaying the adaptation of language, immersive sculptures illustrating the environment of war, textiles carrying forward Indigenous ecologies, and films demonstrating creative healing modalities.
At its core, A Lotus Blooming in a Sea of Fire imagines a future where communities and the planet recover and thrive, shaped by the resilience of those who have endured unimaginable loss. The exhibition invites viewers to envision healing not only for humanity but for all living beings—human, animal, and ecological—impacted by war. It is both a reflection on the past and a blueprint for a future where life can flourish again.
By marking the 50th anniversary of the Southeast Asian wars, this exhibition serves as both a time capsule and a vision of possibility, where the audience is invited to witness how Southeast Asian refugee artists have transformed the remnants of war into living, breathing art.