Amity Chan’s time as the Studio Gallery’s Jennie Lea Knight Fellow has been an incredible journey of artistic growth and professional development. Reclamation, her second and final exhibition through the fellowship program, was a bittersweet milestone and offered an opportunity for her to reflect on the elements that have influenced and shaped her work throughout this transformative chapter. Her work in the Fellows Exhibition was a deeply personal exploration of memory, identity, and renewal, bringing together pieces that spoke to the power of reclaiming one’s narrative.
Chan Reflecting on Her Experience
“This fellowship has been a vital resource for emerging artists like myself. It provided an opportunity to rebuild my art practice after a period of doubt and uncertainty. I graduated in 2020 at the height of the pandemic while simultaneously grappling with the mass protests in Hong Kong. After graduation, I paused my artistic practice until I finally settled into my new life in Washington, D.C., in 2022. However, due to a lack of resources, I was only creating smaller works and digital drawings —nothing comparable to my usual practice. In 2023, while working as a Gallery Assistant at IA&A at Hillyer, I saw the open call for this fellowship. Having known Studio Gallery through our monthly First Friday and Third Thursday partnerships, I had always admired its unique co-op model. I was thrilled to apply, as I was seeking a supportive community, mentorship, and, most importantly, an accountability partner in rebuilding my practice. The fellowship has introduced me to meaningful relationships I deeply cherish, including my amazing cohorts, Olivia Bruce, Skyler Henry, and Omari Wilson; my mentor, Lynda Andrews-Barry, since 2023; Atiya Dorsey and Irene Pantelis, who both served as Fellowship Managers; Halley Stubis, the former Gallery Director; Madison King, the current Director of Studio Gallery; and Helen Frederick, who kindly curated my second fellows' exhibition. It has also provided consistent opportunities to showcase my work, including biannual all-member shows, Garden Gallery exhibitions, Art All Night, and annual fellows’ exhibitions. In just under two years, I have exhibited at Studio Gallery six times, with another exhibition scheduled for April. Through the process of consistently exhibiting and refining my work, I gained the confidence and experience to pursue additional opportunities. This led to a total of ten exhibitions in 2024 alone. Additionally, I was honored to collaborate with organizations such as the Arts and Peacebuilding Culture for DMV Leaders Fellowship at George Mason University, the Mind Your Art Business Program at Vika Visual Arts Association, and most recently, the Sparkplug Artists’ Collective at The DC Arts Center.” Chan says in reflection of her time.
Artistic Growth and Continuing Themes
One of the most fulfilling aspects of Reclamation for Chan was seeing how her artistic voice has evolved while maintaining continuity in her themes. An exciting development has been her sculptural series, Through the Cracks and her painting Through the Window, which were both centerpieces of her work in Reclamation. Both bodies of work examine the tension between fragility and resilience, using fragmented and layered materials to explore themes of displacement, belonging, and transformation.
Amity Chan, Through the Cracks Collection, Cement and faux dandelion
Highlights and New Opportunities
Since Reclamation, Chan has been honored to share her work and perspectives in a variety of spaces. Some key opportunities include:
- Speaker, Fine Arts Spring Alumni Panel, Maryland Institute College of Art (2025) - Artist Feature, When Art Meets Activism, ArtDiction Special Edition (2024) - Review of Pieces of the Whole by Mark Jenkins, DisCerning Eye (2024).
Head to Studio Gallery today through May 17th, 2025 to see Chan’s duo exhibition with fellow artist, Lynda Andrews-Barry, in the Garden Gallery. Fragments of Memories is a moving exhibition that brings together two artists whose practices navigate the complex intersections of memory, identity, and place. Through paintings, sculptures, collages, and video installations, Amity Chan and Lynda Andrews-Barry explore how personal histories and political realities shape the landscapes we live in, both real and imagined. Drawing from her upbringing in Hong Kong, Chan reflects on everyday spaces such as residential buildings, schools, and malls, using personal photographs to reconstruct a childhood shaped by cultural rituals and rapid urban transformation on canvases. Her manga-inspired paintings speak to the cultures she grew up with and her diasporic experience in the U.S., as well as the desire to preserve cultural memory in the face of displacement. In parallel, Andrews-Barry responds to the political atmosphere of Washington, D.C., using snow globes, mixed media collages, and video installation to examine collective memory and national narratives. Her works translate the volatility of current events into intimate, symbolic forms that call for action and self-expression. Together, their works reveal memory not as a static archive, but as a shifting terrain shaped by place, time, and the politics of remembering. You don’t want to miss it!
Her recent exhibitions include:
- HK Liberty Art Prize 2024, Lady Liberty Hong Kong, Tokyo, Japan
- Journey to Self, Vika Visual Arts Association, Washington D.C.
- Lost & Found: Searching For Home (Community Stories), Wing Luke Museum, Seattle, WA
Keep an eye out for her upcoming exhibitions:
- The 2nd Annual Art Exhibition, Hong Kong Human Right Front, Taipei, Taiwan (April 2025) - Duo Exhibition with Lynda Andrews-Barry, Studio Gallery, Washington D.C. (April 2025) - Sparkplug Artists’ Collective Exhibition, The DC Arts Center, Washington D.C. (November 2025).
- ADMO Art Walk 2025 from 4/4-4/27, In partnership with D Light Cafe & Bakery
As she moves forward, Chan remains deeply grateful for the experiences and mentorship that this fellowship has provided. While it is sad to see this chapter close, she carries forward the lessons and connections that have shaped her artistic journey. Chan is excited to engage with different perspectives, continue to enrich her practice, and she looks forward to the dialogue ahead.
Written by Emma Sapp
Gallery Associate