In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, we would like to present the works of our past AAPI clients whom we had the pleasure of showcasing in our NYC Pop Up locations.

Collective by At the Venue

Source: @collective_popup

No better way to start off this Pop-Up catalog than with Collective by At The Venue. Aired back in the summer of 2021 in our elegant 300 Bleecker Street location, they celebrate the diverse spectrum of Asian-owned brands from the United States and throughout the rest of the world. From clean, cruelty-free, vegan skincare brands all the way to plastic-free toothpaste, Collective by At the Venue encapsulates the essence of their customer’s favorite brands within an immersive shopping experience featuring fun events and culinary delights. You could stop by and partake in Heart Beauty’s Sip and Shop Pop Up, or join Claire Beauty for drinks and dumplings in the evening. Perhaps even indulge in a bag of Booskies Cookies: a Californian vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, and no preservatives cookie brand. Take a look at some of their greatest highlights at Collective by At The Venue’s Instagram page.

The Arcade Japan

Despite its name, The Arcade Japan has NOTHING to do with video games. At all. Really. Rather, the brand represents the enduring craftsmanship and steadfast creativity of Japan. Their guiding philosophy rejects the rampant consumerism commonplace in the modern-day world. The Arcade Japan disapproves of “products being made, bought, and wasted” in favor of encouraging consumers to buy irreplaceable products that are real, high-quality, and durable. Each product is carefully handpicked and selected by the owner, Minato. From clothing apparel to tote bags, jewelry, and accessories, all the way to even couch pillows and dinner plates – there is no shortage of variety to choose from. As a repeat client of Parasol Projects, we had the opportunity to host their product curations in our stunning 251 Elizabeth St, 2 Rivington St, and 213 Bowery locations.

Asian Society of Arts: In Time/Out of Place

In Time/Out of Place is an art gallery curated by Katya Grokhovsky, featuring the works of prominent multidisciplinary Asian artists: Munjer Hashim, Maiko Kikuchi, Harshad Marathe, Kohei Urakami, Jerri Wei, Xiaoye Xing, and Jian Yi, brought to NYC by the Asian Society of Arts. We had the pleasure of hosting this timeless exhibition at our 2 Rivington Street location in 2017. Alluding to the duality of a futuristic, utopian society juxtaposed with the normality of everyday life, the display explored the metaphysical fleetingness and transience of time and place through digital art, illustration, and architectural representations. Standing in the empty, well-lit space, examining an artwork of George Orwell’s 1984, the experience prompted you to contemplate the brief duration of human existence in contrast to the longevity of place.

Heesun Shin: Whimsical Riddle

Fourth up, Whimsical Riddle. This three-dimensional Pop Up solo exhibition by South Korean artist, Heesun Shin, embodied the pinnacle of Shin’s journey into the art forms of sculpting and assemblage. An experience Shin described as “conversations.” Shin likened the synergy between her and her medium to everyday human interaction and dialogue; in particular, she zeros in on the feeling of introspection and self-discovery. Removing the shell of the human body, leaving behind an abstract, raw depiction of emotion and sentiment fleshed out in an industrial canvas – Shin seeks to epitomize that powerful sensation within her bizarre, yet fascinating figurines.

Odele Zhang: Live Broadcast

Playful, oftentimes somber. LIVE Broadcast by Odele Zhang told the story of Zhang’s aesthetical progression from photography to live painting. Photography was an easy way for Zhang to amass thousands of visual assets; however, it was not long before she grew frustrated by their incompleteness. With a paintbrush in hand, Zhang was able to better capture the essence of her feelings and reactions to the subject of her artwork. She discarded the experience of “seeing” through a camera lens in favor of “reading” her subject’s perceived reality. Something which cannot be captured by pixels alone.