"Whatever routine I used to have has disappeared, and I just bounce from whoever needs me most," Julia Chiang admits as we check in how she and her family are coping with lockdown in NYC, just ahead of Mother's Day. "I juggle homeschool for both girls and their playtimes and activities to keep them happy and active. So, I get to the studio on the weekend only, but of course, with my two sidekicks."
"This past Sunday started with nonstop slides into the 'swimming pool.' We've been trying to make fun projects out of our recyclables so this toilet paper roll/snack box/salad container made for a good water slide," Chiang wrote us in a diary report she submitted for Art in Uncertain Times. "We had a short play session at my studio before meeting a few friends outside for a distance-play date. The girls are getting good at keeping their masks on and maintaining space. I'm so happy they can connect a bit with their friends but it's also a bit sad for them that they can't hug and see each other's smiles..."
"We get lucky with quiet streets sometimes and can pull off distance-play dates with friends. We miss our friends so much! The girls got to scoot with 2 of their friends before heading back into my studio for the rest of the day. And to be able to hang with my friends, other adults(!) for a bit, was so good too!"
We're delighted that Julia Chiang is slowly choosing to come back to the spotlight after dedicating the past 6 years to her full-time motherhood. As a part of an artistic family together with husband Brian Donnelly, aka KAWS, she took a step away from her own practice to focus on their two daughters, and only last year started showing again. We've covered her comeback shows in Glasgow, Tokyo, and NYC, but just as she started working toward the next exhibition, COVID-19 pandemic got in between and life quickly spiraled back into 24/7 momhood. "We keep a stash of old toys and supplies for the girls at my studio so I can actually get a bit done. But really not much happens work-wise unless Lee, our little one, naps!"
"Bringing the girls with me and continuing to work, it's also been good to let them see how we're all managing. Sunny, our older daughter, has commented in the past how long my work takes, and now after a couple of weeks of going to my studio and seeing very little change, she sees it so clearly and reminds me 'mommy, you paint so slow.' Ha! After their playdate and a quick lunch, they slept and slept so good! It's a rare event during rare times! I got a few hours of no 'mommy!' I love having them with me at the studio but it's also really tough getting things done," in a frank assessment of how parents around the world are coping with school and daycare unavailable.
"Right after the start of home quarantine, Brian got very ill," she tells us about the first-hand experience the whole family had when the virus that stopped the world in its tracks. "We all were sick but he got it the worst. Luckily, still a mild form of what many people experienced and are experiencing, but it made us focus on what needed to happen every day." Like the rest of us, the family is looking forward to enjoying little pleasures and the under-appreciated minutiae of daily schedules. "I've been the home cook for all meals but we've been trying to support local restaurants a couple of times a week. After the girls woke up, we cleaned up and we picked up Brian from his studio, and pizza on the way home. We got to eat outside and clap in support of all the frontline workers. At 7 pm sharp we thank them every night and the girls get super into it with shakers etc. It's been an emotional ride for everyone and we are so thankful to be healthy and in the situation, we are in. The loss and tragedy are crushing."
"And while we've been home I do small watercolors sometimes with the girls and sometimes at night, or an odd break in the day," Chiang explains about where she is focused and why. "Everything is so out of control with so many unknowns, that setting that time aside and having something to look at afterward is something. It feels a bit like having one less lost screw. Hoping my work can be used to support those in need, I'll be donating to organizations that have been helping people around the world."
Text compiled by Sasha Bogojev
