Artist Talk | At the Crossroads of Art & Design: A Conversation with Jessica Davis, Renee Chiarelli, & Sonya Yong James

Born in Knoxville, Tennessee, Sonya Yong James lives and works in Atlanta, Georgia. She received a BFA from Georgia State University, focusing on printmaking and sculpture. James has exhibited nationally and internationally for the past twenty years and has been the recipient of several prestigious grants, including the Artadia grant in 2019. She was also a nominee for the 2023 United States Artists Fellowship award.

Her work is held in numerous collections, including Art in Embassies, and has been exhibited at MOCA GA, The Minnesota Museum of American Art, UAB's Abroms-Engels Institute for the Visual Arts, and the Ogden Museum of Art in New Orleans. In addition to her residency at Atlanta Contemporary, James has received grants for residencies at Mass MOCA and has upcoming residencies planned in Mexico City for 2024.

The Asian American Pacific Islander Design Alliance (AAPIDA) is an organization and collective that engages, promotes, and empowers Asians, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders working within the home and design industries to foster visibility, collaboration and representation industry-wide.

Our goals are to mobilize, empower, and engage AAPI professionals in the home and design industries and beyond, to enact change by catalyzing the creative energy and talent of our peers through the following mission pillars:

Advocacy

To advocate for awareness of AAPI cultures, and elevate AAPI issues to the forefront in the home and design industry.

Awareness

To raise awareness and be a voice for AAPI designers, artists, companies, projects, and others in the home and design industry.

Collaboration

To encourage and create collaboration opportunities between AAPI designers, brands, and other industry partners.

Community

To encourage connection with our AAPI community and Allies, within AAPIDA and beyond.

Dialogue

To foster an inclusive and open-minded dialogue of AAPI experiences in the home and design industry through increased representation at industry gatherings and AAPI-oriented events.

Mentorship

To provide mentorship and educational opportunities for AAPI members in the home and design industry.