Public Art & Community Dialogue Series
Solidarity in Diaspora: Experiences, Reflections & Healing
An AAANHPI Panel Discussion with Saiyare Refaei, a Fred Hutch Public Art and Community Dialogue artist.
Join us as we introduce our selected artist, Saiyare Refaei, who will create art for the Asian, Asian-American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities, as part of the Public Art & Community Dialogue Program, sponsored by the DEI Core.
Saiyare Refaei, Chinese Iranian artist based on the traditional lands of the Puyallup and Coast Salish peoples referred to as Tacoma, Washington, will engage selected panelists as they share their lived experiences, reflections, history, culture, and aspirations for the Asian, Asian-American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities. Our discussions will inform our commitment to inclusion, and how we represent that commitment in visual form.
Featuring
Saiyare Refaei
Artist, Fred Hutch Public Art & Community Dialogue Program
Saiyare Refaei (they/them/she/her) is a Chinese Iranian artist based on the traditional lands of the Puyallup and Coast Salish peoples referred to as Tacoma, Washington. Their favorite mediums include community murals, printmaking, drawings, and poetry. Saiyare strives to utilize art as a means of community building, education, and healing.
In 2020, Saiyare became a member of Justseeds Artists’ Cooperative, a transnational decentralized network of artists committed to social, environmental, and political engagement. You can find more of their work at justseeds.org/artist/saiyarerefaei/ or @_saikick_ on Instagram.
Photo by Tess Matsukawa
Joe Ungco
Panel Moderator, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
Joe Ungco (they/them), Associate Director, DEI Learning, Client Services & Data Analytics, builds and supports DEI Core’s strategic initiatives broadly with particular focus on educational initiatives.
Joe draws from their lived experiences as a queer person of color, clinical experiences as a geriatric occupational therapist, and diverse academic experiences to develop strategies and interventions that improve healing for communities most impacted by systems of oppression. They are passionate about queer health, social justice, equity, and intersectional, responsive, and inclusive care.
Joe holds a Doctorate in Occupational Therapy as well as degrees in Linguistics and Philosophy from the University of Southern California. In their lived time, they enjoy cooking, travel, games, art, glassblowing, and training their cats.
About the Public Art & Community Dialogue Program
Led by the Fred Hutch Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, the Public Art and Community Dialogue program provides an opportunity for employees and the broader community to be in dialogue about community solidarity and our pursuit of equity in research and healthcare. This program fosters ongoing dialogues with marginalized and oppressed communities that inform our commitment to inclusion, and how we represent that commitment in visual form.
Selected artists from underrepresented and minoritized communities will develop public art expressions for Fred Hutch banners and flags that will be informed by these dialogues. These images will reflect the themes, emotions, expressions, history, culture, and aspirations of the affinity communities and the commitments of Fred Hutch to deepen our anti-racist and inclusive efforts in scientific excellence.