Amanda (梁宿娴) from Episode 1 is back! Here, Jenna and Amanda are reflecting, manifesting, laughing and celebrating five years of Asian in Aotearoa and their friendship.
Follow Amanda: https://www.instagram.com/amandagraceleo
https://www.instagram.com/graceandtarot
We mention Tanya Barlow from Episode 2 and her podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@hellotanyapod
Asian in Aotearoa is hosted by Jenna Wee.
This episode was recorded in Jenna’s living room.
Thanks for listening! If you like what you're hearing, rate this thing five stars and leave a comment x
This episode wraps up season three! Marc Conaco is a Bisaya illustrator, designer, curator and producer of Asian in Aotearoa. Here, we dive into the six-month rollercoaster ride of podcast production, handling the guest lineup, schedule conflicts, and general chaos while also answering some questions sent in from past guests. Follow @marcconaco
Fill out the season three feedback survey, HERE. https://forms.gle/hwWCsWAJ6Z64UAnc9
Hosted by Jenna Wee & Produced by Marc Conaco.
Recorded at Big Fan in Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland.
This episode was made possible thanks to Foundation North and Creative New Zealand.
Swap Gomez is a multi-faceted creative - a professional drummer, director, producer, editor and events coordinator. He has toured and recorded around the world with international artists, he runs and curates the annual Drummers Day Out and currently performs with CHAII, Yoko Zuna and The Delivery Boyz. In this episode we hear about Swap’s creative projects, his birth chart (very heavy on Aries), leadership and connection to his ancestors.
Keep up to date with Swap on IG:
Hosted by Jenna Wee & Produced by Marc Conaco.
Recorded at Big Fan in Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland.
This episode was made possible thanks to Foundation North and Creative New Zealand.
Zed Xu 榛子瞬 is a multidisciplinary artist based in Tāmaki Makaurau, originally from China. Zed's artistic practice spans painting, performance art, and filmmaking, driven by their experience as a non-binary, queer, neurodivergent Asian migrant. Zed is yet another guest with a vipassana experience to share (!!) and we also delve into where they’re at in their creative evolution. Spoiler: it's exciting!
Keep up to date with Zed’s mahi:
Find @zedxufilm on YouTube and TikTok, @zedzishun is also on rednote.__
Hosted by Jenna Wee & Produced by Marc Conaco.
Recorded at Big Fan in Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland.
This episode was made possible thanks to Foundation North and Creative New Zealand.
In celebration of Lunar New Year and Pride month, Asian in Aotearoa returns to the stage for a special Year of the Snake panel and podcast recording. Recorded at Auckland Art Gallery, host Jenna Wee sits down with an all-Queer panel reflecting on their creative process, inspiration, growth – and what Year of the Snake might look like for them.
Meet the Panel:
Steven Junil Park 박준일 (he/they): Korean-born artist handcrafting functional objects and clothing under the label, 6x4.
Mariadelle ‘Abbey’ Gamit (they/she): Pinay artist, DJ and co-director of Asia and Pasifika-led arts organisation, All My Friends.
Nathan Joe 周润豪 (he/him): Chinese-Kiwi multi-award-winning playwright, dramaturg and performance poet.
Thank you to Ellie, Fern and the team at Auckland Art Gallery for making this special episode possible.
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Asian in Aotearoa is a podcast that explores the lives of Asian creatives, one conversation at a time. We explore our relationship to creativity, courage, compassion, community and how this shapes the way we move through the world and influences our work. Founded in November 2020 by Jenna Wee, the podcast – now 50+ episodes deep – has featured artists, writers, actors, musicians, theatre-makers, directors and more.
LINKS
A former dancer with the prestigious Royal New Zealand Ballet during the 2010s, William started making stage costumes and today he’s currently at Whitecliffe studying Sustainable Fashion. Here, William opens up about his creative journey, including having dreams fall apart, ghosting friends and finding his way back to dance.
Keep an eye out for his own label Jung-Ying: @__jungying
Hosted by Jenna Wee & Produced by Marc Conaco.
Recorded at Big Fan in Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland.
This episode was made possible thanks to Foundation North and Creative New Zealand.
Jenny Gao is a documentary maker and writer, deeply immersed in human relationships and spirituality. Here she shares where she's at creatively, along with Vipassana insights, psychic insights, and working outside conventional creative fields to nurture inspiration.
We pull some cards, have a laugh and discuss spontaneity, adventure, and playfulness in life and creative pursuits.
Follow Jenny on Instagram: @iennygao
→ Register to attend the live podcast and panel recording happening at Auckland Art Gallery on February 1st: https://www.aucklandartgallery.com/whats-on/event/asian-in-aotearoa-or-year-of-the-snake-panel-and-podcast-recording
Asian in Aotearoa Substack - READ THE EP.55 NEWSLETTER AFTER LISTENING TO THIS EPISODE!
Hosted by Jenna Wee & Produced by Marc Conaco.
Recorded at Big Fan in Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland.
This episode was made possible thanks to Foundation North and Creative New Zealand.
Pulkit Arora is a writer-director of Indian origin, now based in Tāmaki Makaurau. His debut short Milk Toffee premiered at Tribeca and travelled through 8 other international festivals in 2021. His follow-up film Anu won the Audience Award at Whānau Mārama: NZIFF 2023, followed by screening in competition at Melbourne International Film Festival and winning at IFFLA, Cornwall and Film Bazaar India. It released globally on the streaming platform MUBI in May 2024. As a screenwriter, he led development for two adaptation projects with Disney+ and Home Stories, a Netflix anthology.
In this episode, Pulkit talks about how he's feeling about summer, a rabies scare, the projects he’s working on, vipassana trips and loads more.
Follow Pulkit on Instagram: @pulzkit
Hosted by Jenna Wee & Produced by Marc Conaco.
Recorded at Big Fan in Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland.
This episode was made possible thanks to Foundation North and Creative New Zealand.
Fazerdaze, otherwise known as Amelia Murray, is an Indonesian-Pākehā artist, musician, and creative force - currently based in Ōtautahi. Her new album ‘Soft Power’ marks an evolution in her artistry and here we touch on Amelia’s creative process, spirituality, courage and so much more. This episode gives listeners insight into how Amelia sees the world, and the way she chooses to move through it. Enjoy!
Listen to the album, Soft Power.
Hosted by Jenna Wee & Produced by Marc Conaco.
Recorded at Big Fan in Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland.
This episode was made possible thanks to Foundation North and Creative New Zealand.
Jennifer Cheuk is a mixed Hong Kong Chinese / Welsh indie publisher, researcher and curator. She’s the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Rat World Magazine - an independent print magazine and collective that’s all about showcasing underground and underrepresented voices from all over the world.
In this episode, Jennifer reflects on the last 12 months including her landmark anthology (see below!) plus personal growth, anger, arts and more!
Book: Everything That Moves, Moves Through Another
Hosted by Jenna Wee & Produced by Marc Conaco.
Recorded at Big Fan in Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland.
This episode was made possible thanks to Foundation North and Creative New Zealand.
Originally from Korea, Sung Hwan moved to Aotearoa at the age of ten. His artistic journey explores themes of identity, protection, and queer identity. In this episode, he reflects on the courage needed to create amidst uncertainty and how serving in Korea's military has influenced his life and art. From navigating challenges and critiques to resilience and insights on self-compassion - learn more about where Sung Hwan is at as he prepares for international residencies in Los Angeles and Korea.
Hosted by Jenna Wee & Produced by Marc Conaco.
Recorded at Big Fan in Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland.
This episode was made possible thanks to Foundation North and Creative New Zealand.
Julie Zhu is an award-winning director, producer, and storyteller born in Xian, China, and raised in Tāmaki Makaurau. Committed to championing marginalised voices and stories, Julie co-directed the podcast and docu-series Conversations With My Immigrant Parents for RNZ. She also directed observational documentary series Takeout Kids for The Spinoff, winning Best Director at NZ WebFest 2022.
Here, Julie reflects on the last few years and discusses the challenges of promoting one’s work, the balance between humility and self-promotion, and the importance of self-compassion.
Watch Takeout Kids on The Spinoff
Hosted by Jenna Wee & Produced by Marc Conaco
Recorded at Big Fan in Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland
This episode was made possible thanks to Foundation North and Creative New Zealand.
In our final episode of this season, Jenna is joined by creative community champion, returning guest and founder of Aunty’s House, Amita Kala. An episode of introspection, Jenna and Amita reflect on season 2, answer questions from recent guests and discuss creative processes, grind culture and the importance of rest.
Instagram: @amitakala
Check out @auntysh0use
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FOLLOW the pod on Instagram: @asianinaotearoa
asianinaotearoa.com
ABOUT THE PODCAST
Hosted by Jenna Wee, Asian in Aotearoa (New Zealand) explores the lives of Asian creatives, one uncensored conversation at a time.
✨This episode was made possible thanks to Foundation North, Creative NZ & Big Fan.✨
Tāmaki Makaurau-based, award-winning comedian, David Correos, talks to Jenna about the lengths of his creativity, being a Taskmaster favourite, and leadership in the comedy world. He also opens up a bit about his love life, risk-taking, fame, friendships and heaps more.
Catch David on tour, HERE.
Follow David on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidpostoffice
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@davidpostoffice
SUBSCRIBE to the newsletter: asianinaotearoa.substack.com
SUPPORT Asian in Aotearoa: https://ko-fi.com/asianinaotearoa
Instagram: @asianinaotearoa
ABOUT THE PODCAST Hosted by Jenna Wee, Asian in Aotearoa (New Zealand) explores the lives of Asian creatives, one uncensored convo at a time. ✨This episode was made possible thanks to Foundation North, Creative NZ & Big Fan.✨
Hailing from Manawatū and based in Tāmaki Makaurau, Jess Hong sits down with Jenna and talks about her growth and the whirlwind of filming Netflix’s upcoming show, 3 Body Problem, and grounding herself in finding community and being at home in Aotearoa. They both delve into defining what purpose means to them and where their pursuits have spontaneously taken them.
Follow @jessthehong on Instagram
Listen to Jess on the Dumplings & Dragons podcast online now
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SUBSCRIBE to the newsletter: asianinaotearoa.substack.
SUPPORT Asian in Aotearoa: https://ko-fi.com/asianinaotearoa
FOLLOW @asianinaotearoa on Instagram
VISIT asianinaotearoa.com
ABOUT THE PODCAST Hosted by Jenna Wee, Asian in Aotearoa (New Zealand) explores the lives of Asian creatives, one uncensored convo at a time. ✨This episode was made possible thanks to Foundation North, Creative NZ & Big Fan.✨
Kiwi-Malaysian-Chinese filmmaker Jack Woon joins Jenna for our last episode of the year. In this episode, he shares his acute perfectionist tendencies, some of which we may or may not relate to, and how collaboration actually helps fight those tendencies. He delves into his screen practice and the changes for Asian representation in the industry, his favourite collaborations, creative (see: coffee) rituals, and pursuing dream projects.
Jack's work 👉 www.unkofilms.com
SUBSCRIBE to the newsletter: asianinaotearoa.substack.com
SUPPORT Asian in Aotearoa: https://ko-fi.com/asianinaotearoa
FOLLOW @asianinaotearoa on Instagram
VISIT asianinaotearoa.com
ABOUT THE PODCAST Hosted by Jenna Wee, Asian in Aotearoa (New Zealand) explores the lives of Asian creatives, one uncensored convo at a time. ✨This episode was made possible thanks to Foundation North, Creative NZ & Big Fan.✨