'You Are Loved': Bay Area Artist Gives Hope To Asian Americans Besieged By Racism And Violence
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) - A San Francisco artist is using her talents to send a message of healing and solidarity following a series of attacks on members of the Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) community.
Known for her street hearts across the city, Kate Tova is hoping residents are inspired by her latest work on Grant Avenue in Chinatown.
"As an artist, I feel like I'm obligated to do something because it feels bad right now to just sit in the studio when I have all this paint," she tells CBS San Francisco.
Though the meaning of the heart is universal, Tova says she wanted properly translate the English phrase "you are loved," which is translated to mean "together we love and help each other or "I care about you" in different Asian languages.
"I asked Lily, one of my friends, to help me with the translation, because I didn't want to just put it in Google translate," she says.
"Growing up, San Francisco local here, I grew up with a lot of Asian communities and Asian friends, but I think part of it is unite with others who don't look exactly like me, who want to participate," says Tova's friend, Lily Chan.
On March 16, a gunman killed eight people at three Atlanta metro-area massage businesses. Six of the eight victims were of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders descent. The killings followed a spike of anti-AAPI violence nationally since the coronavirus pandemic began.
When the pandemic closed the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, it showcased new artwork by Asian American female artists on the its facade.
"Despite these artists who have a really loud voice, and we're doing our best to amplify them, but I feel like we're not loud enough," says Abby Chen, the museum's head of contemporary art. "We need journalists, we need art critics, we need supporters, we need audiences to all help us amplify these voices."
As the museum prepares to launch a series of events to directly address anti-AAPI violence, Tova's newest art display in Chinatown is gaining attention.
"With all the hate going on, especially with the Asian community, we really need to show solidarity, and love to them and be allies," says San Francisco resident Lyndsay Pullem.
