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From Island to Island | Governors Island Artist-in-Residence Project

By Nina Edwards

"During my 2023 residency on Governors Island with the Taiwanese American Arts Council (TAAC), I created a four-part painting series titled From Island to Island, reflecting on the cultural, historical, and emotional connections between two islands I call home—New York and Taiwan.

The residency offered an inspiring environment for artistic exploration, set within Governors Island’s unique history and its vibrant community of cultural and environmental organizations. As part of the thematic exhibition From Island to Island, I explored shared narratives of migration, identity, and heritage through personal and collective lenses.

Each painting highlights a distinct aspect of these interwoven stories: The Mazu of Manhattan juxtaposes Mazu and the Statue of Liberty as guiding maternal icons; Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil reflects on colonial histories and gendered silences; Taiwanese Madame Butterfly merges Taiwanese glove puppetry with Broadway spectacle; and Taiwanese Opera Song pays tribute to Ke-Tse Opera, blending fashion, form, movement, and cross-cultural motifs.

This body of work weaves together memory, mythology, and lived experience, offering a visual dialogue between East and West. It is both a tribute to the places that have shaped me and an invitation to consider how cultural identity transcends borders."

A surreal digital collage featuring a richly adorned traditional Taiwanese puppet theater stage in front of the Brooklyn Bridge. A regal female figure in elaborate robes and makeup stands in the foreground with butterflies fluttering nearby. The scene juxtaposes ornate cultural heritage with a modern urban skyline.
A group of people gather in a light-filled room with wooden floors, observing a woman in a hat and polka dot dress giving a talk near a table with a laptop and art materials. Framed artworks and a mixed-media sculpture adorn the white, patchy walls. The environment suggests an art exhibition or open house event.
Exterior of a large yellow house with white trim, home to the
Interior of an art gallery featuring two framed digital artworks on a white wall. A colorful installation is visible through the doorway, with vines and cut paper shapes arranged near a fireplace and patterned wall mural. The room has a wooden floor and large windows with natural light.
A creative workspace with tables covered in art supplies, brushes, and a laptop displaying digital artwork of three women. The setting is a well-lit room with wooden floors and large windows overlooking a green park, suggesting an artist residency or studio environment.
An illustrated woman in a bright purple trench coat adorned with peonies and butterflies stands before a vast ocean under a vibrant blue sky. Her hat is composed of flowers and iconic global architecture, including Taipei 101 and the Empire State Building. The aesthetic blends fashion illustration with dreamscape elements.
A collage featuring the Statue of Liberty overlaid with embroidered floral patterns, brushstrokes, and elements of Chinese iconography. A secondary statue appears in grayscale at the bottom right, while Mandarin characters and a cardinal add cultural symbolism to the composition. The style is vibrant and painterly.
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A digitally composed artwork of three stylized women in traditional and modern East Asian-inspired fashion, each uniquely accessorized. The central figure wears floral headphones and stares intensely, framed by butterflies and fortress-like architecture. The text
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  • Nina Edwards

    Nina Edwards is an award-winning fashion illustrator, graphic designer, and curator based in New York City. She loves drawing beautiful things that nurture the soul, relish the simple life and celebrate everyday.…