Asian in Aotearoa

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 anc...

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!

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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...

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

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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

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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 strea...

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 Pow...

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 m...

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 ...

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 year...

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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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

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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 &am...

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 proje...

In this episode, Jenna sits down with music producer Edward Liu, also known as EDY. They discuss his experiences in Aotearoa’s music scene, the importance of creating a safe space in the recording studio, and his family's understanding of his work. Beyond being a producer, EDY talks about his work as a teacher, his initiative Schools 2 Studio, and the practice of self-love.

Listen to EDY’s music here.

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