Yuǎn 遠 | Yuàn 苑



Artist's Book / 2025



Yuǎn 遠 | Yuàn 苑 is a letterpress-printed artist's book that interweaves a collection of my mother's stories.

Click to read more about Yuǎn 遠 | Yuàn 苑

Yuǎn 遠 | Yuàn 苑 is a letterpress-printed artist's book that tells a story about housing and displacement via three generations of my maternal family, from Taiwan to the US.

The book interweaves my mother’s childhood stories about growing up in Keelung, Taiwan; my grandparents losing their home twice—first to the Chinese Nationalists who seized Taiwanese people’s properties and again when the US government eminent domained my grandparents’ house for freeway construction; and our present-day challenges as developers encroach upon my mother’s house in rural Kansas for suburban expansion.

In the last few years, my spouse and I have taken turns visiting my mother to do care work and to assert our presence to overly inquisitive realtors who are eager to displace older residents. Over meals I prepare and that we share with each other, my mother steps into one of her most profound roles as our family’s knowledge keeper. Her stories—simultaneously historical, allegorical, almost mythic, and sometimes prophetic—come alive.

My mother tells me that the character for Yuàn 苑 in her name is an ancient word that means “garden of the immortals,” or “the deer garden where the emperor’s sons practice hunting.”

She says that my late father loved her name, and that when he felt affectionate, he would call her Yuàn Yuàn. Though she herself laughs at why her family would choose a name that references gods and royalty who do not care about mortal and common people.

My mother believes her name means that she’s someone who is meant to stay, even if it means getting left behind.

I created my newest artist’s book, Yuǎn Yuàn, and the Deer Garden table at Women’s Studio Workshop in Kingston, New York, with the support of their wonderful staff members, especially Robert "Woody" Woodruff and Chris Petrone.

Cover sleeve for artist's book, printed in pale jade and lavender with an image of two deer grazing in deep violet

Cover sleeve for artist's book


Cover sleeve for artist's book, printed in pale jade and lavender with an image of two deer grazing in deep violet

Cover sleeve for artist's book, plus artist's book fanned open resembling a flower


Artist's book fanned open resembling a flower, deep violet text visible through pages

Artist's book fanned open resembling a flower, deep violet text visible through pages


Cover sleeve for artist's book, plus artist's book fanned open resembling a flower

Cover sleeve for artist's book, plus artist's book fanned open resembling a flower


Cover sleeve for artist's book, plus artist's book fanned open resembling a flower

Cover sleeve for artist's book, plus artist's book fanned open resembling a flower


Gao holding artist's book, opening one page spread to a full circle

Two artist's books displayed in glass vitrine, illuminated


Gao holding artist's book, opening one page spread to a full circle

Gao holding artist's book, opening one page spread to a full circle


Gao holding artist's book, demonstrating how the book folds up

Gao holding artist's book, demonstrating how the book folds up


Cover sleeve for artist's book, plus artist's book fanned open resembling flower

Cover sleeve for artist's book, plus artist's book fanned open resembling flower


Still from video narration of artist book

Still from video narration in grunt gallery's media gallery, Gao reading the book out loud


Title: Yuǎn 遠 | Yuàn 苑

Medium: Artist's book, letterpress on Rives BFK Heavyweight paper, Kozo Natural #8, and Classic Crest Smooth Natural White for the sleeve
Dimensions: 2.5 x 2.5 inches folded, 5" circle diameter, 5" x 5" x 5" sphere fully expanded Photographers: Cy-Yang Smith, Dennis Ha Technical Support: Chris Petrone at Women's Studio Workshop

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