ROUGH CUT

My Borrowed Name is a film about reclaiming your identity. Soonhwa Huang immigrated from Laos with his family with a different last name. They took the last name of their friend who worked in the government to help them go through the process faster. Once they were all in the United States and became national citizens, they were finally able to change their last name back to Huang. This film centers around Kelly Huang and how she grew up not feeling fully Lao or Chinese. She will uncover how your last name ties you to who you are and how language is important to connecting you to your culture and heritage.

Kelly Huang is a fiscal year 2021 recipient of a Creative Support for Individual grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

The Sead Project Podcast | MAFN Talk | Bling in Laos, Broke in MN ft. Kelly Huang https://open.spotify.com/episode/2n8IrBFuvvAHCC5o3Oj8Pa?si=451e1eb91215436d

The Saint Paul Neighborhood Network Podcast | https://open.spotify.com/episode/5IpJAjBx5dDI36ckEYIwaF?si=83f9805a583c4797

UNSPOKEN is a short documentary film about the reality of marriage from the perspective of a daughter. Soonhwa and Chanhom Huang quickly married without really knowing each other. Now after 24 years of marriage they've learned what they love and hate about one another. It's about my parents' marriage and my own understanding of their relationship and what love is.

After experiencing the horror of what the Communist government could do, Khamsay realized life in Laos would never be the same. This short biographical documentary will explain his journey and some of the obstacles he faced to get to America. With determination, he got the rest of his family to America and finally lived out his American dream.

3D animated advertisements for 75F newest thermostats.

Animated in Cinema 4D

Threads is a photo project I never thought I’d do until Motherland Orphans came along. My relationship with lao clothing is a metaphor for the internalized racism I had growing up. My love for the clothing now is a symbol of how I came to love and accept my lao culture. At the beginning, I hated lao clothes because I thought it was ugly. I didn’t see the beauty, and I also thought they were itchy and uncomfortable, which didn’t help. It really wasn’t until the end of my freshman year of college when I met the members of LSA UMN, the Lao Student Association of the University of Minnesota, I met peers that love the lao culture, whereas I just passively understood it. Seeing people my age actively take part to be a part of the community and are excited to educate other people in the lao culture sparked something inside me. It was inspiring. I never hated my culture; I just definitely didn’t fully appreciate all the facets of it until college.

This project, Threads, delves into my deepening knowledge of lao clothing. Threads specifically is focusing on the embroidery of the traditional clothing. The technique of embroidery is called goldwork, a process of laying down gold threads and stitching that down to the fabric. In the last 2 years, I’ve found a passion for embroidery. I love watching the picture come to life with every stitch.

When you see the collage, you’re going to get an immediate or even overwhelming feeling of color and lines, which then forces to lean in to look closer and discover all the intricacy of the handmade embroidered lao clothes

Each model represents a special symbol in Laos and Lao culture. Melee is the national flower of Laos, Dok Champa (frangipani). Christina is the buddhist mythical snake, the Naga. I am the national animal of Laos, the Elephant. You can see these motifs through the make up, hair, and clothes.

Models : Kelly Huang , Melee Moua , Christina Chanthamontry Photography Assistant - Tyler Chandee

Clothes and Jewelry - Pou Homesomebath & Chanhom Huang

Short film submission for HBO Asian Voices film festival.

Short film made in partnership with Blue Cross Blue Shield and the Lao Assistance Center to spread awareness on Third Hand Smoke.

I followed artist Gaosong V. Heu on her journey to learn Khaw Txhiaj (hmong flower singing) leading up to her performance at the Capri Theater.