Persimmon Artist Gallery
Welcome to our gallery of featured artists at Persimmon—an evolving collection rooted in healing, identity, and creative expression.
We showcase work by AAPI women and nonbinary artists in the Bay Area, honoring both current and past contributors in an ongoing dialogue between art and healing. A new cohort is currently showing in person—coming soon to the online gallery. All artwork is available for purchase, with 100% of proceeds going directly to the artists.
We also host a community library featuring books on Chinese medicine, mental health, spirituality, and the Asian diaspora. We welcome book donations to the Persimmon Library—offering growing resources for collective learning.
These offerings are part of the larger Persimmon Community—a space rooted in co-creation, connection, and care.
If you’re interested in buying artwork or contributing books, we’d love to hear from you.
Currently Featured
*Final Week - Please contact us by June 7 if you are interested in any of the following artwork.
Battle Royale Woodblock Reduction Print | 17.5” x 17.5” | $350 (oN HOLD) 2023
Jocelyn Wong | she/her
I work primarily with traditional relief printmaking processes, such as linoleum and woodblock reduction carvings, and tattooing. I’m really drawn to imagery from textile patterns, Eastern Asian religious artwork, traditional tattoo designs, and depictions of gothic femininity and melancholy. I use the motifs of women, queerness, and grief to process my own understanding of emotional vulnerability as associated with girlhood. I love analog, process-oriented mediums such as relief carving of course, but also lattice work in vintage textiles and chainmail as forms of resistance against instant gratification culture and encouraging myself to continue to find joy in process, not just product. I make work that gives representation to intersectional minorities, more specifically queer, Hapa women in tattooing and alternative subcultures. I want my art to be a tool in breaking down East Asian ideals surrounding “purity” in terms of body modifications like tattoos and piercings. Working with analog and labor-intensive mediums allows me to feel connected to the historic art practices of my heritage while creating space for the ways in which my identity changes, and thus challenging preconceived notions connected to my racial background.
“Battle Royale” is a play on a classic, Western tattoo design that depicts two animals of power interlocked in combat, and I chose to use imagery inspired by Chinese guardian lions and Japanese tebori-style snakes.
Instagram | @jojowongart
Adjustment Mixed Media on Dó Paper | 19” x 15” | $300 2024
Karin Hạnh Nguyễn | she/her
Acupuncture is an ancient art form of healing. Its artistry lies in the practitioner's ability to tune into the body’s intricate tapestry of physical, emotional, and spiritual qualities and that wellness can be achieved when there is harmony between them.
In ‘Adjustment’, the client is receiving treatment for their Yintang and DU-24. Yintang calms anxiety, worry, the spirit, and activates one’s intuition (or third eye), while the DU-24, among other benefits, can be used to calm anxiety and the mind. Karin Hạnh selected these points because they represent the belief of the unseen and metaphysical world (the mental, spiritual, and somatic worlds) as important to our health, wellness, and healing.
Karin Hạnh has opted to render ‘Adjustment’ using watercolor on dó paper. Just as acupuncture carries an over 3000 years rich legacy, the dó paper has over 800 years of preserving Vietnamese history through drawings, paintings, and record keeping. As acupuncture points themselves are not associated with specific colors, most of the image is in black sumi ink. The minimal use of color hints at the energetic property being unlocked in the patient upon receiving care.
As an art form, acupuncture reminds us that true healing emerges from within, informed by the innate wisdom of our mind, spirit, and bodies.
Karin Hạnh Nguyễn is a daughter of Vietnamese American immigrants who was born and raised in Oakland, CA. As a Vietnamese American artist, she explores her family’s immigration journey. Because dó paper is traditionally used to document history in Vietnam, Karin Hạnh wanted to preserve this tradition in her collection as she studies her family stories.
Instagram | @karinhanh
Matchaesque Bowl | Speckled Bowls Clay | $20 matcha bowl (SOLD) | $25 per speckled bowl
Colleen Ngo | she/her
Rediscovering ceramics has been a transformative journey for me. While I took a class during my junior year of high school, it wasn't until last summer, amidst the chaos of my work and personal life, that I found myself drawn back to the medium. Seeking solace from the relentless demands of daily life, I enrolled in a ceramics class at my local art center. Each week, as I immersed myself in the creative process, I discovered a newfound sense of focus and mindfulness. The act of molding clay allowed me to escape the pressures of my busy schedule and embrace the present moment. Through this practice, I've begun to unravel the grip of perfectionism, recognizing the inherent beauty in the imperfections of each piece I create.
Instagram | @craftycoolleen
vase | Cup | Bowls Porcelain & stoneware Glaze | $25 vase/Cup (SOLD) | $30 S bowl | $45 M bowl (ON HOLD)
garyan Wong | she/her
In my developing journey as a new ceramicist, I draw upon a rich tapestry of influences rooted in my cultural heritage and artistic upbringing. Trained as a classical Guzheng musician and nurtured within a lineage of visual artists, I find myself exploring the intersection of sound, tradition, and tactile expression through the medium of clay.
Growing up surrounded by the artistry of my family, particularly in Chinese calligraphy and fine art, instilled in me a profound appreciation for the power of art to convey the ineffable aspects of the human experience. Now, as a practitioner of ceramics, I embrace the ethos of wabi sabi—a philosophy that celebrates the beauty of imperfection, impermanence, and the raw essence of nature.
My work is a meditation on the transient nature of earthly things. Each piece is a deliberate dance between form and texture, embodying the simplicity and quiet elegance that characterize wabi sabi aesthetics and imperfection. Through hand-built and wheel throwing techniques coupled with mindful glazing, I seek to capture moments of grace in the clay—moments that speak to the fleeting yet profound beauty inherent in all things.
As I navigate my path as a ceramic artist, my creations serve not only as functional objects but also as conduits for contemplation and connection. I invite viewers to embrace the inherent imperfections of life and find solace in the quietude of my ceramic expressions—a testament to the enduring resonance of art in our ephemeral world.
Instagram | @___gdub
Contemplation Giclee Fine Art Print of Oil Painting | 17” x 21” | $115 2022
Margaret Luo | she/her
Contemplation is the first painting of The Thought Collection, a series of six 12”x16” original oil paintings on canvas, that came out of the desire to gain internal peace, calm, and quietness of the mind. By projecting the rhythmic patterns of ocean waves, painting helped me fall into more restorative and tranquil thought patterns.
Margaret Luo’s artistic practice centers around developing emotional connections with people and nature to understand the land where we live and what our environment can teach us. Each of her artworks starts with going outdoors to see the details and variations of patterns in nature. She is captivated by places that have dynamic relationships with water. Luo creates artwork that shares a reflection of the Earth’s resilience and its renewing cycles and highlights the random and repeated patterns of the world. In her artwork, Luo reminds viewers that nature reflects, contributes to, and is impacted by humanity’s patterns and processes on all scales of life.
Margaret Luo is a self-taught artist living in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. Traditionally trained as a data scientist aimed to improve well-being for people and communities through policy research, Luo turned to oil painting to develop a more human connection to people and nature.
Instagram | @margaret.luo.art
Website | margaretluoart.com
Return to Spark Digital Art Printed & Coated Acrylic | 16” x 24” | $220
Madeline Liu | she/her
“Return to Spark” is a piece I created to capture the essence of pure emotion—love, wonder, hurt, joy, and peace. I imagined what that raw experience looked like and used it as a reminder to myself to not suppress feelings but to embrace and process them fully. To me, art is a way to translate the way you process the world and transfer that to an entirely different person's worldview into how they observe the world. That's the magic of art.
Hello! My name is Madeline, the artist behind Notebeans Stationery—an art and stationery brand dedicated to bridging creativity and kindness. My mission as an artist is to tell meaningful life stories through the dreamy adventures of my three characters. My work often evokes a dream-like world where deep connections and escapism happen.
I started this journey four years ago and continue it today, creating stationery and art products, bringing creative visions to life through commissions, and connecting with incredible creatives, artists, and businesses across the Bay Area through events and tabling.
You can explore more of my entire art gallery, hire me for commissions, or see my product collection on my website.
Instagram | @notebeanstationary
Website | notebeansstationary.com
Flowers | Dragon Vessel | Lucky Cat Mug Ceramics | $380 | $65 | $50 (SOLD) 2024
Michelle Tam | she/her
Michelle is a Bay Area native and graphic designer who loves exploring with playful color and nature-inspired shapes. She works with many different art mediums, including painting, collage, and textiles, with handbuilt ceramics being her latest focus. Most recently, she's been exploring the balance between sculpture and functionality.
Art has been a way for me to escape and express myself for as long as I can remember. I started my ceramics journey around a year and a half ago, and as much as it frustrated me when I first started, I appreciate it so much now for teaching me patience, how to let go when things don’t go your way, and how valuable the process of making is. With every new piece I create, I learn something new.
With so much of our time spent in front of screens, I’m especially grateful to work with my hands in the clay studio and zone in on sculpting and glazing. I’m naturally an anxious person and ceramics has been so helpful in getting me to regularly step away from life’s chaos. It’s also given me a community space to meet other artists and host events to encourage others to freely create and play.
Instagram | @michtammakes
Trying to Forgive oil painting on canvas | 24” x 36” | $3,000 2022
Jackie Liu | she/her
Forgiving is hard – even when you truly want to. The process is riddled with bitterness, loss, and risk, but also promises potential healing and new beginnings. Opposing forces compete in this painting: luminosity and shadow, serenity and grief, flourishing and withering, redemption and regression. A soaring white dove is shadowed by its darker inverse, mourning doves. Píng guǒ huā (apple blossoms) are symbols of peace and healing, used in traditional Chinese medicine to restore balance in the body. Across the canvas, they atrophy, sink, and dissipate into wisps of shadow, or float in full bloom, emitting rays of light like little suns. The journey of forgiveness is fraught, protracted, and far from linear. But trying to forgive is often the first step toward dispelling ghosts of the past and healing from personal and collective trauma.
Jackie Liu (she/her) is a disabled Chinese American painter, writer, and video creator from the Boston area studying Art Practice, Philosophy, and Environmental Justice at Stanford University. By articulating and sharing her own stories of trauma, identity, and resilience, she aims to celebrate vulnerability, invite conversation, and foster communion and healing. Right now, she’s interested in making art that captures moments of joy, while also feeling viscerally joyful to create.
Instagram | @jackieliuart
Website | jackieliuart.com
Magical Girl Risograph Print | 11” x 17” | $75 2024
Madi Reyes | she/her
Magical Girl" is a risograph print/illustration that celebrates the magical nature of centering yourself and your needs, and reflecting on nostalgia. This piece is inspired by Sailor Moon, an iconic figure who brought Reyes joy when she was younger and taught her valuable lessons about fighting for what you believe yet still caring for yourself while doing so. "Magical Girl" also aims to celebrate the softness of the feminine while not having to sacrifice strength, hardness, or androgyny.
Madi Reyes is a Filipina-American graphic designer specializing in branding and illustration. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of San Francisco with a B.A. in Design and minors in Advertising and Asian Pacific American Studies in the spring of 2024. Currently, she works as a junior designer at Penguin Random House with the Potter Gift team while simultaneously working on personal and freelance illustration and designs.
Art and design have been outlets that have brought her a way to express her thoughts and values, as well as heal and come to terms with challenging topics or events in her life.
Instagram | @mads_rey
Website | madireyes.com
Previously Featured
Watermelon Sutro Tower print of oil painting | 16” x 24” | $200 2024
selina lee | she/her
As a Korean-American female artist, rooted in the vibrant landscape of San Francisco, my work is an intimate reflection of my connection to the natural and built environments. Since the onset of COVID-19 in 2020, my artistic journey has embraced the surreal, focusing on the transformation of iconic San Francisco landmarks into whimsical scenes that juxtapose reality with the fantastical.
The watermelon, with its lush vibrancy and refreshing essence, has become my symbol of choice, representing renewal and joy in these trying times. One of my key pieces features the Sutro Tower, a structure that stands as a prominent figure in the city's skyline, reimagined through the lens of my watermelon-themed surrealism. This painting transforms the tower into a playful, verdant structure that seems to sprout from the earth itself, surrounded by a landscape that blurs the lines between the organic and the architectural.
Creating these paintings has been a profound source of healing for me. They offer a retreat into a world where joy and color eclipse the grey uncertainties of our days. It is my hope that by sharing these joyful visions, viewers are inspired to imagine a happier, more whimsical reality. Through my art, I aim to offer not just escapism, but a re-enchantment of the everyday, reminding us of the magic that exists in our world and our potential to envision it anew.
Instagram | @selinalee.art
Website | selinaartdesign.com
Little Whale Song Watercolor, Color Pencil, Gouache, Cold-Press Paper Print | 8.5” x 11” | $120 (SOLD) 2019
Ritual at Dusk Watercolor, Color Pencil, Gouache, Cold-Press Paper Print | 8.5” x 11” | $120 (SOLD) 2022
Addi Miyako | she/her
"Little Whale Song" was inspired directly by a dream where I tried to reunite a whale made of stars with his pod.
"Ritual at Dusk" recalls personal ingredients for feeling better - moon-gazing, breath work, plants, long soaks, Ghibli movies, and tiger balm.
I often turn towards folklore, storytelling, dreamscapes, and elements of childhood when creating personal art.
Instagram | @amiyakom
Website | amiyakom.com
tam leng digital illustration| 11” x 17” | donation of choice to asians are strong (SOLD) 2024
natasha chan | she/her
As a little girl, I always wanted to be an artist. I often dreamed about being a Pixar animator but was encouraged to pursue a more “serious career.” Thirty years later, I had two masters degrees and a beefy resume, but was emptier than ever. Just before the pandemic, I decided to dust off my creative hat that I had put away for so long, and taught myself digital illustration. Slowly but surely, my artistic muscles gained their strength, and I found myself brimming with inspiration. I couldn’t stop drawing, gravitating towards recreating the things I loved most: food and fashion. Art filled my life with color when I needed it most, and helped me view the world through a fresh new lens. It ignited my curiosity and desire to learn. It pushed me to be bolder, not only in my style and storytelling, but also in taking stock of what brings me joy. Two years into my journey, I decided to make a career change and pursue a full-time creative role. While I’m still experimenting, and have a long way to go before I feel more sure of my unique voice and medium -- I’ve never felt more at home with myself, and I hope little me would be proud!
Instagram | @drawnbytash
The dragon conquers the seas digital art print | 11” x 17” | $100 (SOLD) 2024
ochazake | they/them
I am a Taiwanese-American artist based in the Bay Area, specializing in digital art. I've been doing digital art since I was in middle school, initially with a mouse and a free drawing program in my web browser! I find digital art (note: not AI art) to be fun, flexible, and an accessible medium to create art with. These days there is a lot of cynicism in the world in regards to technology, but drawing on my iPad, I hope to show people that technology can still be beautiful and used for good.
I created this piece to commemorate the Year of the Dragon in early 2024. 龍騰四海 is a traditional blessing meaning "the dragon conquers the four seas", while 風平浪靜 means "the wind is calm, and the seas are quiet". The "dragon" in the painting is a leafy sea dragon - a real animal found in the Pacific Ocean, around Southern Australia. I chose to represent a dragon with a real world animal to highlight what a biodiverse world we live in. I feel like the two idioms in Chinese also represent the tranquility and strength of a coral reef.