Asians in Art

Our first guest on Asians in Art filmed in Los Angeles, California is internationally acclaimed pianist, composer, and humanitarian Keiko Matsui. Her music has been described as “passionate, emotive, and timeless anthems with rich harmonies and global rhythms.”Touring now for some four decades with a whopping 30 albums of original compositions under her belt, Keiko continues to draw devoted fans to her shows worldwide.Yet, becoming a professional musician was not something she initially aspired to growing up in Japan, despite showing signs of genius early on. Keiko, who began her piano studies at five years old, composed a soundtrack for the 1981 movie "Abandoned", directed by Shirô Moritani, when she was just a teenager. She went on to study at Yamaha Music Foundation and then eventually moved to the United States to release her debut album “A Drop of Water” in 1987 to critical acclaim. Since then, she has continued to shine as a solo artist, as well as worked with countless music legends, including Chaka Khan, Miles Davis, Stevie Wonder, Bob James, and Hugh Masekela. A firm believer in building bridges through music, Keiko is also passionate about lending a hand to many humanitarian causes, including early breast cancer detection and bone marrow donation drives.Check out Keiko’s episode to find out what inspires her prolific creativity, why a rice cooker was necessary on tours in the early days, and how her music affects even butterflies!Photo courtesy: Keiko MatsuiVideo courtesy: Keiko MatsuiMuch gratitude to sound engineer Steve Ornest, Co-owner at Total Access Recording (@tarerecording) and cameraman Keita Hagiwara (@keitar_hagiwara).Special thanks to John Oshima for connecting us with Keiko-san. And we are grateful to our sponsor JEXSYS for their support.

Award-winning actor Cindy Cheung’s path to the stage and screen was not a linear one. Raised in California, Cindy studied applied mathematics at university and was even offered a job as a systems engineer to build F-14 fighter jets. But a workshop at an Asian American theater group convinced her that acting was a possible career option. After studying at American Conservatory Theater in the late 90s, Cindy headed to New York City to further pursue her craft. But a year in, doubts about the industry and herself led her to walk away from it all.Eventually, Cindy found her way back to acting, amassing a multitude of memorable performances in theater, film, and tv, including the 2025 revival of Bus Stop, M. Night Shyamalan’s Lady in the Water, and Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why and The Sinner. Cindy is a recipient of a Tony honor and OBIE citation for her contributions to theater and advocacy for Asian American performers.The versatile actor spoke to Asians in Art about how she rediscovered her joy in acting and how painting is now taking center stage in her artistic journey.

Shanghai native Violet Du Feng is known for creating multifaceted, intimate films that explore China's deeply complex social issues. A 2025 Guggenheim Fellow and Adjunct Professor at Columbia University, her credits include Harbor from the Holocaust and Please Remember Me, which led to China’s first documentary impact campaign and government policy improvements for senior dementia care. In this episode of Asians in Art, we discuss her latest film, The Dating Game. The movie premiered at Sundance 2025 as a Grand Jury Prize nominee and is now streaming on PBS. The documentary follows three rural bachelors on an intensive dating camp against the backdrop of China’s gender imbalance—a legacy of the one-child policy. We also explore Hidden Letters, her Oscar-shortlisted and Peabody-nominated film about Nüshu, the secret script created by women in Hunan, and what it reveals about female identity in China today. You can watch The Dating Game here if you are in the US: https://www.pbs.org/pov/films/the-dating-game/ Violet's Instagram: /violetfengdoc Asians in Art Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aiashow/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61581717263443

We caught up with one of India's most acclaimed independent film actors and directors, Tannishtha Chatterjee, following the New York premiere of her latest film, Full Plate — her second feature as director, starring Kirti Kulhari, Sharib Hashmi, Indraneil Sengupta, and Monica Dogra.Trained as a Hindustani classical vocalist and a graduate of India's prestigious National School of Drama, Tannishtha became known to the world for her roles in the German film Shadows of Time and Brick Lane. She's been in over 50 movies, and has starred alongside Abhay Deol in Road, Movie, and Nawazuddin Siddiqui in Dekh Indian Circus and Lion. Siddiqui played the lead role in her directorial debut, Roam Rome Mein.Her accolades include:A Best Actress nomination for a British Independent Film Award (Brick Lane)Best Actress at the Pune International Film Festival and the Rajasthan International Film Festival (Doctor Rakhmabai)Best Actress at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (Parched)The Asia Star Award at the Busan International Film Festival for her directorial debut, Roam Rome MeinThe Visionary Director Award at the Busan International Film Festival for Full PlateRecognition by BAFTA for her contribution to Asian CinemaIn this interview, we talk about her movie Full Plate, love of acting, her move into directing, and what grounded Tannishtha during Stage 4 oligometastatic cancer treatment.

In this deeply personal conversation on the Asians in Art Podcast, we sit down with Radhika Vekaria — Grammy-nominated British Indian–East African vocalist, composer, sensory artist and speaker whose work explores the transformative power of sound.Drawing on Sanskrit narratives, Vedic hymns and the science of sound, her music bridges thousands of years of tradition with the contemporary world. Her album Warriors of Light received a 2025 GRAMMY® nomination. Rolling Stones called the album a "a deeply personal rendition that yearns for inner strength and peace of mind."Other critics have describe her music as "spellbinding", calling her one of the "most compelling performers active today" who has captured "something universally human."She has performed at The Grammy Museum and Harvard University, collaborated with NASA-JPL for her immersive astrophysical experience 'I AM', and performed for spiritual leaders including Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and Sai Maa. Her philosophy is simple: music is medicine.In this episode we cover:✨ Radhika's life journey and the moments that shaped her✨ Singing Sanskrit Vedic hymns and the devotion behind her art✨ The spirituality and mindset behind her creative process✨ Her message for anyone finding their own voice