A woman with a bold, unwavering look is surrounded by bright yellow chrysanthemums, vibrant pink peonies, and soft blushing cherry blossoms. Her black hair and light brown skin hint at her Asian heritage. This particular drawing, “With Softness and Power” by Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya, was the cover of Time magazine in March 2021. The drawing is an outtake from her public art movement for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI), titled I Still Believe in Our City. Through her bold art, Phingbodhipakkiya helps social minority groups find their voices.

Phingbodhipakkiya is an Asian American neuroscientist-turned-artist and activist. Filling her artwork with messages about Asian American women and women in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), her designs have touched many people’s hearts, especially after Asian hate crimes in the United States (U.S.) skyrocketed due to the coronavirus disease (COVID19). Her diligent work ethic and colorfully artistic mindset never cease to amaze audiences as she comes up with project after project.

Merging STEM with Art

After graduating from Columbia University with a degree in neuroscience, Phingbodhipakkiya started off her research career in a lab studying cognitive decline in older adults. Realizing there was no easy way to explain the purpose of her research in layman’s terms, she decided to delve into the world of design to enlighten the public on STEM. Her background as a neuroscientist quickly set her apart from other artists, giving her a unique edge.

Although based on the objective and intellectual world of science, her art is socially aware and thought-provoking, inviting audiences to contemplate on how STEM can be improved in everyday life. Her solo exhibition Connective Tissue consists of interactive art that challenges the audience in fictional scenarios involving scientific ethics. For example, “Strange Sequences” requires audiences to solve the issue of how climate change may create a two-tier genetically modified organism (GMO) food hierarchy, or how wildlife could be reformed to prevent diseases.

Starting from fall 2020, Phingbodhipakkiya has been working on FINDINGS, an augmented reality (AR)- enabled mural series that celebrates women in STEM. FINDINGS has been painted in cities all over America, delivering a hopeful message that women, too, can succeed in the field. Moreover, an AR mobile app will be launched later this year, offering people a chance to enjoy the murals anywhere with their phones.

Painting People of Color

Growing up under Thai and Indonesian immigrant parents, Phingbodhipakkiya’s Asian-American background also plays a major role in her artwork. The public art series I Still Believe in Our City featured vivacious posters of AAPI women all around New York City. Each of the posters in the art movement displayed a short but powerful message in response to the escalated racism during the peak of COVID-19 – “I did not make you sick,” “I am not your scapegoat,” and “We belong here” to name a few. Some of these words were written in Asian languages, including Mandarin, Japanese, and Filipino.

The cheerful colors and bold lettering of the posters seem to contradict the painted message behind them. Yet, this was Phingbodhipakkiya’s intention, as the artwork was displayed in hopes of uplifting the discouraged AAPI community. Decorating numerous public areas for everyone to see, the posters were a breath of fresh air to the discriminated people of color in New York City.

On TODAY, Phingbodhipakkiya said, “I don’t think Asian Americans have been given the space and the freedom to share the full range and diversity of our stories, and there’s such beauty and depth in that.” This perfectly captures the essence of what she does: shedding light on the rich stories of Asian Americans and claiming the justice they deserve. By doing so, she gives Asians the empowerment they needed long before the attention they garnered during COVID-19.

Phingbodhipakkiya is an artist like no other, overlapping boundaries and crossing borders in the artwork she creates. Her unique background of being a neuroscientist and an Asian American helps her designs shine through and convey overlooked messages to society. By immersing themselves in her art, audiences will not only be inspired, but also learn to take a step closer towards embracing social minorities and the stories they never get to tell. Her art is the definition of empowerment and encouragement; it is a movement.