Heartmind: Chinatown

From right to left:

Toshio Sasaki, "Sun Gate," 1988, drawing

Corky Lee, "Untitled," n.d., photograph

Leh Chyun Lin, "Kevin Yiao, Chinese Opera Drummer," 1999, photograph

This trio of works come together to depict different aspects of the neighborhood: place, the relation of Chinatown with outsiders, and the residents themselves.

The otherworldly sketch by Toshio Sasaki of the Manhattan Bridge was an idea for a monument at the entrance of Chinatown. Known for capturing the everyday moments of Chinatown residents, here Corky Lee instead depicts two white police officers — one covering his ears, the other looking startled by the sounds of a Chinatown celebration — perhaps a personification of the relationship between police and Chinatown as well as that of the outside world and the ethnic enclave.

Leh Chyun Lin's photo depicts a resident in historic Seward Park, Chinese opera drum in hand, New York baseball cap on his head — perhaps the very essence of NYC Chinatown.