Cantonese Opera in Art and Archives

Join us for a talk by artist and curator, KAREN TAM, on Cantonese opera in Canada and her research to recreate and reimagine its spaces of cultural encounter in new and recent work. Drawing on items from the Beatrice and Raymond Jai Cantonese Opera Collection, she will examine portrayals of Chinese identity in Canada through historical narratives and communities.

Karen will be joined by JULIE JAI who will discuss the more personal dimensions of the collection, its records of a Toronto family and community, and her donation of them to the archives.

This talk is moderated by archivist, JUNE CHOW.

This program is presented by University of Toronto Libraries Special Collections through its Richard Charles Lee Chinese Canadian Archives.

Speaker bios:

KAREN TAM 譚嘉文 is a Montreal-born and -based artist and curator with roots in Canada that trace back to 1907 with the arrival of her great-grandfather from China. She holds an MFA in Sculpture from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a PhD in Cultural Studies from Goldsmiths, University of London. Karen’s installations recreating sites of cultural engagement include Chinese restaurants, karaoke lounges, opium dens, and curio shops. She has exhibited her work and participated in residencies in North America, Europe, and China.

JULIE JAI 謝影雲 was raised in Toronto as the only child of Beatrice and Raymond Jai in a Cantonese opera family. Through the 1960s, she grew up accompanying her parents to their music club located in the city's changing Chinatown, becoming a child performer herself. Julie holds a Master of Laws from the University of Toronto, with a practice specializing in Aboriginal law. She is a founder (with her husband) of the Yukon Prize for Visual Arts and serves on the board of trustees of the National Gallery of Canada.

JUNE CHOW 周慕慈 was born and raised and educated in Vancouver, graduating with a Master of Archival Studies from the University of British Columbia. She is a recognized leader in the research and practice of Chinese Canadian archives. June works in Special Collections at University of Toronto Libraries, providing vision and direction for the Richard Charles Lee Chinese Canadian Archives.

[Image: Items from the Beatrice and Raymond Jai Cantonese Opera Collection, Richard Charles Lee Chinese Canadian Archives, University of Toronto Libraries Special Collections.]

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