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Jia Sung

@jiazilla

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the major arcana of trickster’s journey, first published as artist deck + companion zine, edition of 125, by @endlesseditions in 2018.

this project started as a translation of the fool’s journey through the lens of trickster, monkey, buddhist/daoist spiritualism — comparative journeying.

new expanded incarnation, complete with minor arcana of last post, out next spring via @runningpressbooks @hachetteus 🌱

1. major arcana / 2. about / 3. last extant personal copy of the @endlesseditions glamorously oversized risograph artist deck, hand-duplexed via spray glue in a stairwell, hand-trimmed via rotary!! feat lil worm @teresalijun / 4. wyrm in motion

design of slide 1 by rin 💗 by @jiazilla

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4 years ago

trickster’s journey, my chinese mythic reimagining of tarot, is finally complete as a 78 card deck. i wanted to share the new 56 minor arcana cards i’ve been working on all year and ideating since the major arcana was published with beloved @endlesseditions in 2018. this new expanded incarnation will be coming to you in spring 2023 through @runningpressbooks , and by the grace of best editor ada zhang and agent @clare.mao and the whole amazing RP team!

my reinterpreted minor arcana syncretizes the traditional suits of cups/coins/wands/swords with the Four Symbols, guardians of the four cardinal directions who were present as constellations in ancient star maps, so that the suits become a miniature cosmos to house the worldbuilding of the major arcana. sneak peek as follows:

1. COINS, ruled by Blue Dragon, guardian of the East, tied to the element of earth and the season of spring, dealing with the realm of material concerns / 2. CUPS, ruled by Black Tortoise, guardian of the North, tied to water and winter, dealing with the realm of emotions and relationships / 3. WANDS, ruled by Red Bird, guardian of the South, tied to fire and summer, associated with creativity and action / 4. SWORDS, ruled by White Tiger, guardian of the West, tied to air and autumn, connected to matters of thought and intellect / 5-8. scans from the paper scrap i kept for palette swatching + brush wiping while working on these

slide design by the wonderful inimitable rin 🧡 by @jiazilla

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4 years ago

thank you for a magical chaos opening night @springbreakartshow ! catch Girlhood Studies @moisturizer.gallery booth b18 now thru sept 28th, 12-7pm at 555 w 57 street

featuring my precious heirloom tomato flowers (actually ornamental eggplants) from dan 🍅 by @jiazilla

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12 days ago

a sinuous serpentine qilin among golden lotuses, for @lei.wine x @misterjius event september 22nd 🪷 my cutest drawing of the summer by @jiazilla

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a month ago

Ahhhhh!!!!! Gushing over @jiazilla's stunning art on the cover! I've been a huge fan of Jia's dreamlike, mythical work for years—it's an honor to have her art both on the cover and within the book itself!!!

There are twelve stories within this book—each is inspired by a Chinese zodiac animal and comes with illustrations & personality descriptions of the animal as well. You can now preorder from wherever you get your books, but signed & personalized copies are available at Yu & Me Books, link in bio!! They'll ship to wherever you are.

The title of this collection comes from the Chinese chengyu 牛鬼蛇神, translated with poetic license as “ox ghost snake demon." Originally used to praise something bizarre and fantastical, coined by Tang Dynasty poet Du Mu, the phrase was later used during the Chinese Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) to demonize reactionary enemies such as landlords, intellectuals, professors, and artists.

Like with “ox ghost snake demon,” the changing meanings of words and phrases is a form of invention. Yoko Tawada, a Japanese author working in German, says that writing in a second language allows for a kind of “playful joy” that she calls Sprachmutter, or language mother—an inversion of the German word for mother tongue. For these stories, my language mother is my favorite Asian American, Chinese, and Sinophone legends, histories, and myths; playing around in them has allowed my own new fiction to emerge.

These stories are inspired by Fu Manchu, gongshi, Sun Wukong, astronaut families, Asian American nightlife, the story of the cut sleeve, and more. Thank you in advance for reading if you so choose (it's also available now on netgalley) and happy year of the Horse!!

🐀 🐂 🐅 🐇 🐉 🐍 🐎 🐐 🐒 🐓 🐕 🐖 by @jiazilla

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a month ago

a demon in love
oil on linen, 24” x 28”

on the monstrosity of feeling, the preening desire to be known and seen, manifested as tusked self-portrait

on view @alisanfineartsnyc 45th anniversary show! opening tomorrow july 9th, 6-8pm by @jiazilla

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3 months ago

special appearance as EMERGENCY BLUE for @greedy.peasant Pride Eve 🦋💙🐬🐟 a night of accidental renaissance on purpose 🐠🚙🦕🔵 a sweaty neoprene fever dream 🌀🔷🧵🪁 thank you team peasant for tasseled time of frolics!! by @jiazilla

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3 months ago

Illustration alum Jia Sung @jiazilla is a Singaporean-Chinese artist and educator whose practice centers marginalized narratives, shaped by her experiences as an immigrant in the United States. Her work spans art books, printmaking, painting, textiles, murals, translation, and teaching. Across mediums, she explores family histories and time-honored stories, blending traditional and contemporary motifs. by @jiazilla

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3 months ago

CIRCE, changer of men to swine (not a paid ad for nolan’s odyssey!!)

from june of the shapeshifter cal / teal and red risograph on cream paper by @jiazilla

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4 months ago

We love @greedy.peasant all year round town 🥰#pridemonth taken in Cathedral of St. John the Divine, NYC by @jiazilla

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4 months ago

BAKENEKO, lamp-licking cat witch of japanese folklore

from may of the shapeshifter calendar / kelly green and raspberry risograph on cream paper, 8” x 5 3/8” by @jiazilla

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5 months ago

Currently on view in Cologne: Soft Storage with works by Travis Boyer, Monika Grabuschnigg, Bridget Mullen, LaRissa Rogers, Kerttu Saali, and Jia Sung.

Image
Jia Sung
Angels after Monaco, 2026
Watercolor and pencil on paper
14 x 11 in | 35 x 29 cm

@jiazilla

#jiasung #gaagallery taken in Cologne, Germany by @jiazilla

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5 months ago