'Thank You Enjoy'
This documentary-style photography project by fourth-generation Chinese American Katie Salisbury delves into the lives of Chinese immigrant workers in New York City who toil 12 hours a day behind hot woks for low wages. She captures urban scenes both familiar and startling: The purple neon sign of J's Wong, illuminating a restaurant window in Brooklyn. A man in an orange vest standing on an escalator, a pink plastic bag full of takeout in his hand. She also photographed employment agencies, where she often met her subjects. A Mandarin speaker, Salisbury was able to develop deeper relationships with people through the social messaging platform WeChat. Salisbury, who also gave a TED talk on her project, as interested not only in the harsh reality of the immigrant experience, but also the hope and resilience of their stories. (Opening 6-8 p.m. Sat. with reception and artist talk. Regular hours 10 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Mon.-Fri. & Nov. 23. Closes Dec. 13. Asian American Organizing Project, 2375 W. University Av., St. Paul. Free. 612-377-2561 or aaopmn.org. She'll also give an artist talk at 6 p.m. Monday at Third Place Gallery, 3730 Chicago Av. S., Mpls. Free.)
Alicia Eler
