Let Memory Shine: Illuminating Family Stories Through Art
Something truly special happened as summer came to a close. Over 45 participants from diverse backgrounds gathered for “Let Memory Shine: Illuminating Family Stories Through Art”, a cross-cultural workshop that blended storytelling, creativity, and connection.
Art as a Vessel for Memory
Led by the inspiring Taiwanese educator Mr. Chen Yu-He (陳雨禾), participants of all ages and backgrounds came together to create glowing story lightboxes using drawing, paper cutting, and light. These handmade pieces became vessels of memory — honoring migration journeys, family traditions, and personal histories.
Taste as a Gateway to Storytelling
Participants reflected on food traditions in their own family or culture — whether it’s a favorite comfort food, a dish tied to strong emotions, a treasured family recipe passed down through generations, or the most iconic dish at a holiday gathering. Many families worked side by side, sharing stories that spanned generations and continents. It was warm, emotional, and deeply moving.
A Living Archive of Memory and Resilience
We are especially grateful to everyone who opened their hearts and shared their stories: the best leche flan from mom, a freezer full of homemade dumplings every time mom travels across the world to visit, the bamboo shoot broth that was deeply rooted in the everyday life of a farming family, the cross-cultural lumpia recipe from mom’s college dorm years, the mushroom chicken soup that awaited you no matter how late you got home. Your courage, creativity, and generosity transformed the space into a living archive of memory and resilience. The stories and artwork built a bridge between cultures and generations.
The lightboxes we created shine as symbols of connection, illuminating the shared humanity that binds us all.
"Last year’s Taiwan World Portrait Project event in Pittsburgh focused primarily on sharing within the Taiwanese American community. This year, we expanded into a cross-cultural platform for exchange, said Sabrina Liu, KITA’s president, “And food is the perfect medium. By starting from culinary traditions, migration histories and family stories, we learn each other’s culture and we also see our similarities."
This workshop was more than an art activity — it was a celebration of diversity, a moment of healing, and a powerful reminder that our stories matter.
"We hope to guide our Pittsburgh friends to rediscover their own culinary traditions and emotional connections through taste memory, said Yi-Ling Lin, Executive Director of the 2025 Taiwan World Portrait Project and KITA’s vice president, “to further explore the stories and histories behind food, and to preserve these precious memories."
A Community Effort Across Borders
Hosted by the KITA Foundation and co-organized with Café Philo Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Taiwan Center for Mandarin Learning (TCML), this event was part of the Taiwan World Portrait Project’s 2025 North America Tour. The Taiwan World Portrait Project is led by documentary director Hui-Ling Chen. With the generous support by Jean Huang, Flora Chen, Professor Chen Wen-Chen Memorial Foundation and Dr. Chen Wen-chen Memorial Foundation (Taiwan), and support from the the Asian American Community Fund of PA (AACFPA), this workshop was free and open to all — complete with lunch and multilingual interpretation in Mandarin, Taiwanese, and English.
Keep the Light Shining
We’re grateful to everyone who joined us and helped make this day unforgettable. Let’s continue to share stories, build bridges, and let memory shine — together.