Hazel Lee. Anandibai Gopalrao Joshi. Thelma Buchholdt. While you might have heard of these women, chances are you didn’t learn about them in history class. You were never taught that Hazel Lee was one of the first Chinese American women to earn a pilot’s license, or that Anandibai Gopalrao Joshi was the first Indian female physician, or that Thelma Buchholdt was the first legislator of Filipino descent in the United States.

Curator Kelly Lan never learned about such figures as she was growing up in Bucks County, PA. In fact, she didn’t see much of herself in anything around her. “In school, we never talked about Asian American history or Asian American figures,” she says. “Things like the shape of my face and eyes bothered me. Mascara commercials didn’t apply to me. And I didn’t have the resources to help deal with those feelings. I just want to provide those resources that I didn’t have.”

That’s why she created Hello Prosper, an educational organization that strives to use storytelling and creative expression to empower children, teens, and young adults with knowledge. This exhibition was the manifestation of that mission. Through the gorgeous and striking paintings of Chinese German artist Bo Feng Lin, AGAINST ALL ODDS shared the amazing stories of some incredible Asian and Asian American women who strove against institutional barriers and adversity to make their marks and achieve their dreams.

About the curator

Kelly Lan is the founder and creative director of Hello Prosper, an educational organization that aims to raise awareness about Asian American history and culture. Born and bred in Bucks County, PA, she grew up in the Quaker school system where she learned that “there’s a light in everyone,” and has a background in commercial art and user experience design. In addition to running Hello Prosper, she’s the VP of Experience Design at Bank of America and resides in Lawrenceville, NJ. Her dream is to publish a children’s book. learn more about Kelly in our interview with her.

About the artist

Bo Feng Lin is a Chinese German artist and freelance illustrator from Pforzheim, a small town in Germany. After dropping out of architecture school, he pursued a career of illustration at the Hamburg University of Applied Science. His signature style combines geometric shapes and vibrant colors with the female form. Along with the digital medium, Bo loves to work in oil and acrylics.