We were thrilled to host our annual year-end celebration End with a Book! which took take place on Friday, December 6, 6 – 9 pm. Thank you for joining us at 23 Cranberry Street for a night of delicious dumplings, great music, and a special offering of artist books. We can’t wait to see you all again.

For our special anniversary, we were thrilled to offer a one-of-a-kind selection of curated titles from four independent publishing endeavors from Asia and the Asian American diaspora, Raking Leaves (Sri Lanka), Ugly Dog (India), Gong Press (U.S.), and 1 and Half Atelier (China), co-curated with Shisi from Bungee Space. Their works push the boundaries of book-making into artistic realms and exemplify contemporary independent publishing’s resourcefulness, collaborative nature, and ingenuity in forms.

Raking Leaves (Colombo, Sri Lanka)

Raking Leaves (est. 2008) is an award-winning curatorial publishing organization based in Sri Lanka. The organization commissions contemporary artists to publish new bodies of work in book form. Raking Leaves is committed to addressing the needs of artists and audiences who live in regions of the world where more strategic, accessible and innovative approaches to creating, presenting, and learning about contemporary art are required. In January 2013, Raking Leaves founded the Sri Lanka Archive of Contemporary Art, Architecture & Design, a public space and educational resource located in Jaffna, Sri Lanka.

(Left)
The One Year Drawing Project: May 2005 – October 2007
Artists: Muhanned Cader, Thamotharampillai Shanaathanan, Chandraguptha Thenuwara, Jagath Weerasinghe, Publisher: Raking Leaves
2008

(Middle)
The Speech Writer
Artist: Bani Abidi
Publisher: Raking Leaves
2011

(Right)
The A to Z of Conflict
Artists: Abdul Halik Azeez, Muhanned Cader, Arjuna Gunarathne, Nina Mangalanayagam, Nillanthan, Anomaa Rajakaruna, Thamotharampillai Shanaathanan, Anushiya Sundaralingam, Chandraguptha Thenuwara, Kamala Vasuki
Publisher: Raking Leaves
2019

Read the conversation “We Do What We Do” between the artist Bani Abidi and Raking Leaves’ Sharmini Pereira hosted by AAAinA on September 24, 2015. 

Ugly Dog (New Delhi, India)

Sohrab Hura is a photographer and filmmaker who lives and works in New Delhi, India. Recent solo and group exhibitions have been presented at Huis Marseille Museum for Photography, Amsterdam; Liverpool Biennial 2021; Kunstmuseum Bonn; The Museum of Modern Art, New York; Kettle’s Yard, Cambridge; and the Cincinnati Art Museum. His films have been shown in film festivals such as the Berlin International Film Festival and the 66th International Short Film Festival Oberhausen. Hura has self-published five books under the imprint Ugly Dog. His work is in the permanent collections of The Museum of Modern Art, New York; Ishara Art Foundation, Dubai; and the Cincinnati Art Museum, among others. The artist’s first US survey “Sohrab Hura: Mother” is currently on view at MoMA PS1 until Feb. 17, 2025. 

(Left)
Life Is Elsewhere
Artist: Sohrab Hura
Publisher: Ugly Dog
2015
Signed Limited Edition 1/600

(Right)
The Coast
Artist: Sohrab Hura
Publisher: Ugly Dog
2019

1 and Half Atelier (Beijing, China)

1 and Half Atelier is a full-service design studio offering multidisciplinary services, including bookbinding and graphic design, from initial concept to final production. The studio was founded in 2016 by co-founders Zhong Yu and Bai Kui, who operate under the brand name “After Intermission” when collaborating on design projects. They believe there should be no predetermined boundaries and take an integrated approach to their work. This philosophy empowers them to fluidly adapt to various roles—whether as designers, editors, or bookbinders—seamlessly dismantling the barriers between art and technique.

(Left)
KUA FU CHASING THE SUN
Artist Xiao Longhua
Publisher: 1 and Half Atelier
2024

(Right)
A Life of Fen and Fang
Artist: Wu Wei
Publisher: 1 and Half Atelier
2023

Gong Press (New York, NY)

GONG PRESS is a publishing project based in New York and Beijing by Qianfan Gu, St. Jiu, and Yuki He. The press produces art publications in collaboration with artist friends. The project is named after the weapon “GONG (弓, bow)”: like a bow without an arrow, Gong Press exists in a state of quiet and dormant potency, ready to be activated through creative collaborations.

Lu Zhang ≈ HuaiErDeMan (Wildman) Clab
Artist: Lu Zhang
Publisher: Gong Press
2024

The graphics this year are designed by artist Lau Wai, and a unique DJ set, curated by cultural organizer, artist, and oral history educator YiuYiu 瑶瑶 (aka Rochelle Hoi-Yiu Kwan), will accompany the festivities. 

If you were unable to attend, consider making a year-end gift – at any level! Simply visit our online donation page to make your tax-deductible donation now. We greatly appreciate your support, and wish you a warm and wonderful new year.