untitled (homage to Li Ling Ai), Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani

Li Ling Ai (1908–2003) was a pioneering Chinese American actress, writer, and producer who defied racial and gender expectations in early 20th-century America. Educated in Honolulu and New York, she championed Chinese culture through film and performance, notably co-producing Kukan (1941), a groundbreaking documentary about wartime China. In this collage, her dual portraits—reflective elder and youthful performer— celebrate her independence and enduring legacy as a cultural ambassador bridging East and West.