Chanel Matsunami Govreau
(b.1986) Burlington, WI
Lives and Works in Brooklyn, NY
EDUCATION
2011 The University of Wisconsin-Madison, BFA, Certificate in Asian American Studies
PERFORMANCE: SOLO AND COLLABORATIVE
2024 INFINITY APPLE, La MaMa Galleria, New York, NY
2023 TETHER US (TO DEVOUR IN PEACE), FiveMyles, Brooklyn, NY
2023 TETHER US (TO DEVOUR IN PEACE), The Development Gallery, New York, NY
2023 TETHER US (TO DEVOUR IN PEACE), Center for Sexuality and Gender Diversity, Duke University, Durham, NC
2022 ZANNA IN ISWA, Minor Aesthetics Symposium, Duke University, Durham, NC
2021 THEY WATCH YOU THRIVE, Experience Chinatown, Pao Arts Center, Boston, MA
2017 GIRL, I’LL COVER YOU, Power of the Press Festival, Holding House, Detroit, MI
2012 HAPA BROTHERS, Line Breaks Festival, Overture Center for the Arts, Madison, WI
2011 FAMILY ARMOR, National Emerging Artist Exhibition, Grinnell Arts Center, Grinnell, IA
2011 REQUESTING ACCESS, What Women Want Exhibition, Raandesk Gallery, New York, NY
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2024 EVERY WOMAN BIENNIAL, La MaMa Galleria, New York, NY
2023 GATHERING, FiveMyles, Brooklyn, NY
2021 THEY WATCH YOU THRIVE, Pao Arts Center, Boston, MA
2021 UNRAVELED. RESTRUCTURED. REVEALED, Trout Museum of Art, Appleton, WI
2021 MAKE/SHIFT: IT WASN’T SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE THIS, Vox Populi, Philadelphia, PA
2020 GUILTY PARTY, Wing Luke Museum of Asian Pacific American Experience, Seattle, WA
2020 YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS, FLXST Gallery, Chicago, IL
2018 FRAGMENTS, Arete Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2017 WHITNEY HOUSTON BIENNIAL, Chashama, New York, NY
2017 F*CK YOU IN THE MOST LOVING WAY, Ninth Street Film Center, San Francisco, CA
2016 JUSTICE IN PROCESS, Marran Gallery, Lesley University, Cambridge, MA
2012 WOMEN+BODIES, Kepco Art Center Gallery, Seoul, South Korea
2012 BEYOND PRINTMAKING III, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX
2011 MAN AS OBJECT: REVERSING THE GAZE, SOMArt, San Francisco, CA
HONORS, GRANTS, AND RESIDENCIES
2022 MINOR AESTHETICS: QUEER ASIAN DIASPORIC ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE, Duke University Department of Gender, Sexuality and Feminist Studies
2022 BANDUNG RESIDENCY: BLACK + AAPI SOLIDARITIES, Museum of Contemporary African Diasporic Arts and the Asian American Arts Alliance
2021 LIVE ARTS BOSTON GRANT, $15,000 grant, Boston Foundation
2021 CITY ARTIST CORPS GRANT, $5,000 grant, NYFA
2017 VISITING ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE, College for Creative Studies, Detroit, MI
2016 ARTS CONNECT INTERNATIONAL, Artist-in-Residence, $15,000 grant, Boston, MA
2011 GRINNELL EMERGING ARTIST RESIDENCY, Grinnell Area Arts Council, Grinnell, IA
LECTURES AND ARTIST VISITS
2024 NOGUCHI MUSEUM, Artist Talks and Workshop, Queens, NY
2023 MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY AFRICAN DIASPORIC ART, Bandung Learnings: How Artists are Building Black-Asian Solidarity in NYC, Artist Panel, Brooklyn, NY
2022 DUKE UNIVERSITY, Artist Talk, Minor Aesthetics Symposium, Durham, NC
2021 COURTAULD INSTITUTE OF ART LONDON, Virtual Artist Talk Exploring Queer Japanese Diasporic Art hosted by BIPOC and LGBTQ Society, London, England
2020 WING LUKE MUSEUM OF ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN EXPERIENCE, Guilty Party Exhibition Virtual Artist Panel, Seattle, WA
2020 CITY COLLEGE OF NEW YORK, Artist Talk, New York, NY
2020 NO LONGER EMPTY and Reimagine, ARTS + ACTIVISM Virtual Panel, Artist Panel
2016 HARVARD GRADUATE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION, Artist Talk and Workshop, Cambridge, MA
2016 LESLEY UNIVERSITY JUSTICE SYMPOSIUM, Panelist, Cambridge, MA
2016 UM-BOSTON, SYMPOSIUM ON ARTS AND CULTURAL INCLUSION, Key Note Speaker, Boston, MA
PRESS AND PUBLICATIONS
2023 BUILDING BLACK AND ASIAN SOLIDARITY THROUGH ART, by Asian American Arts Alliance Staff, The Amp, [LINK]
2022 MINOR AESTHETICS: QUEER ASIAN DIASPORIC, by Dr. Athia N. Choudhury and Liangyu Peng, Duke Department of Gender and Feminist Studies Newsletter [LINK]
2022 HOW CHANEL MATSUNAMI GOVREAU IMAGINES SAFE SPACES THROUGH ART, by Devin-Norelle, Milk Papers [LINK]
2021 REVIEWS: GUILTY PARTY, Curated by Justin Hoover, The Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience, Seattle, WA, USA, 16 May 2020–16 May 2021 by Dr. Anna Storti, Asian Diasporic Visual Cultures and the Americas 7
2020 EXAMINING CULTURAL EQUITY: BOSTON’S ARTS & CULTURE SECTOR, Dissertation by Marian Taylor Brown, PhD, UM-Boston
2020 A HOST OF MEMORIES: MIXED RACE SUBJECTION AND ASIAN AMERICAN, PERFORMANCES AGAINST DISAVOWAL, Dissertation by Anna Moncada Storti, PhD, Dartmouth College
2020 BEAVER THE EXHIBITION, Featured Artist. Exhibition book curated by Naomi Elena Ramirez
2017 A WHITNEY HOUSTON-INSPIRED ART SHOW PUTS WOMEN CENTER STAGE, by Alanna Martinez, Observer
2011 FEMALE GAZING: A DAY WITH THE YOUNG WOMEN’S CAUCUS, by Katie Haegelel, Bitch Magazine
2010 JUXTAPOZ, Women Making History: Chanel and Shani of Harlem Textile Works, by Gilah Elul
COMMUNITY AND ACTIVISM
2017-Present, UNBLENDED PROJECT, Co-founder with writer Alisha Acquaye. A photo-interview series celebrating the transformative alliances of Black and Asian solidarity.
2018-2020, THE ICONIC HOUSE OF NINJA, Member of the NY Chapter. An artist collective created by Willi Ninja and Sandy Apollonia Ninja as a safe house for members of the LGBTQ and vogue community.
2020, YOUTH CAN SEATTLE, Guest facilitator, Workshop on Black and Asian Solidarity and COVID-19, Seattle, WA
2020 THE BLACK SCHOOL, Guest-facilitator, Workshop on Solidarity with Asian Americans and COVID-19, New York, NY
2018 WOMEN OF COLOR IN SOLIDARITY CONFERENCE, Co-facilitator, Workshop on Interracial Friendship and Solidarity, New York, NY
2018, PARSON’S SCHOLARS AT PARSON’S SCHOOL OF DESIGN, Guest-facilitator, Workshop on Gentrification and Black and Asian Solidarity, New York, NY
2009- 2010, HARLEM TEXTILE WORKS, Community events organizer and Teaching Artist, New York, NY