--- description: The activist and author of 'Know My Name' takes TIME behind the scenes as she creates a joyful mural for two restaurants in New York City's Chinatown. title: AAPI Artists Create Vibrant Murals for Chinatown Restaurants image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb5fc2b4d6cc8227a/698a1952656a3f6a07bdb3f2/chanel-miller-chinatown-art.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [U.S.](/section/us/) ## U.S. Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [New York](/tag/new-york/) ## New York Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # 'A Visual Embodiment of Joy.' Chanel Miller and More AAPI Artists Create Vibrant Murals for Chinatown Restaurants  by [Simmone Shah](/author/simmone-shah/)  ## Simmone Shah Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Reporter May 14, 2021 1:36 PM CUT  Chanel Miller's illustrative artwork on the corner of Bayard and Mulberry Streets in Chinatown, New York on April 17 Chanel Miller's illustrative artwork on the corner of Bayard and Mulberry Streets in Chinatown, New York on April 17Sangsuk Sylvia Kang for TIME  by [Simmone Shah](/author/simmone-shah/)  ## Simmone Shah Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Reporter May 14, 2021 1:36 PM CUT On Bayard Street in Manhattan’s Chinatown, artist and activist [Chanel Miller](https://time.com/collection/time-100-next-2019/5718890/chanel-miller/ "undefined") created a mural to cover the outdoor dining structure at [Alimama](https://www.alimamanyc.com/ "undefined") and Yin Ji Chang Fen. Along the wooden barrier, cartoon creatures feed each other with open mouths, an image Miller picked for its cultural significance. “In Chinese culture and a lot of Asian cultures, the way you express love is by making sure the other person is fed,” Miller, the bestselling author of [_Know My Name_](https://time.com/5879561/chanel-miller-on-coming-forward-know-my-name/ "undefined"), says in a video interview for TIME. “Instead of asking, ‘How are you?’ you usually ask, ‘Are you hungry?’” The structure is one of several created as part of [Assembly for Chinatown](https://www.thinkchinatown.org/assembly "undefined"), a program launched last summer by the non-profit Think!Chinatown to build outdoor dining spaces for restaurant owners in the area, where local businesses were hit especially hard by the [pandemic](https://time.com/5820618/coronavirus-future-of-food/ "undefined"). “Seeing how businesses were really harmed with the lack of foot traffic and with the lack of visitorship we thought, ‘What are the ways we could help the businesses to survive through this difficult time?’” says Amy Chin, Think!Chinatown’s Board President. As the city began to allow outdoor dining, many vendors didn’t know how to build outdoor dining structures that were durable and compliant with new city regulations, so Think!Chinatown partnered with A+A+A design studio to design and build the barriers at no cost to the businesses. The projects are funded by donations, with volunteers and local artists like Miller coming together to help paint and personalize them. The group hopes that the project can help draw customers to dine at the restaurants. Miller adds another motivation, citing the rise of hate crimes and [violence against Asian Americans](https://time.com/5938482/asian-american-attacks/ "undefined") and a desire to embody a joy with her art. “When I feel really overwhelmed and powerless, I have to think about zoning in on what I can do with my little corner of the earth. Today, this is my tiny corner,” she says. “I can make it better.” ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/6048450/chanel-miller-chinatown-art/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/6048450/chanel-miller-chinatown-art/"},"headline":"'A Visual Embodiment of Joy.' 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