Between Arrival and Absence: “Time Lag” Explores the Diasporic Experience of Asian Contemporary Art in Pomona
By LAPost | Pomona, California — March 15, 2026
A new exhibition exploring the emotional and philosophical dimensions of time, migration, and identity opened Saturday at the Sasse Museum of Art in Old Town Pomona. Titled “Time Lag,” the exhibition is presented by Asian Art Contemporary and brings together emerging artists whose works examine the subtle disjunctions experienced by those navigating cultural, geographic, and psychological borders.
The opening reception on March 15 drew artists, curators, and members of the regional art community. Among those attending were producer Webson Ji, artists Sigrid Qian and Shuai Xu, museum founder Gene Sasse, and cultural commentator Richard Ren, who joined the discussion surrounding the exhibition’s themes.
Both producer Webson Ji and artist Shuai Xu have previously been recognized for their contributions to contemporary art. The two were selected for the AACYF 30 Under 30 Most Influential Chinese Americans, an annual list honoring outstanding young Chinese Americans whose work is shaping new cultural and creative conversations in the United States. Their inclusion highlights the growing influence of a new generation of Chinese American artists engaging with global audiences through contemporary artistic practice.
Curated by Dr. Huixian Dong, the exhibition borrows its title from the concept of temporal dislocation familiar to travelers crossing borders. The phrase “time lag,” Dong explains, describes the space between an arrival and the moment when one truly feels present — a state of near-arrival marked by anticipation, ambiguity, and partial absence.
“This exhibition explores the rhetorical capture of a state of ‘quasi-arrival yet a keen desire for complete transition,’” Dong said. “It is inspired by the embodied experiences of the Asian art diaspora and the tragicomic sense of waiting found in Waiting for Godot — where the expected arrival may never come.”
Dream and Reality
The exhibition unfolds through three thematic sections that examine different stages of this suspended state.
The first, “Dream and Reality,” opens with the imaginative framework of the fairy tale Jack and the Beanstalk. In the paintings of artist Sigrid Qian, thorned stems spread across the canvas, their pale yellow forms stretching toward a cosmic horizon. The imagery occupies a space between fantasy and recognition, evoking a sense that reality has almost been reached but remains veiled by subconscious visions and fragmented narratives.
Through surreal imagery and layered symbolism, these works challenge the viewer’s desire for clear arrival and stable meaning.
Collective Memory and Individual Narrative
The second section explores the tension between cultural inheritance and personal experience. Drawing from the perspectives of Asian diasporic communities, the works examine how collective memory and mother tongue shape identity even as individuals reinterpret them.
Artist Jennifer Ling Datchuk presents video work examining how society disciplines the gendered body, symbolized through tightly coiled braided hair resembling a saddle. Painter Yezi Lou revisits childhood icons — such as Pokémon and Ultraman — transforming familiar pop imagery into something estranged and distant. Meanwhile, performance artist Hannah Bang foregrounds the body itself as a site of creation, using movement through unfamiliar environments to reflect the sensation of displacement shared by many in the Asian diaspora.
The result is an exploration of what Ren described as the condition of “permanent transition.”
“For many diasporic communities, the idea of arrival is always incomplete,” Ren noted during the opening conversation. “You may cross borders physically, but culturally and psychologically there is always another threshold ahead. ‘Time Lag’ captures that delicate moment between belonging and becoming.”
Rationality and Chaos
The exhibition’s final section turns to questions of spatial perception and structure. While geometry and materials suggest rational order, the spaces they construct can feel unstable or fragmented.
Through installations by Shuai Xu, geometric clarity briefly emerges before dissolving into scattered forms, reflecting a world oscillating between control and uncertainty. The works invite viewers to reconsider how physical space can mirror psychological disorientation.
A Rapid Collaboration
Producer Webson Ji noted that the exhibition came together in just three weeks — a testament, he said, to the shared vision among organizers and artists.
“Our collaboration with the museum was remarkably smooth,” Ji said. “The energy of these young artists made it possible to realize the exhibition quickly.”
Museum founder Gene Sasse welcomed the show as part of the institution’s ongoing commitment to showcasing emerging contemporary voices.
“We are delighted to present these outstanding young artists,” Sasse said. “Their work adds an important international perspective to our program.”
Platform for Contemporary Asian Art
Founded in New York, Asian Art Contemporary serves as a platform dedicated to presenting new developments in contemporary Asian art through research, artist interviews, exhibition reviews, and curatorial initiatives. The organization also participates in international art events including the New York Art on Paper Fair and exhibitions in Shanghai and Busan.
Through projects like “Time Lag,” the platform seeks to expand global visibility for Asian artists while fostering dialogue among scholars, collectors, and the public.
For Ren, the exhibition’s themes resonate beyond the gallery walls.
“In today’s globalized world, cultural identity is rarely fixed,” he said. “What we see here is not simply Asian art abroad — it is a reflection of how mobility reshapes imagination, memory, and the meaning of home.”
Exhibition: Time Lag
Dates: March 4 – March 31, 2026
Location: Sasse Museum of Art
300 South Thomas Street, Pomona, CA 91766
Curator: Dr. Huixian Dong
Artists: Hannah Bang, Jennifer Ling Datchuk, Yezi Lou, Sigrid Qian, Shuai Xu
Gallery Hours: Friday–Sunday, 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
