Lenore Chinn by Mia Nakano

Lenore Chinn by Mia Nakano

Mia Nakano

Lenore Chinn
Digital print on canvas
40 x 50”

Mia Nakano is a freelance photographer, videographer, web-designer, and social change maker rooted in Oakland, CA. Her work is shaped through her experiences as a proud 4th generation Japanese American, queer woman of color, daughter of a single mother, and sister of a deaf adult. She is a self-taught artist, who advocates strategic and ethical use of visual arts to make social change.

Nakano is the Director of the Visibility Project (visibilityproject.org) and founder and Co-Director of the Resilience Archives (resiliencearchives.com). She is a board member of Banteay Srei, whose work is dedicated to ending sexual exploitation of young Southeast Asian women in Oakland. She is on the leadership team of the Asian American for Civil Rights and Equality (AACRE) network, and co-founder of Hyphen magazine (hyphenmagazine.com). Nakano has dedicated the last fifteen years to uplifting the stories and histories of LGBTQ Asian Pacific Americans.

She has contributed work to Colorlines, the Kathmandu Post, Democracy Now! the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Institute, Salon.com, APEX Express, Intersection for the Arts, and the de Young. She is a strategic consultant for artists, non-profits, and small businesses. Her work has been supported in part by the California Arts Council, Creative Work Fund, SFAC, California Humanities, Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, GAPA Foundation, and East Bay Fund for Artists.

She believes in doing what you love as much as possible and that no meal is complete without cheese.

 

Mia Nakano

nakano

Mia Nakano

Mia Nakano is a photographer, videographer, editor, web-designer, teacher, consultant, printer, writer, and social change maker based out of Oakland, CA. She honed her skills working on projects in China, Japan, Nepal, and the US. Her work can be found in numerous print and web publications, along with contributions to countless community and non-profit organizations.

The photo of the founding board members of the Queer Cultural Center was taken by Freddie Niem. (Left to Right, Upper) Freddie Niem, Osa Hidalgo-de la Riva, Rudy Lemcke, Lenore Chinn, Greg Day, Pam Peniston.(Left to Right, Lower) Adrienne Fuzee, Jeff Jones, Blackberri, and (not shown) Carol Stuart.

Biography

Mia Nakano is a photographer, videographer, editor, web-designer, teacher, consultant, printer, writer, and social change maker based out of Oakland, CA. She honed her skills working on projects in China, Japan, Nepal, and the US. Her work can be found in numerous print and web publications, along with contributions to countless community and non-profit organizations.

What sets Mia’s work apart is her extensive work experience, reliability, honesty, and creative problem-solving. She loves what she does and intentionally works with clients whose missions and visions she personally believes in. Her speciality is working with small businesses, non-profits, and artists helping people achieve their goals. A strong focus is placed on visual integrity and accessibility.

Mia is a nerd at heart. She is easily fascinated by simple experiences, feels like there’s learning opportunities around every corner, and staunchly believes the act of taking a photograph the first step in the hike of making a print. She worked in photographic labs for fifteen years, starting out in 1996 as a B&W machine printer. Luckily, her life as an 80’s baby allowed her to learn analog and digital processes simultaneously, then she morphed into a custom B&W printer, photo retoucher, lab manager, photographer, teacher, tintypist, digital alchemist…