Lao and Thailand: Between Roots and Becoming.

Exhibit date: January 10th – February 28th

Opening Reception: January 10th 3:30 pm- 6:30 pm @ Jade Choe Gallery

Presenting our featured artists at the Jade Choe Gallery.

Leslie Khounsombath- Lao artist 

Leslie Khounsombath (Khoon-sum-bAW-th) is a first generation Lao-American. Her ancestors migrated to California in 1975 after The Secret War in Laos. She found her early life difficult, raised by migrant parents suffering from PTSD and impoverished. For young Leslie, it seemed that keeping tradition and remaining docile was the only way of life. But as she moved through her journey of self-healing, she has defined her voice and learned to trust in her own intuition. This, she discovered, was the catalyst to break cycles of generational trauma. Now, she creates mixed media art as a form of reparation and metamorphosis through hardship. Leslie now resides in Olympia, WA as a self-taught artist. 

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Michelle Boucher- Thailand Artist 

Michelle Boucher is Olympia-based artist Michelle Boucher is a self-taught, multi-faceted painter working  primarily in watercolor, with gold leaf and occasional acrylic. Her practice is rooted in an exploration of the spiritual and emotional connection between humans and the natural world, expressed through luminous, layered compositions that emphasize both intimacy  and reverence for nature. 

Born in Plattsburgh, New York, to a Thai immigrant mother and an American father of 

French descent, Boucher began making art as a way to understand and interpret the 

world around her. This early impulse led to a 12-year career in fashion and film, where 

she honed her visual language and narrative sensibility. Ultimately, her focus returned to 

her first love—painting—where she could work more intuitively and personally. 

Boucher’s work has been featured in several print and online publications, and her 

paintings have appeared on wine labels and will soon be featured on the covers of two 

novels. She is currently developing a new series that explores her mixed heritage, 

integrating visual motifs and techniques drawn from traditional Thai and French art to 

create a dialogue between culture, identity, and place. 

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Curatorial Statement - Kellis Parlett

Lao American artist Leslie Khounsombath and Thai French American artist Michelle Boucher represents a new generation of emerging Asian American voices navigating the complexities of mixed heritage and cultural identity in the United States. As second‑generation artists, they stand at the intersection of multiple cultures, carrying both the richness and the challenges of belonging to more than one world.

Michelle Boucher, born to a Thai immigrant mother and a French‑American father, often finds herself in situations where she is expected to “prove” or validate her Thai identity because she does not fit the visual expectations placed upon her. While such questions may come without harmful intent, they can still be emotionally charged. Her watercolor and gold‑leaf works explore this tension—illuminating the quiet, layered experience of being mixed‑race, and weaving together Thai and French artistic traditions to reflect the complexity of identity, perception, and place.

Leslie Khounsombath, a first‑generation Lao American, grew up in the aftermath of her family’s migration following the Secret War in Laos. Raised by parents coping with PTSD and poverty, she learned early to remain quiet, obedient, and rooted in tradition. Through her journey of healing, she discovered her voice and the power of intuition—breaking cycles of generational trauma. Her mixed‑media work serves as acts of repair and transformation, expressing resilience born from hardship.

At APCC, our gallery is not a space reserved for already‑established artists. It is a home for community stories of heritage, struggle, discovery, and cultural continuity. Introducing these two emerging artists here is meaningful because this is where their questions about identity, belonging, and ancestry can begin to find form and resonance.

This exhibition is not simply a presentation of artwork. It is an invitation to witness two young artists searching for their roots, reclaiming their narratives, and shaping new cultural identities. We hope that APCC can continue to be a foundation for their growth as artists of the people—artists who carry forward the voices of their communities.

Kellis Parlett 

Gallery Coordinator

Asia Pacific Cultural Center