Join us for an evening of heartfelt connection and creative exchange as Shunyu Huang, former Story Parlor Artist-in-Residence, invites a guest from Asheville’s BIPOC community—who, in turn, brings a friend of their own—to the table.
The first half of the evening is a relaxed roundtable conversation where the trio, over a shared pot of tea, explores the “five flavors of life”—sourness, sweetness, bitterness, saltiness, and spiciness. Through curious and thoughtful questions, they uncover the common threads that connect us all.
In the second half, the guest artists take to the stage for a collaborative performance weaving together elements from the full evening.
This intimate and dynamic event continues the work of Shunyu’s residency, Memory Quilt, celebrating connection, creativity, and the rich tapestry of our shared humanity.
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Shunyu Huang
Shunyu Huang 黃順玉 is a martial artist, photographer, culture educator and poet, born and raised in the coastal city Zhuhai in southern China.Shunyu seeks to connect people through weaving our unique yet common stories and culture into a fabric. She is a frequent lecturer at UNCA, AB-TECH where she shares Chinese culture through literature, tea, and calligraphy.
In the summer of 2023, she became the first Chinese artist-in-resident at Story Parlor, where she gathered the community to share their memories through the five senses.
In January 2024, Shunyu created the first Asian Culture Festival in Asheville. She believes that in the art that we manifest and share, we can see the humanity that we have in common, despite our differences.
Five Spice is a new project which sprouted in Shunyu’s daily cooking and conversing in the kitchen, with hopes to cultivate expressions of curiosity amongst different people.
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Born in Beirut and mostly raised in the US, with the fortune of living in 4 continents due to varying life circumstances, Rayya Haddad is a citizen of the world.
She is the host of "Bring In the World" events, where curious minds gather to push edges for ponder creating space to celebrate our shared humanity and the beauty of our diverse stories.
She believes that in this increasingly divided world, the art of storytelling, movement, and performance is crucial to healing and unity for our community.
With the skills of a photographer and the passion of a community organizer, Rayya fosters a gentle yet fierce invitation to all of us so we may aspire for a more conscientious humanity.
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Afshin Cohen is a modern classical composer and pianist born in Iran and raised in the United States.
After receiving his music education in Georgia and California, he spent twenty years in the video game industry as a composer and sound designer.
He now focuses on personal creative projects and community-building work, rooted in the belief that musical storytelling is integral to how communities develop — and that it holds the power to spark meaningful conversations that make the world a better place.
Afshin draws deep inspiration from the Bahá'í teachings on this subject and is moved by witnessing others rise to the challenge of bettering themselves and the world around them. He is currently at work on a solo piano album — a personal reflection on this chapter of his life.
