Vulnerability in the Virtual Life
TikTok Scammer Incident
Hello, Everyone.
Happy middle-of-August! Thank you so much to all of you who have visited my recent shows and talks. Your support really means a lot to me.
Some Not-So-Pleasant News
If you follow my Instagram account @expert.in.nothing, you may know that an Instagram user contacted me on August 4th, informing me that a TikTok user has stolen my photos, and, under the name @freisymar_photography, propositioned him about an NFT trade. At that time, I did not have a TikTok account, but when I looked up this user, I did see my photos.
Not only did this person use, as their profile pic, my self-portrait that I use on almost all my photo-related social media accounts, but they also nabbed more than twenty of my other photos. More jarring than anything else are the three photos they pinned of me and my friends. I have since created my own TikTok account in order to report this person and filed several complaints—including an official DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) report on August 10, to which TikTok must, theoretically, answer within seven business days. We are still waiting, and the account is still up. If you have a TikTok account please file a fraud report for @freisymar_photography. At the time this screenshot was taken, they were following 6 people, but as of a few seconds ago, they are now following 36 people.
Needless to say, I feel extremely violated and annoyed. For a moment, I really wanted to stop using social media altogether.
Eliminating social media, however, will not stop felons from impersonating me. Even though much of social media is a time sink and can bring a lot of noise into my life, I cannot dismiss the friendships I have made or maintained through its use. On top of that, so much of the artist community is actually virtual because my artist friends are spread all over the world. Social media is a way for me and other artists to express ourselves. That being said, it is also important to be cognizant of the degree our content is being exploited by large platforms.
Having been in a car accident in the past was scary, but I didn’t stop driving. Having been called racial slurs in the past was hurtful, but I still need to go out, show my face, and interact with people. I cannot hide. We are all vulnerable all the time, in all layers of our lives—not just the virtual one. Even sitting in the comfort of our quiet home, we may have a meteorite fall through the roof.
I need to use social media a lot more judiciously going forward. All accounts are set up for two-factor authentication, and new posts with photos will be stamped with watermarks to at least make it a bit less convenient for perps to use. But I shouldn’t hide.
I found and reposted on Instagram a quote from writer Brené Brown that I saved awhile ago:
“We can choose courage or we can choose comfort, but we can’t have both. Not at the same time. Vulnerability is not winning or losing; it’s having the courage to show up and be seen when we have no control over the outcome. Vulnerability is not weakness; it’s our greatest measure of courage.”
—Brené Brown
It is a good reminder for myself.
Art Updates
I have been making new works! I call the series the FC Scrolls.
The fortune cookie is an American invention. It occupies my mind as a symbol of being Chinese American. When asked by sculptor and curator Donna Dodson to create new works in response to scholars’ rocks (gongshi), I could not help but think of the fortune cookie. I wanted a way to capture the Daoist fluidity of scholars’ rocks and set out to create these cyanotype scrolls, which I tore to embrace the random shapes of very rough brush strokes. The process was liberating, as it is a celebration of imperfection. The emphasis is on beauty because (not in spite) of imperfection.
Upcoming Shows
I just received news that the piece pictured here, FC Scroll 2, was accepted by juror Aline Smithson into the show (S)Light of Hand at the Photographer’s Eye Collective in Escondido, CA., from September 13 through October 4, 2025. This will be my first time physically showing work in California!
I have also just heard that FC Scroll 1 was accepted by juror Darren Ching into the show Unleashed at the A Smith Gallery through October 9th.
The Somerville Toy Camera Festival is happening soon! Opening reception is on September 6, 3-5pm. AZ Fence + MA Trees was selected by juror Mary Kocol for the now-biennial festival. Click here to see the list of artists selected, and here for selected art works. The festival exhibition and reception are split between the Nave Gallery and the Washington Street Gallery. The Alchemy piece will be at the Nave (155 Powder House Blvd. Somerville, MA), but please do check out the Washington Street Gallery, too (321-D Washington St, Somerville, MA).
Closing Soon
The 2025 Danforth Annual Exhibition is closing in a week! The last day is August 24th! Scorched Woods (from the collaborative project Alchemy of the Unknowns with James David Tabor in Arizona) is in such good company with the amazing artwork there. Jurors Jessica Roscio, Lauren Szumita, and Yumi Park Huntington curated a wonderful show, and we are so lucky to be a part of it.
Power/Play at the Photographic Resource Center is closing tomorrow August 17! So, there are only two days to see it. I have three self-portrait pieces there. It is such an honor to have Catherine LeComte Lecce to have included my work.
Diversity at PhotoSC (918 Lady St Columbia SC 20201) is closing August 24th. My cyanotype collage piece Analog Girl in a Digital World, selected by Paula Tognarelli, is physically showing there. It is my first time showing in South Carolina.
Current Shows
Palm + Hosta from Alchemy of the Unknowns was selected by Michael Kirchoff for inclusion in the Analog Forever 2025 Exhibit at the LightBox Photographic Gallery in Astoria, Oregon. The show will be up until October 4. This is my first time showing work in Oregon!
Vision(ary) at the Griffin Museum of Photography is up through September 13th. Museum Executive Director Crista Dix juried Alchemy of the Unknowns into this outdoor exhibition. Our cube is located right near the museum entrance in Winchester. Since it’s an outdoor exhibition, you can see it 24x7. We will be having an artist talk about the project (different from the one about the book) September 18, 2025 @ 7 pm – 8:30 pm ET.
I’m really excited to announce that Fort Point Arts Community is having their Members’ Exhibition celebrating their 45th birthday. A larger print of Palm + Hosta has been selected for inclusion by FPAC at the gorgeous FPAC Art Space, on Sleeper Street in Seaport, right across from The Barking Crab. It is up through October 31, and there will be a reception on October 16, 5-7pm.
Ken’s New Book Can Now Be Preordered
Most of you who know me in real life know that my husband, Ken Liu, is a writer. His new techno-thriller, ALL THAT WE SEE OR SEEM, is due for release in October. If you’re interested in preordering, you can check out some options here.
Thank you!
I feel fortunate that so many exciting things are happening, although I have had my fair share of rejections, too. I am trying my best to balance my life through this roller coaster ride and redirect my energy to produce new work.
Thank you so much for reading through this, and, always, for your support and feedback. Until next month!