2026 Award winners
This annual artistic challenge was established in honor of the late co-founder of CATS, Dr. Jerry Hiura, who was a poet, artist, jewelry maker and musician - multifaceted in spirit and talent. This award was created to continue his vision of promoting young artists. This year’s theme - What We Carry Forward - What do we inherit, preserve, transform, or pass on? Through your art, explore the stories, memories, traditions, questions, and hopes that shape who we are and who we become.
CATS is proud to share the work of our top 5 winners. There were many submissions with themes of life balance, embracing the present, and accepting mistakes! Congratulations to all of our talented young artists.
Weight of Wishes - Emerson Su, Mountain View, CA
Emerson’s sculpture, Weight of Wishes, transforms hundreds of traditional Chinese red envelopes into the silhouette of an American wedding dress, weaving together Asian and American identities.
Within its folds are more than 500 handwritten wishes, collected and preserved as a living archive of community hopes, family traditions, and cultural inheritance. It is a remarkable expression of what we carry forward from one generation to the next.
When Persimmons Are in Season - Iris Zheng, Sunnyvale, CA
Iris’ piece, When Persimmons Are in Season, uses gouache and layered paper to capture a tender childhood memory of her grandfather teaching her to peel a persimmon in one continuous strand.
Through this simple, intimate moment, Iris reminds us that the smallest acts of love and care are often the ones that stay with us the longest—and shape how we care for ourselves and others.
Loose Threads - Annie Marcelino, Mountain View, CA
Annie’s piece, Loose Threads, reimagines the traditional Korean hanbok as contemporary streetwear. Fashioned from collected fabric scraps, with raw edges and loose, hanging threads, the garment reflects Annie’s personal journey of defining her Asian American identity. Her work captures the tension—and the creative possibilities—between honoring our cultural roots and finding the freedom to define ourselves.
A Packing List for Arrival - Andie Liu, Mountain View, CA
Andie’s poem, A Packing List for Arrival, takes us on a lyrical journey through the things we choose to carry with us—and those we leave behind.
Exploring immigration, inherited family stories, and personal growth, the poem asks a compelling question: How much of who we become is shaped by what we inherit, and how much is ours to choose?
Chuseok - Hailey Kim, Sunnyvale, CA
Hailey’s painting, Chuseok, celebrates the traditions and rituals of the Korean harvest holiday, passed down through generations of her family.
Rich in cultural meaning, Hailey’s work expresses both pride in her South Korean heritage and the joy of embracing her American identity—a reminder that carrying traditions forward also means giving them new life.