Winners of “An Asian American Mosaic: A Juried Photography Show“ Announced
by: Dan Pittman
Published: June 1, 2026
IRVINE...
An aquatic-themed image of children dressed in swimsuits and surrounded by all manner of swim gear, towels, and awards entitled Swimmers was judged the grand prize winner in the professional category of the Asian American Mosaic: A Juried Photography Show, conducted by the Asian American Museum at Great Park.
The photo was taken by Lisa Hu Chen, a professional photographer from Irvine, who said her photo captured a recollection of her life as a parent of children engaged in the chaos of swimming, including water, pools, practice, meets, sunscreen and gear – all composed and organized neatly into one compact frame. She earned the $2,500 grand prize.
The second prize of $1,000 also went to Hu Chen for her photo entitled My Window Self Portrait, an intriguing image of herself and her son. “Through my reflection in the window, I felt a surge of love when I caught my child's reflection through my lens,” she said of the photo.
Two photographers tied for third place in the professional category, each winning $500. Peter Politanoff of Carson was cited for his photo entitled Walking Meditation, Chua Hue Quang, which pictured a congregation of Buddhist monks and nuns at Chua Hue Quang in Little Saigon.
Rick Musto of Laguna Niguel captured the image of a hard-working business owner mending shoes at a small shop in Chinatown in downtown Los Angeles he called So Many Shoes, So Little Time.
Amateur photographers judged as winners included Tuoc Nguyen of Irvine, winning the grand prize of $500 for Reincarnation, with second and third place going to Dean Vu of Anaheim for photos entitled Checkmate and Vietnamese Funeral, respectively. His two entries earned $250 and $100.
Student photographer Hannah Hsu of Lake Forest received the grand prize of $500 for Smiling Farmer, as well second-place honors for Honor to Us All, earning $250. Moment of Silence by Connor Hsiao of Irvine tied with Confluence of Spice by Logan Kwong of Fountain Valley for third place in the student category, each earning $100.
The contest challenged professional, amateur, and student photographers living in Orange, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Bernardino, and Riverside counties to focus their lenses on aspects of Asian American identity, culture, or lived experience they found intriguing. They had from December 10 through March 31 to submit their entries.
The esteemed panel of jurors for the contest included Los Angeles Times Executive Director of Photography Kim Chapin; Gong Cheng, sports photojournalist and Laguna College of Art and Design faculty member; award-winning photo artist Hiroshi Watanabe; and art enthusiast Katherine Shen.
Now in development, the new Museum is dedicated to preserving and celebrating the rich heritage and diverse stories of Asian American communities and beyond.
“There are countless Asian American stories of entrepreneurs, scientists, public servants, artists, architects, and community leaders who helped shape Southern California,” said Irene Kinoshita, steering committee member of the Museum and chairwoman of the Mosaic exhibition.
“We want to preserve these histories, celebrate these contributions, and inspire future generations,” she said. “We referred to the contest as a mosaic because the Asian American experience is composed of countless unique pieces that together create a singular work of art. These photos visualize an identity that is not a monolith, but instead is a fluid, diverse, multiracial, multigenerational spectrum.”
Speaking of the Museum, she said, “We hope to create a gathering place — a space where stories can be shared across generations and communities, where history comes alive, where we can play and celebrate together, and where we can continue to develop new stories.”.
The Museum’s Executive Director, Jack Toan, added, “The vision for the Museum was to create a culture-focused institution dedicated to celebrating Asian American heritage through immersive experiences and innovative technology. The Mosaic photographs help visualize that shared heritage for all who encounter them.”
An exhibit of 58 photos submitted to the Show will be on exhibit May 20-28, 2026 in the John M. Lee Court at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, California. At a later date, it will come to South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa.
For more information, visit https://aamuseumgp.org/events/mosaic. Admission to the exhibit is free. The Bowers Museum is located at 2002 North Main Street, Santa Ana, California 92706. Photos:Lisa Hu Chen