You say "Shit"! I say "Shiiit"!
Co-produced and co-hosted by Angela Liang & Siying Zhou
You say "Shit"! I say "Shiiit"!
co-produced and co-hosted by Angela Liang and Siying Zhou.
This three-episode series delves into swearing within Naarm/Melbourne’s immigrant artists community. This series simply asks artists whose first language isn’t English if–and how–they swear in their native tongues in Australia. What are the words they use? When do these words surface? Each episode features two artists sharing their stories and swearing lexicons, offering a unique glimpse into the life of immigrant artists in Melbourne through the lens of language.
By inviting this conversation, the series opens a space to explore how swearing serves as both expression and self-care for immigrant artists–a nuanced, familiar–yet-unfamiliar phenomenon within Australian society. Therapist and artist Avrille Burrows joins every episode, providing expert insights into culturally responsive therapy for creative minds.
This series invites listeners who enjoy the spice of multilingual swear words and are curious about the dynamics of Melbourne’s immigrant artist community!
This series is co-produced and co-hosted by Angela Liang, an emerging curator and Siying Zhou, a visual artist. It airs weekly.
Regular guest speaker:
Avrille Burrows
Avrille Burrows is an artist and therapist practising in the northwest of Naarm and aims to provide culturally responsive therapy for those with creative minds. She utilises her knowledge in mental health and recovery and blends this with creative art practices, both within the counselling space as well as in the studio. Avrille works with themes of intergenerational trauma, body, and repair, and employs textiles, ceramics and culturally relevant materials to develop her artwork. As a Goan Anglo-Indian migrant to Australia, culture and its learning/unlearning have played a significant part in her developing identity as both an artist and therapist.
Website: http://www.avrilleburrows.com.au/
Instagram:@avrille_burrows
The producers:
Angela Liang 梁安琪
Angela is an emerging curator interested in migrant histories and experiences. Using social engagement and divergent ways of storytelling as the foundation of their curatorial practice, they explore concepts of representation, identity and diaspora histories through research into new media art practices, digital heritage and online culture. Angela currently resides in Naarm and works within the local art ecology. 🌸
Instagram: @aiyaaiyaaaaaaaa
Siying Zhou
Born in China, Zhou is a visual artist whose practice draws upon her Chinese heritage and social status as an Asian female immigrant in the West. Through producing predominantly installation works, Zhou uses spatial structure and materiality of various media, such as video, photography, performance, drawings and text, to undertake her research about cultural difference and cultural representation, and to create discussions about ontological issues about Asian immigrants and epistemological experiences formed in the visual art. Zhou’s artworks have been exhibited nationally and internationally and also included in private collections. She obtained her Master of Fine Art at the Victorian College of the Art, the University of Melbourne, in 2018.
Website:www.siyingzhou.com
Instagram: @siying_z
Thursday 28th November, 5-6pm
5-6pm: Episode ONE
Guest Artists:
Ellen Yeong Gyeong Son
Having lived in Korea, Singapore, and Australia, Son uses scratching, sewing, drawing, performance, and texts to explore transculturalism, linguistic limitations, and cultural issues. Son has received grants and awards, including the Chapman & Bailey Award (2016), the National Gallery of Victoria Women’s Association Award (2017), and the Immerse Festival The Best Young Artist Award (2017). Son has received a Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts with Honours (First Class Honours, 2017) and a Master's degree in Urban and Cultural Heritage (First Class Honours, 2022) from The University of Melbourne.
Website: ellenygson.info
Instagram: @ellenygson
Karen Luo
Luo is a China-born, Melbourne/Naarm-based artist. Working predominantly in photography and installation through combining photography and sculpture practices, Karen focuses on exploring the relationships within oneself (internal research of her identity) and the relationships between "selves" (people and people), as well as people and nature.
Instagram: @6isme
Priya Srinivasan, PhD
Dr. Srinivasan is a dancer/choreographer who lives and works on the lands of the Wurundjeri and Boonwurrung people in Narrm, combining theory and practice to work towards social justice issues through art. Her performances prioritise feminist decolonization processes making visible minority women’s histories. In her ongoing journey at the intersection of art, culture, and social justice, Dr. Srinivasan continues to break new ground and foster meaningful connections through her transformative work, leaving an indelible mark on the global stage. Dr. Srinivasan is the artistic director of Sangam. She has received the Impact Award at the Asia Pacific Arts Awards in 2024.
Instagram: @srinivasan2728
The swear word glossary:
From Ellen in Korean:
- Ssyang-nom - bastard
- Ssyang-nyeon - bitch
- Ssibsaekki - fucking bastard
- Noon-eun mulgogi jobbab-eulo dalgo danina - carrying dead skin cells from a fish penis as your eyes
From Karen in Cantonese:
- 仆街 puk1 gaai1 - to fall on street
- 屌你 diu2 nei5 - fuck you
- 頂你個肺 ding2 nei5 go3 fai3 - to punch your lung
- 操 Tsao (in Mandarin) - fuck
From Priya in Tamil:
- Mun-day - a headless corp running around
From Siying in Nanjing dialect:
- 呆逼 Die-bee - fuckers
- 二胡卵子 Er-hu-nuan-tsi - a soft penis
From Avrille in Hinglish:
- Behanchod - sister fucker; behan (sister) chod (fucker)
The music: Blackpink, “Tally”, track #7 on Born Pink, YG & Interscope, 2022, digital.
Thursday 5th December, 5 - 6pm
5-6pm: Episode TWO
Guest Artists:
Jesse Deng
Jincheng Deng is a visual artist and curator who lives and works in Naarm/Melbourne, Australia, on unceded Wurundjeri Country. His practice incorporates immersive installations, digital media, and creative writing. Influenced by his background in fine arts and curatorial projects, his work examines everyday objects and environments, encouraging collective re-learning and offering new perspectives on the intersections of art, ecology, and human interaction.
Alongside his practice, Deng is pursuing a PhD in Fine Arts at the Victorian College of the Arts. He recently presented solo exhibitions such as "Flying Backward" at TCB Gallery and "Here They Are" at Flagstaff Garden in Melbourne. Deng also curated the exhibition "Joke Taxonomy" at 138 Gallery.
He is actively engaged in supporting local emerging artists and artist-run initiatives as the founder of the Office of Octoand in Haikou and co-founder of Hair Ari in Melbourne.
Website: Jinchengdeng.com
Instagram: @jesse_deng48
Katayoun Javan
Katayoun Javan is an Iranian, Australian artist based in Melbourne. She has a BA in photography from Tehran Azad University. She completed her MFA at Deakin University in 2013. Her work is based on the notion of home, family, memory and Iranian Diaspora due to Iran's 1979 revolution. She has exhibited in Australia, Iran, Italy and Brazil. She was the recipient of the State Library of Victoria's Creative Fellowship in 2015 and the outcome of her research, a photographic series of Iranian immigrants in Melbourne, is held in The State Library’s collection.
Website: https://www.katayounjavan.com
Instagram: @katifasco
The swear word glossary:
From Katayoun in Farsi and Persian:
- Zahr-e-maar - snake's poison, shut up
- Kos kesh - son of a bitch, mother fucker, cheeky, naughty
- Kharaab - a woman who sleeps around, literally means off or broken
- Aghaa zaadeh - a rich boy born from someone who works at the government, corrupt and with money
- Kalleh Kiri - a made-up word and literal translation of ‘dickhead’
From Jesse in Hainanese and Putonghua:
- Dǎo diān 倒颠 - broken head, psychotic, crazy
- Cāo nǐ mā jībā bàozhà fàng yānhuā 操你妈鸡巴爆炸放烟花 - fuck your mum, she 💥 like a firework
- Tao nao pai kia 头脑坏去啦 - your brain is burned
From Siying in Nanjing dialect and Chinese internet slang:
- 作逼倒怪 Tso be tao kuai - pretentious, phoney, lamb dressed as mutton
- 法克鱿 Fǎ kè yú - fuck you
From Avrille in Hindi
- Kutta - dog
- Sala Kutta - brother-in-law dog
From Angela in Putonghua, Chinese internet and Kiwi slang:
- Nǐ zhēn fán rén 你真烦人 - you’re so annoying
- Cǎo ní mǎ 草泥马 meme - grass mud horse, fuck your mum
- Diǎo sī 屌丝 - loser/incel
- Mài dòu fu 卖豆腐 - selling tofu, prostitution
- Lù chá bǎo - 绿茶婊 - green tea bitch, gold digger
- You egg - you’re an idiot/dickhead
The music: Triad, “Gway Lo”, track #4, on Triad God, Presto!?, 2019, Digital
Thursday 12th December, 5-6pm
5-6pm: Episode THREE
Guest Artists:
James Nguyen
James Nguyen was born in Bảo Lộc, Việt Nam. He is currently based in Murrumbeena (where the Boyds once ran their pottery studios). Nguyen’s work engages with reMatriation, decolonial thinking and language-brokering. He makes memes, performances, films, sculptures, etc, drawing attention to the diasporic absurd.
James holds a PhD from UNSW and has presented both ground-breaking and lacklustre work at institutions such as ACCA, MCA, NGV, Fairfield City Museum and Gallery, 4A, and Guangzhou Academy of Fine Art.
Website: www.jamesnguyens.com
Instagram: @jamesnguyens
Yundi Wang
Yundi Wang graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (honours) from VCA in 2021 with a focus on the linguistic quality in moving images as per her honours paper titled “how to use the language.” With her own reflection on second language learning such as English, German, Thai and her video-making exploration taking her onto social media platforms such as 小红书 (xiăo hóng shū), Instagram and TikTok, Yundi has found her way back to teaching her mother tongue, Mandarin Chinese. Her lessons incorporate materials from daily life, film and social media.
Website: http://yundiwang.net
Instagram: @upsidedownbin3; @Learnmandarinwithyundi
The swear word glossary:
From James in Vietnamese:
- cọp cái - female tiger
- bí đê - bidet
- bê đít - to carry ass
- bưng bô - to carry toilet for someone
- bê dê - faggot, from pêdê-rasté
- bưng bô - to carry toilet for someone
- bống/bóng- bubbles
- mỏng mảnh/ởn ẻn - flimsy
- đủ má mày - fuck your mum
- dê đực - goat, male sex addicts
- ăn cạc - eat cunt
From Avrille in Hindu
- Chup Kar - Shut up
From Yundi in Mandarin:
- 操 cao, 干 gan - fuck
From Angela in Kiwi Slang:
- Munted - broken
The music: 夏之禹 (Xia Zhiyu), “人间 (Heaven)”, track #6 on Young Fresh Chin II, Major Yao, 2023, digital.