Baphy Hirpday

“Baphy Hirpday”
Hamiltonian Gallery
Washington, D.C. | 2015

About the Show

Whoop Dee Doo was ecstatic to be in Washington, D.C., working with the Hamiltonian Gallery to create a magnificent birthday-themed installation. Working with Girlz with Glam (girlzwithglam.com) and the talented students of the Hung Tao Choy Mei Kung Fu Leadership Institute (www.jowga.org), we created a giant birthday cake amidst floor-to-ceiling walls of glimmering gifts. The kung fu students’ challenge was to focus on their meditation and fight sequences while the birthday environment we created became more and more chaotic – from lighting and sound to confetti, our beautiful frosting girls coming alive, and the magnificent Chinese Lion dance.

This piece was part of a group exhibition curated by artist and teacher Naoko Wowsugi. Naoko worked with her students, who created artworks as birthday gifts to her, and Naoko invited Whoop Dee Doo to create our own special birthday-themed piece as a collaboration with our students.

Here are a few snippets from a wonderful review of the show:

“While artists always pay lip service to incorporating the community, it’s a rare delight to see it done so fabulously.”

“What a baphy hirpday it was. By the looks on the kids’ faces, “Baphy Hirpday” was as much a present for them as for Wowsugi or anybody else. Whoop Dee Doo delivered a special gift for viewers: a reminder that art is the icing on the cake.”

-Kriston Capps, Washington City Paper, Jan 2015

From January 2-10, 2015, Whoop Dee Doo worked with students from the Hung Tao Choy Mei Leadership Institute and young women from the after-school program “Girlz With Glam” to create a performance and installation under the theme “Happy Birthday”. Girlz with Glam aided in the creation of our birthday-themed set, and three of them became “frosting girls” and acted as a living extension of the giant cake. With the students of the Hung Tao Choy Mei Leadership Institute, we studied their practice and together agreed on a specific performance idea. Amidst the birthday-themed set, the students’ challenge was to continue to meditate and focus on their practice while the setting becomes more frenzied with activity; from a giant Chinese Lion and confetti to increasingly loud and chaotic music and lighting. Hung Tao Choy Mei Leadership Institute: jowga.org Girlz with Glam: girlzwithglam.com Hamiltonian Gallery: hamiltoniangallery.com

Whoop Dee Doo Artists

Josh Pavlick
Michael Boles
Jaimie Warren
Matt Roche

Student Artists

Alisa Gibbs
Angel Anthony
Betilhem Mesaye
Miraf Mesaye
Anijah Gregory

Curation

Amanda Jiron-Murphy
Naoko Wowsugi

Youth Group

Girls with Glam

Performers

The Hung Tao Choy Mei Fung Leadership Institute

Links

Hamiltonian Gallery