Romana Lee-Akiyama

Romana Lee-Akiyama is a global cross-sector leader at the intersection of social change, equity, community well-being, and the arts and culture. She is the founding director and curator of the Chen Lok Lee Legacy Project, which she established in March 2021 as a homage to her late father, a pioneering Asian immigrant printmaker, painter and professor. The Chen Lok Lee Legacy Project archives, preserves and promotes Lee’s works on paper and his migration story and journey as an artist, serving as an inspiration to the next generation of artists.

Since launching the Chen Lok Lee Legacy Project, Romana has curated four exhibits in Philadelphia, centering themes of migration, belonging, anti-Asian hate and violence, and what it means to create “home” for marginalized populations. In 2021, with initial seed funding from the Sachs Program for Arts Innovation at the University of Pennsylvania, Romana was able to successful launch the project, and ultimately curated EXCLUDED/INCLUSION, a year-long exhibit, at Penn’s Annenberg Center.

Growing up with two artists as parents, Romana was discouraged from pursuing a career in the arts. Instead, she established herself as a social worker, nonprofit executive leader, and public servant. At this juncture in her career, she is aligning her deep and wide experiences in multiple sectors to elevate the arts and push the boundaries of who gets to shape our mainstream narratives and stories.

“I’m honored to embark on this artistic journey that centers the humanity of our Black American and Asian American communities in Philadelphia. When we can pause long enough to truly see each other - our respective histories, emotions, hopes and dreams, we can stand in authentic and deep solidarity. Art allows us to see and experience the humanity of each of us - and to build the future that we want, together.”