(2 month Intensive) Unbound: Navigating Artist Visas and Reimagining Radical Belonging
Unbound: Navigating Artist Visas and Reimagining Radical Belonging
For Chinese and international creatives navigating the O-1 and EB-1 visa process during the Trump era
Hosted by Mengwen Cao in collaboration with Accent Sisters
Info Session: June 2nd, sliding scale, three tiers 33-44-55 USD
Two-Month Intensive: June 16 – July 28
(4 sessions, meeting every other week)
Sliding scale three tiers 333-444-555
Language: English
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Price Tiers:
So many of us came to the U.S. with a dream—to create, to thrive, to be free.
But the visa journey? It’s often confusing, isolating, and filled with uncertainty.
Join us for an info session on May 26, open to anyone who is just beginning to explore the O-1 or EB-1 visa process, or already deep in it. We’ll begin by gently arriving in our bodies—through a somatic grounding practice, we’ll reconnect with our intentions: why we’re here, and what creative freedom and belonging truly mean to us.
Mengwen will share their own 13-year visa journey—from F-1 student to three-time O-1 artist visa holder to finally receiving an EB-1 green card. They’ll walk us through realistic timelines, tangible steps, and what it's really like to navigate the multi-entry and exit process.
For those who have already signed with a lawyer and are ready to workshop materials and prepare for the “jailbreak,” we’re launching a two-month intensive starting in June. This small-group series includes bi-weekly check-ins, mindset tools, and support for the emotional labor that often goes unspoken. You’ll gain an intimate view of each other’s process, share lessons learned, and receive guidance from a visa-expert-survivor.
We’ll close the session with a soft and brave space for community sharing, mutual support, and resource exchange.
No one should have to walk this path alone.
꧁𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚒𝚜 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 ...
Are an artist or creative practitioner navigating or suffering about the O-1 or EB-1 process
Want space to reflect on the why behind your journey—not just the paperwork
Are tired of going it alone and ready to be in artist community
꧂ 𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚎𝚡𝚙𝚎𝚌𝚝
A detailed walkthrough of Mengwen’s O-1 and EB-1 story
Somatic grounding practice to clarify your "why"
Practical tips, resources, and reflections on preparing your visa materials
Community sharing circle with fellow Chinese diaspora artists
MENGWEN CAO (they/them) is queer photographer, artist, educator and somatic coach creating multimedia portals for personal and collective transformation. Born and raised in Hangzhou, China, they are currently based in New York, United States. Weaving their embodied experience as a Chinese diasporic queer into their spiritual and creative practices, they use care and tenderness to explore in-between spaces. They see photography as a vehicle for healing and a tool to visualize the future. As a facilitator, they are trained in somatic coaching and various healing practices. Their projects have been featured on publications like Aperture, Vogue, i-D, The New York Times and NPR. They have participated in international exhibitions like BredaPhoto, Photoville, Jimei Arles, Lianzhou Foto Festival.
Mengwen graduated from the New Media Narratives and Documentary Practice program at the International Center of Photography in 2017. They received NLGJA’s Excellence in Photojournalism Award in 2019. They were recognized by The Lit List in 2018, PDN 30 New and Emerging Photographers to Watch in 2019, World Press Photo 6x6 Global Talent in 2020 and Art in America 20 Talent to Watch in 2023. Previsouly, Mengwen has served as a board member of Authority Collective, championing space for diverse narratives and perspectives in the media industry.
@mengwencao