No Word for Art: Discovering Hmong Creatives Through Multimedia Forms

Abstract

MAJOUR is a six-part docuseries, accompanied by a set of print magazines, that highlights the stories of six Hmong creatives from Wisconsin and Minnesota—each with a distinct personal and artistic background. Through intimate, first-person narratives, these individuals share their journeys into the creative world, reflecting on the cultural significance and personal meaning of their work as Hmong artists. This creative thesis project not only provides a platform for Hmong voices in the arts but also functions as a cultural archive—an especially meaningful effort given that “the Hmong has traditionally been an oral culture with no written language prior to the 1950s” (Yang, 2024). By amplifying these underrepresented perspectives, MAJOUR aims to foster greater visibility, understanding, and acceptance of creative careers within the Hmong community and beyond