Artist Bio

Mario Zie Chang (b. 1976 in Frankfurt, Germany) is a multidisciplinary artist and storyteller working across illustration, web development, and design, based in Dallas, Texas. Born and raised in Germany to Korean parents and a Dallasite of 30 years, Chang’s art practice reflects a life shaped by movement across cultures and creative disciplines, including the mediums of photography, digital design, painting, illustration, and video. 

Chang earned his Associate’s Degree in Animation and Multimedia from the Art Institute of Dallas, beginning his career as a Flash animator and web developer before spending a decade as a professional photographer. In his photography practice, Chang was awarded the Toni & Guy Photographic Award for 2010, 2011, and 2012. In addition to his art practice, Chang has also worked as a game illustrator and muralist. Currently, Chang serves as the Creative Director of the Asian Film Festival of Dallas and has volunteered in numerous film festivals in Dallas. 

Working in a line-driven visual language inspired by Ligne Claire and influenced by his upbringing in Europe, Chang balances clean compositions with layered detail, drawing from autobiographical themes such as expectation, attention, discipline, and stewardship, often tempered with subtle humor. While illustration remains central to his practice, Chang currently finds himself at a creative fork in the road, increasingly drawn toward other forms of storytelling through writing, graphic novels, and film.  

About the Exhibition

Hyphen Space is pleased to present: LIGNE MARIO, a solo exhibition by Dallas-based artist Mario Zie Chang, marking his first solo show alongside his 50th birthday and 30th year in Dallas. 

The exhibition presents a series of autobiographical works rendered in the visual language of ligne claire. Known for its clean, uniform lines, Chang pushes the style of ligne claire into unexpectedly dense territory, where both intricate detail and visual clarity coexist. 

Chang’s compositions transform personal memories, childhood traditions, formative disruptions, and quiet moments into detailed images that invite viewers to look closer. Beneath their precision is a subtle lightheartedness. Moments of humor, self-awareness, and a quiet refusal to take oneself too seriously. Instead of reducing complexity, LIGNE MARIO organizes it, inviting viewers to slow down, take in the layered detail, and discover meaning as they spend time with them.

From May 9th to July 5th, Hyphen Space offers a bold view into the rich inner world of a beloved Dallas artist and community pillar, Mario Zie Chang. Curated by Christina J. Hahn. 

In honor of his first solo exhibition, Hyphen has collaborated with Mario Zie Chang to create a bespoke drink inspired by LIGNE MARIO, only available for a limited time during the duration of the exhibition. 

📍Opening Reception: 5/09/2026, 8:30-10:30 PM 

📍Artist Talk: 6/11/2026, 7-8:30 PM 

🗓️Exhibition Duration: 5/09-7/05/2026 

Come to our artist talk on Wednesday, 4/22 7:30 - 9:30 PM to learn more about the 5 local Dallas artists, their process, and how their work bring in their experiences of womanhood, friendships, and shared communities.

Exhibition Description:

Hyphen Space presents a multimedia group exhibition featuring five Dallas artists: Ari Brielle, Martha Elena, Christina J. Hahn, Joy Reyes, and Leili Arai Tavallaei. The exhibition, titled “To Be Altered” explores themes of womanhood and the transformative power of the collective. From new media work, soft sculpture, printwork, to multimedia collage, each artist brings an exquisitely raw perspective on how we are changed by our shared experiences and bonds to one another. “To Be Altered” is a celebration of the transformative power of friendship between women and the communities we uphold.

1 last spot available, RSVP at Shua’s website!

Join us for one night only as we takeover our favourite matcha shop, Hyphen Space! High off of a recent trip to Northern Vietnam, we’re full of inspiration and eager to get back into the kitchen. Our good friends at Hyphen Space have been generous in allowing us to invite you to our exclusive communal table to bond over your shared love for food and unique experiences. In true Vietnamese tradition, it is time to “nhậu!”

Featuring a 9-course fine dining tasting menu highlighting seasonal Texas produce and the flavours of Vietnam. You are encouraged to bring your own beverages to enjoy and share amongst your fellow guests.

Vietnamese-inspired tasting menu
BYOB. Still water and non-alcoholic welcome beverage provided
2.5~3 hour dining experience
Shared table with other guests

dietary restrictions and allergies may not be accommodated at this time

tickets non-refundable

We’re hosting our matcha workshop again!

Explore the delicate world of matcha at Hyphen Space.

Learn the art of matcha preparation using a chasen (bamboo whisk) and chawan (matcha bowl) to create a smooth, frothy matcha. This workshop is perfect for both newcomers and seasoned tea lovers looking to deepen their appreciation. We will be diving into different grades of matcha, understanding the different notes of matcha, as well as the history. And you get to build and take home a matcha drink of your choice!

Join us for a peaceful, immersive, and fun experience that connects you with the traditions of Japanese tea at Hyphen Space.

Please RSVP below.

What is Gesture Drawing Gym?

It is a collaborative drawing session where anyone will get the chance to practice drawing anatomy with live models: each other! Everyone, sitting in a semi-circle, will get a chance to make a quick and rough sketch of a chosen “model” for a 5 minute, 3 minute or 1 minute duration. Once the time is up, everyone will give and receive feedback, before another model from the semi-circle is chosen.

The process is repeated until everyone in the group has had a chance to model (or 45 minutes has passed)

Bring your own paper, pencils, or which medium you prefer to drawing in!

Organized & Hosted by @racheltse.art

Free Admission

Working on any in-progress creative work? Bring yourself here to Hyphen Space to co-work and meet local creatives!

Let’s build a creative community to encourage one another in our creative pursuits.

Free Admission

Hyphen Movie Nights bring film, community, and atmosphere together. Each screening is for fun to enjoy watching and experiencing stories side by side.

Movie to be decided! Feel free to email or message Hyphen Space any suggestions. It can be a movie, TV show, cartoon, or anime.

Free Admission

6:30 - 7 PM: Get drinks & snacks

7-9:30 PM: Movie Showing

We’re hosting our matcha workshop again!

Explore the delicate world of matcha at Hyphen Space.

Learn the art of matcha preparation using a chasen (bamboo whisk) and chawan (matcha bowl) to create a smooth, frothy matcha. This workshop is perfect for both newcomers and seasoned tea lovers looking to deepen their appreciation. We will be diving into different grades of matcha, understanding the different notes of matcha, as well as the history. And you get to build and take home a matcha drink of your choice!

Join us for a peaceful, immersive, and fun experience that connects you with the traditions of Japanese tea at Hyphen Space.

Please RSVP below.

Bored and want to play? Tired of the screen? Let’s play board games and card games! Bring your own or we have some too.

Let us know if you plan to attend, but it is Free Admission!

Start Here: hands-on workshop to stop overthinking and start doing. This workshop is lead by XinYi of Don’t Be Strangers & Creative Chimera Studio.

Sign up here

You don’t need to have a perfect plan. You just need to show up. Let’s get unstuck-together. You

We’re hosting our matcha workshop again!

Explore the delicate world of matcha at Hyphen Space.

Learn the art of matcha preparation, using a chasen (bamboo wisk) and chawan (matcha bowl) to create a smooth, frothy matcha. This workshop is perfect for both newcomers and seasoned tea lovers looking to deepen their appreciation. We will be diving into different grades of matcha, understanding the different notes of matcha, as well as the history.

Join us for a peaceful, immersive, and fun experience that connects you with the traditions of Japanese tea at Hyphen Space.

Please RSVP below.

Red Oak Studios 💐 is back at Hyphen Space for round two of guided floral arrangements! 

Each ticket includes the creation of your own bouquet, but you may even leave with a friend or two 👯‍♀️💕come join us in creating lovely memories together!

Additionally, there will also be delicious Peruvian pastries and a sweet sip to accompany your taste buds during the session. 

☕️🌼🥧🌸🍵

Meet Ashley, a talented artist and the driving force behind Red Oak Studios. Born in the picturesque mountains of Cusco, Peru, Ashley was surrounded by vibrant colors and natural beauty from a young age, which would later become the inspiration for her art. After relocating to the United States, Ashely’s love for art never wavered, but it wasn’t until she graduated from college with a degree in science that she began to question her true calling. A transformative trip to Santa Fe in 2021 reignited Ashley’s passion for art, and she soon found herself immersed in the world of flower design. Despite having no prior experience, Ashley was determined to learn and grow, and her hard work eventually paid off. With a new perspective and love for living life in 2024, Red Oak Studios bloomed, a beautiful reflection of dedication to her craft and her willingness to take risks and pursue her dreams.

Lunar New Year Community Potluck at Hyphen Space 🧧

Join us at Hyphen Space for a Lunar New Year potluck celebrating new beginnings, shared stories, and the richness of our many cultures. This gathering is an open invitation to learn, share, and connect through the dishes that carry meaning in our families and communities.

Lunar New Year is celebrated across many cultures and regions, each with its own traditions, flavors, and symbolism. We invite you to bring a dish that reflects your heritage, a Lunar New Year tradition, or simply something you love and be ready to share the story behind it. Whether it’s homemade, store-bought, or passed down through generations, every contribution is welcome.

Together, we’ll eat, learn about different cuisines, exchange cultural traditions, and welcome the new year with intention, abundance, and community. Come curious, come hungry, and come ready to celebrate.

✨ All are welcome. Let’s welcome the new year together.

Exhibition Description:

Searching for a Feeling traces the unstable terrain of memory and how it stretches, fractures, and reshapes itself over time. Pulled from archival family photographs, the works in this exhibition explore the sensation of remembering something that has never been fully known, and how trauma alters memory’s contours in ways both subtle and profound. Rather than seeking accuracy, the exhibition rests in the emotional residue of recollection, where clarity and erasure coexist and where one can feel everything and nothing at once.

In the main space, large-scale pigment transfers on sheer polyester fabric immerse the viewer in memory’s shifting atmosphere. The repeated images, layered across tall veils of translucent cloth, drift in and out of focus as the viewer moves through the space. Each sheet hangs slightly apart, allowing light to slip between them and distort the image further. These works echo the experience of returning to a memory again and again, only to find it altered, softened in some places, sharpened in others, always changing shape.

In the adjoining hallway, a smaller and more intimate body of work unfolds through Polaroid emulsion lifts on glass. Here, archival images are transformed by the fluid unpredictability of the emulsion, folding and rippling as if memory itself were trying to settle into a form. Each piece hovers one inch from the wall, casting a faint shadow that becomes a second, ghost-like image. These works hold the fragile details, the fragments that resurface without warning, the pieces of a story that remain suspended just out of reach. Placed in separate rooms yet in quiet conversation, the two bodies of work reflect the dual nature of remembering. The fabric pieces stretch memory across space, inviting viewers to walk through uncertainty and distortion. The glass works compress memory into delicate, floating impressions, revealing how easily it can tear, wrinkle, or shift under pressure. Together, they consider how memory is shaped not only by time but by the body—by trauma, by intuition, by the longing to understand what was never fully seen.

In Searching for a Feeling, memory is not an archive but a living material, altered by every return. Ngo invites viewers into the in-between: the place where remembering becomes an act of creation, and where the search for clarity becomes its own intimate form of truth.

Artist Bio:

Bao Nghi Ngo is a self-taught, first-generation Asian American artist based in Dallas, Texas. Working primarily with alternative photographic processes, Ngo explores the fragile terrain of memory, identity, and healing. Her practice often merges cyanotype, weaving, and mixed-media experimentation to investigate how images can fracture, fade, and reassemble over time. Ngo holds a Bachelor of Arts in Biochemistry from the University of North Texas, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude as a Distinguished Honors College Scholar. Her undergraduate thesis, Lost in Time: An Arts-Based Autoethnographic Inquiry into Traumatic Brain Injuries, stemmed from her own experience with a brain injury—a formative event that continues to inform her art. Through slow, tactile processes, she transforms the act of remembering into a study of resilience and care.

Her work has been exhibited across Texas, including in ART214 Biennial Juried Exhibition through the City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture, The 9th Annual Texas Juried Exhibition at Artspace111, Colorplay at the Dallas Center for Photography, Apophenia at ICOSA Collective, and Ginger Roots at 400h Gallery.

Ngo is currently an Artist in Residence at The Cedars Union (Cohort V) and is participating in the 2nd Annual Cedars Union Printmaking Micro-Residency in 2025, followed by the AiR: Underground residency at Arts Mission Oak Cliff in 2026.

Through her practice, Ngo turns vulnerability into language, creating spaces where art and science, body and memory, coexist in quiet dialogue.

Canva Workshop hosted by XinYi of Don’t Be Strangers & Creative Chimera Studio.

Sign up here

Need a personal portfolio or a business website? Leave this workshop with a brand new website. Bring your laptops and create your free Canva account.

Tired of doomscrolling? Let’s play! Bring your Nintendo DS, Sony, PSP, Gameboy to Hyphen Space and have fun. Or bring your board games or card games. We have some too.

All Day Free Play. Find a spot and have fun.

Our 1st board game night! Bring in your own board game and some friends. If not, we have board games available for you to borrow and perhaps even make a new connection and friend over a board game.

Free Admission! No need to RSVP.

Hyphen Movie Nights bring film, community, and atmosphere together. Each screening is intentionally curated and hosted in our studio space with complimentary drinks and snacks included. It’s less about the screen and more about experiencing stories side by side.

6:30 - 7 PM: Get drinks & snacks

7-9:30 PM: Movie Showing

Movie Coming Soon

We’re hosting our matcha workshop again!

Explore the delicate world of matcha at Hyphen Space.

Learn the art of matcha preparation, using a chasen (bamboo wisk) and chawan (matcha bowl) to create a smooth, frothy matcha. This workshop is perfect for both newcomers and seasoned tea lovers looking to deepen their appreciation. We will be diving into different grades of matcha, understanding the different notes of matcha, as well as the history.

Join us for a peaceful, immersive, and fun experience that connects you with the traditions of Japanese tea at Hyphen Space.

Please RSVP below.

Hyphen Space presents “Searching for a Feeling” a solo exhibition by Bao Nghi Ngo

‘Searching for a Feeling’ traces the unstable terrain of memory and how it stretches, fractures, and reshapes itself overtime. Pulled from archival family photographs, Ngo explores the sensation of remembering something that has never been fully known and how trauma alters memories contours in way, both subtle and profound. 

From January 16th to March 7th, Hyphen Space offers a view into the in-between: where remembering is an act of creation and searching for clarity, its own intimate form of truth by Bao Nghi Ngo. Curated by Christina J. Hahn. 

📍Opening Exhibition - Jan 16, 7-10 pm

📍Artist Talk - Feb 19, 7:30-9:30 pm

📆 Exhibition Duration - Jan 16-Mar 7, 2026

In honor of our show, Hyphen has collaborated with Bao Nghi Ngo to create a bespoke drink inspired by ‘Searching for a Feeling’ available for a limited time during the duration of this exhibition.