At SF Chinatown’s First Zine Fest, an International Artist with NorCal Ties

When Vancouver-based visual artist and independent publisher Ho Tam left San Francisco after the 2023 SF Art Book Fair, he knew he wanted to come back. This year, thanks to the Chinese Culture Center’s 41 Ross Artist-in-Residence program, his wish was granted.

Tam, the founder of Hotam Press, has been living and working in San Francisco since September, turning 41 Ross into a temporary bookshop, gallery and studio. And this Saturday, along with 10 local publishers, he’ll have the chance to showcase his work at the first-ever Chinatown Ross Alley Zine Festival. Participants include Floss Editions, Sming Sming Books and Unity Press.

Tam’s own interest in zine and bookmaking spans decades. “As a kid, I was interested in making my own magazines,” says Tam, who was born in Hong Kong. “I didn’t even know it was [called] zines at the time, I just made my own little books.”

He published his first art book in the early ’90s, but life took him elsewhere, away from book and zine making. It wasn’t until the early 2010s, after leaving a teaching position, that Tam found himself back in the world of zines, helping other artists learn to make and distribute their own works. He realized he still had plenty of his own ideas, and established Hotam Press to continue his work in the medium. For Tam, creating art through books and zines just made sense.

“I like using text and images in my work,” says Tam. “I think it’s … a logical direction to make them into books, because the book itself can contain some sort of narrative, and could also be complete in itself as an object.”

Tam says he finds inspiration for his zines and books from all sorts of subject matter, including his own personal stories and interests, social justice issues and political topics.

Right now, Tam’s biggest source of inspiration is his family tree, which reaches into Northern California. His father always told Tam if he traveled a little further toward Sacramento, he might be able to find details about his great-grandfather, who once lived there. He found a few long-lost cousins and, with their help, was able to trace some of their shared lineage back to Marysville, California, in Yuba County

“I only wish when my father was around, I had asked him more questions,” Tam says. “But now I’m finding out about my family through others, through this research, through these towns … so it’s very rewarding too.”

Before his artist residency ends on Nov. 30, Tam hopes to create a piece related to his time in San Francisco and the experience of connecting with newly found relatives. Just like old times: “I’m hoping to make a zine out of it,” he says.

The Chinatown Ross Alley Zine Festival takes place 12–4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 9.