Jacqueline Chia
writer | musician | artist
Jacqueline Chia is a queer southeast Asian artist from Toronto whose primary media are writing, music, and sound. She is working on her first volume of poetry, The Garden of Good Bones, which is funded by the Toronto Arts Council. Alongside more creative writing, she is also writing her Ph.D. in Literature at York University and has been an adjunct professor teaching literature, media studies, and philosophy in various colleges and universities since 2019.
As trombonist, Jacqueline has over 20 years of global and professional performance in blues, funk, and jazz. She is a strong part of various music communities in Toronto. In 2025, she took a hiatus from performance to focus on a new area of music – composition, in the form of a series of sonic poetry known as “Feela’s World.”
Essays, Flash Poetry, Life Musings, Photography, etc.,
On Deep Listening
17 Apr 2026
Navigating life’s intricate fabric, choices unfold paths to the extraordinary, demanding creativity, curiosity, and courage for a truly fulfilling journey.
The Simple Matter of Faith
18 Mar 2026
Navigating life’s intricate fabric, choices unfold paths to the extraordinary, demanding creativity, curiosity, and courage for a truly fulfilling journey.
Self-Love is the Most Radical Act of Resistance Against Capitalism
17 Feb 2026
Navigating life’s intricate fabric, choices unfold paths to the extraordinary, demanding creativity, curiosity, and courage for a truly fulfilling journey.
Feela’s World
Welcome to a world of limitless possibilities, where the journey is as exhilarating as the destination, and where every moment is an opportunity to make your mark on the canvas of existence. The only limit is the extent of your imagination.
All That You Are Is Change (2025)
This mini-mini chapbook consists of only two poems: the titular long poem and short piece before it that serves as an contemporary incantation to the muses. Inspired by the work of Octavia Butler, the poems are a reminder that we are all braver and stronger than we think when it comes to standing up to the oppressive systems that continually bear down on the world.
This tiny book of poetry was produced to raise mutual aid funds for Gaza. An e-copy of the work is available for purchase. All proceeds from this chapbook goes to a mutual aid request for people in Gaza. There is no tax receipt. However, you can request for the receipt of where the fund has been donated.
“Self-Portrait” (2023)
“Self-Portrait” is a meditation on the relationship between the self, the past, and the land. In this 8-part poem, the speaker’s growth and individuation is revealed to be intrinsically tied to their environment. Life happens at the interstices of one’s past, lived experience, and deepening understanding of their environment.
“Self-Portrait” is part of a larger project, I SEE YOU, by Morinobu Yoshida and Kyoto-Seita University that centers on the themes and reflections of marginal communities and individuals, particularly immigrant and queer folk, on being seen and acknowledge. The project was staged in three stages, starting with a sharing circle discussing what it means to be seen, and a reflection piece that emerges from the conversations, and a photoshoot for individual authors that focused on the process of being seen.
Trombonist & Vocalist
Show updates on JQJQ, Hot Five Jazzmakers, Don Valley Stompers, and other musical adventures
Gallery of past visual works
hellojq.earth 