Photo Gallery
Head in the Clouds
30 cm x 56 cm
Watercolor and Gouache on paper
To achieve cohesion, I painted the background of this piece before laying my brush on the central subject- a technique that is new yet exciting to me. After sketching out the subject, I proceeded to loosely paint swirled shapes around her, placing a drop of pigment on the page and adding water to watch it travel and expand. It was this design that informed the purpose of the whole piece- to depict a girl dreaming of more optimistic and imaginary pursuits than those that plague her reality.
Rays
55 cm x 37 cm
Gouache on paper
On the flip side to Smoke, Rays was made to depict the other side of my character- the bright side. The cool, red smoke from Smoke turns into the warmer, sunrise-inspired rays that shine on the subject. My choice to paint this piece in a warmer color palette was deliberate to represent the affable and innocent side of myself. Contrasting with the black and white figure, who appears older and to have seen it all, the subject in Rays represents who she was in the past, when she was still colorful.
Smoke
55 cm x 38 cm
Gouache on paper
Smoke was made to depict one side of my character- the self-destructive side. The subject was painted in black and white to illustrate how all of the liveliness and personality- the color- has been drained from her. The smoke, however, is painted in red to depict how the subject still has that color inside of her, but strays to vices instead of exploring her potential. This piece relates to my theme of self-identity as it captures the inner insecurities that exist within my mind.
“Put a little lipstick on”
36 cm x 28 cm
Graphite on paper
This piece explores my identity as a woman. I drew the portrait as a greyscale piece to depict the black and white lens that society views women through. We are seen as creatures of attraction rather than actual human beings, and that is what the title refers to. It is a statement, not a question. Women are the listeners, not the commanders. Constantly being told what to do and how to make yourself more palatable to the male audience is a universal female experience that I wanted to touch upon.
Luck of the Draw
75 cm x 66 cm
Oil pastel on paper
This piece touches upon my identity as an Asian-American woman. Drawing my face with vibrancy and an expansive color range combined with the Chinese lantern imagery in the background is meant to depict the color that culture brings to your life. Along with being used in celebrations like the Lunar New Year, Chinese lanterns are also hung up in public settings as they bring good luck. My inquisitive facial expression represents myself looking to the future and hoping that that luck will follow me.
Look Up
37 cm x 29 cm
Gouache on paper
This piece depicts the power of confidence. When choosing a color palette, I used brighter reds and blues as opposed to local color to convey the sheer strength that the subject holds. I wanted the subject to almost appear royal or like a deity, so I used gold tones in the background to mimic the look of gold rays shining down on the figure. This piece follows my theme of self-identity as it illustrates the ideal image of what a powerful me would look like- an image not centered in reality.
Woman in the Weeds
69 cm x 51 cm
Gouache on paper
This piece is about how the beauty of mankind and nature intertwine. I used organic shapes to construct the subject, mimicking the shape of leaves to play into the specific foliage in the background. Especially with the woman laying down on the earthy ground, the visual correlation between her and nature is emphasized to depict that they are one. This piece relates to my theme of self-identity because it places myself, as well as humankind, on an equal footing with the world around us.
Colors of the Wind
32 cm x 27 cm
Gouache on paper
I wanted this piece to convey a sense of freedom and unity. My goal was to capture that satisfying, refreshing feeling of stepping outside and just letting the wind take control: tangling itself through your hair and hitting your skin. To achieve unity, I used a contained color palette of pinks, blues, and yellow, each color controlling a certain portion of the painting. For example, blue dominates the background with its expressive linework but serves as a mere background color in the shirt.
Chained
37 cm x 29 cm
Color pencil on paper
Our identities themselves can be confining. Labels are a powerful thing, and although they can provide us with validation of our place within the world or a feeling of belonging, they can also make us feel trapped within certain stereotypes or roles. My labels- an Asian American, a woman, a daughter- can sometimes make me feel reduced to just that. Chained illustrates the conflict of wanting to fit into a certain identity but also not wanting that identity to overshadow you as an individual.
Which is real?
38 cm x 30 cm
Watercolor and Gouache on paper
The overarching circles that house different colors were meant to challenge my handling and knowledge of color as an artist, and so this piece aided my growth through serving as a color study. Additionally, this piece was meant to depict myself through different lenses all in one painting to show how my perception of myself is not concrete, but changes day to day. This connects to my overarching theme of self-identity as it grapples with the issue of seeing yourself differently from reality.
