Journey of Enlightenment
Art is not a category of perceptual fields but a role playing - Morse Peckham
Destiny
Dimensions: 30" x 24"
Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
This self-portrait explores the complex interplay between willpower and destiny. It delves into the dualities within us, the Yin and Yang, which often give rise to contradictions and dilemmas when making choices. There's also the notion of an invisible force shaping our lives—our destiny. The question arises: do we have the agency to shape our own identity, or should we entrust it to fate?
In this particular instance, I chose to be both an active observer and a participant in my life, making deliberate choices while remaining open to where those choices may lead, all while keeping a clear sense of purpose.
The Uncanny
Dimensions: 18" x 24"
Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
This artwork draws inspiration from Freud's concept of 'The Uncanny.' In my perspective, the human psyche is not limited to a singular ID but is composed of multiple facets. Each of these facets can be invoked, some of them representing repressed impulses concealed deep within our memories, spanning across different spaces and centuries. The present moment is an amalgamation of all these timelines, collectively shaping our unique identity.
Dimensions: 24”x96”
Medium: Oil paint on canvas
"The image on the left symbolizes the irreplaceable family members I lost due to my own naivety. The image on the right represents the world I inhabited while metaphorically blindfolded. Initially, I chose to avoid confronting the unconventional events in my life, but eventually, they became a part of my history, shaping the person I have become today.
Erised
The Hidden Secret In The Maze
Dimensions: 22" x 22"
Medium: Oil Paint on Canvas
To fully experience this project, you will require a pair of uxcell Secret Decoder Glasses with Red-Red Filters Lens, as they unveil the hidden information concealed beneath this painting. Without these special glasses, viewers can only perceive the uncoded message. The theme of these works revolves around playfulness and the allure of treasure hunting. They challenge superstitious and cultural aspects of Asian culture.
Four movable canvases can be adjusted to create different scenes within the artwork. The uncoded message is displayed on the right, and a hidden musical note, Carmina Burana by Carl Orff, is incorporated. I will be producing more similar artworks throughout this semester.
In Chinese, the text conveys the cultural expectations and the hopes of parents, which can sometimes limit our potential. We often relinquish our dreams, individuality, and inner passions, conforming to the expectations of others and living within their mindset. The text reads, "望子成龍，望女成鳳."
The Hidden Secret
Dimensions: 3'11" x 3'1"
Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
This artwork explores the notion of individuals being influenced and, in some ways, controlled by the economic system. We find ourselves becoming increasingly materialistic due to various systems like feudalism, capitalism, socialism, and industrialization. Even as technology advances, it paradoxically gives rise to issues such as hierarchies, poverty, mass production, and environmental pollution in the world we inhabit.
Purity
Dimensions: 30” x 56”
Medium: Ink and Watercolor on Rice Paper
This artwork fuses elements of Chinese traditional painting with surrealism. In Eastern culture, the lotus symbolizes purity, yet in this painting, a woman is depicted, half-naked and half-clad in a kimono, adorned with a leg tattoo, suggesting a more provocative stance. Butterflies in the composition symbolize liberation, while the face alludes to a facade or a mask. In Western culture, antlers are associated with deer, revered as holy creatures.
The intent behind this artwork is to convey a sense of an anti-social psychological state, highlighting the idea that individuals who appear pure and pristine on the surface may not necessarily hold the same sentiments within, akin to the enigmatic smile on the woman's face.
Furious
Dimensions: 51" x 38"
Medium: Oil Paint on Canvas
Suffer
Dimensions: 12" x 9”
Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
This artwork draws inspiration from Kim Jones and centers around the theme of "Restricted," capturing the emotions experienced during my junior and senior years. The fish depicted in the painting symbolizes the yearning for freedom, while the train represents the prescribed paths that society expects us to follow. Two icebergs are emblematic of individuals with hearts frozen by the struggle to live for themselves.
In the sky, bubbles serve as metaphors for the delicate emotions and self-esteem we carry within us. The painting vividly conveys the weight of societal pressures that oppress and exploit us, leading to a feeling of being tormented and helpless in a world where rescue seems impossible.
