Artist Statement
“Personal Life” is “Simple”
Simplicity. Deconstruction. Construction. Freedom. Optimism. Conflicted. Minimalism. These are many of the emotions I hope to evoke from my audience when they look at my artwork. It is my goal to showcase and contrast my life in the US to that of my life in Beijing. Each of these places has provided me with a distinct experience, though equally important. Interlochen represents my progression into adulthood, while Beijing will always remind me of my childhood. I am able to move between these two worlds as needed. Connecting with those people at home provides me with those supports needed, though I can choose to avoid these supports in an attempt to grow and develop. These moments of avoidance have taught me to cherish those things and people who are most precious, to remind me of the safe haven which will always exist, if only in my memory.
I work with a variety of materials especially fashion, drawing and painting. For me, my drawings and paintings are the beginning of the ideas for my fashion pieces. My fashions are simple, clear and structural and tell the story of my relationship between my life in Beijing and the US. The materials I use are non-traditional materials with traditional imagery. The imagery I use are often Chinese traditional elements which depict nature and history through the use of animals and flowers. While my pieces may appear simple, my process is often complicated and long. The time I spend offers me the opportunity to consider the many details of what I intend to convey to my audience. During this time I am also able to meditate on how the materials I choose relates to ideas of my child and adult being. It is my hope that viewers of my work will investigate their own journey between childhood and adulthood, reflecting on a time that is both simple and complex.
