My practice is researched based on my own curiosities and experiences. Most of my work is allegorical, using cultural stories, myths, and practices to comment on societal standards. Much of the work of this year focused on the ties between queer identity and the historical context of Chinese opera. Take a look at my processes and in depth explanations of some of my favorite pieces.
Belongings
Queer existence shares an invisible string with the arts. For instance the Chinese opera has a large tie with historical documentation of fluid presentation of gender and sexuality. I am deeply inspired by the history behind these practices which made a significant impact on the cultural identity of China. The Qing dynasty was a point of saturation of interest for Chinese Opera, and several prominent actors rose to fame, often in close relation with elites and literati. This piece examines the materiality of the queer community, as these actors were often gifted with rare jewelry, given special treatment as their close proximity of the elite also raised their place in the social hierarchy. I was reminded of modern code items that the queer community often associates itself with. The culmination of both traditional and modern items and the voyeuristic glimpse into the dressing room of an actor seeks to question how we attribute objects to our value to a system or community.
red and prideful
Red is not a favorable color in the west, however for many Asian cultures it is a color of honor, luck, and prosperity. The historical discrimination of propaganda against China in western history has added to this association of the color red to collectivist ideas. However, in art and opera red is frequently used.
This was an attempt to explore my process and abstraction, complete with a warm palette. I approached this drawing with less intention of the objects, and more of a focus on shape design. This ended with something very fluid and cyclic in composition. I didn’t have huge ties to opera or history, but still aimed to bring some symbolism, such as the rabbit foot and rabbit bust and Chinese knot charms.
Onwards!
A popular Opera tale is the one of Wang Zhaojun. 昭君出塞 (Zhaojun goes beyond the frontier) has its own cultural and political discourse within Chinese society however, I believe that the visual symbol of Zhaojun leaving her home was a significant metaphor for change as a queer identity. Zhaojun, a concubine was often overlooked and ignored, so she volunteered to marry off and leave her homeland. This is parallel of many shared experiences, but significantly to queer identities, who often come to realize who they area and therefore may leave their personal circles to live truthfully as themselves. I think the use of frontier is also an interesting and strong concept, as frontier is often historically associated with conquest. Queer identities are constantly in the state of coming out—leaving heteronormativity to perhaps the frontier of authentic self expression. The courage to constantly live in their truth while knowing how they will mostly be perceived is something that is worthy of acknowledgment and honor. Just as Zhaojun was seen as a pride of her country, queer identities are a pride of society.
