Through my artwork this year, I seek to capture old items in my house and how they tell a story or reveal something about myself or others. Many of my pieces revolve around the theme of tradition and include a darker vibe.

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Walk the World: This painting depicts my father’s pair of old leather shoes. It is symbolic of the long and rich history behind it. He has worn these shoes for many years and wears them almost everywhere he goes. I added in the maps in the background in order to demonstrate how he has “walked the world over” with these shoes. The glasses also belong to my father and is painted in to create visual interest and to counteract the centered subject. 

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Del Monte Gold: In this piece, I wanted to highlight the untold stories of farmers that produce our food. Often times, when we do our daily grocery shopping, we overlook all the hard work that it took to produce the food. The farmers are small, which serves to demonstrate their insignificance in the public’s eye. I experimented with marker in order to emphasize certain areas and details, such as the apples near the front. 

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Dishes: In this painting, I tried to convey the chaotic aftermath one must attend to after a large dinner or a party. Many of the bowls, pots, and pans are overused, even rusted. I chose to put the glove in the front in order to lead in the viewer and to hint at a sense of responsibility. One may notice that there is no focal point; however, that choice is deliberate. I wanted to portray a sense of chaos and thus the composition illustrates that. Because I wanted to highlight the metallic sheen of the objects, I experimented with bolder and stronger colors to create contrast.

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Alleyways: In this painting, I wanted to depict the long history and culture that an old alleyway can hold. As someone from Chinese heritage, the setting is of cultural importance to me. The two people looking at each other were added for visual interest. Red color was sprinkled throughout the piece to contrast with the cool blues. 

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