Exhibition Statement

Introduction

Each person is unique and their art is tailored to their everyday experiences that have accumulated to create who they are today. This is why it is so important to add to the voices that are raising awareness for issues both inside and outside one’s respective community. However, the question remains: how does one take their personal experience and apply their identities to further understand social topics? The artist explores this research question through creating pieces of visual art exploring issues that her community faces. 

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Literature Review

Traditionally, Chinese people have not been very open to discussions about mental health. There are many reasons for this, but a recurring explanation for this phenomenon is that any acknowledgement of mental health issues is considered ‘weakness’ and is looked down upon. To cement this mentality, a new name has been given to the younger generations that are now more open to discussions of mental health by the older generation in Taiwan: ‘The Strawberry Generation’ (NPR, 2015). The logic behind this is that strawberries bruise easily, like the younger generation’s mental health.

We are surrounded by the media and its exposure has a lot more effect on our outlook of the world than we’d like to admit. One form is movies. Film has faced consistent criticism about the over sexualization and objectification of women, however oftentimes, it lacks an intersectional approach (Lee, 2018). Race has a large impact on the objectification of women. This project encompasses the different stereotypes perpetuated by films onto Chinese women throughout the years.

Methods

For ‘The Strawberry Generation’, the artist used a mix of watercolor and acrylic paint pens. The artist began with light washes and created depth through layering the watercolor paint. It is important to start off with the lightest color and work to the darkest because watercolor is a difficult medium to erase. Using layers left the piece with a more vibrant and fuller appearance. Layering also aids in creating unique colors that fit the overall tones of the piece. Another benefit of layering with watercolors was that there was a smooth transition between colors that gave the piece a more realistic feel (Allison. et al, 2021). 

The artist used digital media to create the doll as well as the two outfits. The artist was partially inspired by Hirohiko Araki, the magaka of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure. The artist drew on Araki’s usage of bright colors, and heavy black shading. While Araki uses a combination of mediums including inking and watercolor, the artist attempted to emulate this through using brushes that shared a likeness to the two mediums. 

Audience and Impact

The audience for these art pieces includes the Chinese American community as well as the general American populus. The artist hopes that both groups can spend some time and reflect on their views about mental health and the objectification of women and how the identities they have influenced those two subjects as they look at these visual pieces. The artist also hopes that the audience will learn the importance of viewing issues from an intersectional lens. While creating these pieces, the artist has spent a lot of time reflecting on her identities that she holds and how they play a role in how she experiences the world. 

References

Hu, Elise. “Taiwan's 'Strawberry Generation' Reaches out to the Young and Trendy.” NPR, NPR, 8 Dec. 2015, https://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2015/12/08/458131681/taiwans-strawberry-generation-reaches-out-to-the-young-and-trendy. 

 Judy Ann Allison, et al. “How to Layer Watercolors Beautifully - Watercolor Affair.” Watercolor Affair - Learn the Art and Techniques of Watercolor Painting, 5 Aug. 2021, https://www.watercoloraffair.com/how-to-layer-watercolors-beautifully/#:~:text=Layering%20watercolor%20washes%20is%20also,dry%20before%20applying%20the%20next. 

Lee, Joey. “East Asian ‘China Doll’ or ‘Dragon Lady’?” Bridges: An Undergraduate Journal of Contemporary Connections, vol. 3, 2018. 

“Gucci Hosts Fashion Manga Exhibition.” Globalblue, https://www.globalblue.com/destinations/italy/gucci-hosts-fashion-manga-exhibition.

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Acknowledgements 

Thank you to Heather, Harold, Gabi, friends and family for being there for me and supporting my artistic visions.