Adopted from China in 2002 aged 10, and with very little English, I struggled to fit in and understand this new world, my feelings and what was going on around me.
When I began to paint in 2017, I discovered it was painting that gave me access to those feelings. I was immediately drawn to my first culture, especially ancient China and the richness of the Imperial Palace. I explored ideas of feminine beauty, the ornate head dresses and the decorative details of costumes.
My first works were acrylic. Then during Covid, I taught myself to paint with oils and began using jewelry and fabric to create multi-media work.
My recent acrylic abstracts reflect a connection to my love of flowers and nature, and especially the celestial world. Colour is the thing. My abstract work is less design, more discovery. Spontaneous. I begin with the blank canvas. Just the look of it stretched and waiting for whatever happens is what spurs me on.
My Chinese faces in oil sometimes form a part of these abstracts, and reflect my ongoing search for belonging, identity and calm, in a somewhat bewildering world.