I am to protest through painting
Date
2023-05
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Publisher
Alfred University
Abstract
Personal memory, cultural background, political anxiety, and contradiction are inseparable dialogues in my painting practice. I grew up in Fujian, China and chose to go to the United States and Germany to study art in 2017. My experience living in different countries allowed me to see a more explicit relationship between individuality and art from a completely different cultural and political perspective. Reflecting on my background and the political environment in China has also become an essential part of my art. By exploring, comparing, and accepting foreign cultures and my own, I took the initiative to try new forms of painting. Through material investigation and installation, I discovered how to utilize and address the subversive elements of abstraction. In 2022, a democratic movement called ‘A4 Revolution’ took place in mainland China that caught the world's attention due to covid-19 lockdown restrictions. This historical protest rapidly spread to 16 Chinese major cities. The demonstrators in the parade held A4-size white papers on the street as a symbol of protest against the government's strict “Zero-Covid” and “City Lockdown” policies. I was in the US when I saw this news. This social movement overlapped and intertwined with my works and brought me back to my personal experience of political turmoil. Since then, I have started to consider censorship, authority, and self-liberation as my subject matter in my painting. 3 I approach the presentation of my paintings in an unconventional manner, opting to hang them in open spaces or lay them on the floor, allowing for a more engaged viewing experience. Exploring the materiality of paper has been a crucial aspect of my artistic practice. I have experimented with torn painted papers, handmade papers, and paper pulps, utilizing these materials as three distinct stages to deconstruct and reconstitute information. This approach serves as a visual metaphor for the dismantling and reconstruction of societal, political, and personal ideologies. Through my art, I aim to evoke the tumultuous experiences of individuals in contemporary political environments, particularly in China. My apprehension about censorship and my education have made me hesitant to discuss and write about certain topics. To overcome this, I use the art-making process as a tool to express how power systems have impacted my upbringing. My paintings are a reference of my life experiences and a means by which I learn how to recognize individuality and protest. Through this process, I aim to achieve both external and inner liberation.
Description
Thesis completed in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Fine Arts degree in the School of Art and Design at the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University, Alfred, NY.
Type
Thesis
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Keywords
MFA thesis, Installations (Art), Papermaking, Painting