Artist Statement 

“… I had no stage. Without that I didn’t exist. I had to find

 a place where I could act” *

I’ve always been driven to create, to draw and paint - a basic instinct. These works arise from my authentic self, impressions inspired by life events, a moment in time, or personal relationships.  I was raised with conservative Chinese traditions , standing on the shoulders of “paper-sons”, who immigrated to the U.S. to seek the “mountain of gold” from 19th century village life in Kwongtong, China.  Life has been forged by middle-class American ideals, the American heartland, thus, a product of Cantonese social mores, heavily influenced by post-WWII U.S. commercialism and technology. I’m forever reconciling competing beliefs, opinions, and cultures.  Particularly in today’s world, assaulted with daily issues of “other-ness”, immigration, pandemics, and survival, I’m juggling roles and questioning priorities, loyalties, and my true voice. Art in the context of my background has meant ‘Art for Art’s Sake’. But I’m unable to square that logic with how I feel and what I see. The reality requires us to face and manage these dichotomies, trials, and personal issues.  The elements in my art attempt to resolve these conflicts, and experiment with associations, consequences, a future.  Art means survival.

 * In Pieces, A Memoir, by Sally Field, Grand Central Publishing (2018)