My mother gave me various objects during Chinese celebrations such as the Lunar New Year or my birthday under the lunar calendar. At first I interpreted the objects as having profound meanings in Chinese mythology, and that these plastic, sprayed “gold” forms were given to me by my mother as a way to instill Chinese tradition. But the intention of these objects were merely kitsch, and my mother intended them to be whimsical gifts. Their interpreted meanings became the focus of my work, and I seek to find the narrative associated with these objects. My lithographs explore the romanticized notions that I have formed around these objects, as a Chinese-Canadian, and how these objects in their altered states also have a basis in Chinese folklore.
I gratefully acknowledge the support from the Ontario Arts Council through the Access and Career Development Grant for this project. The prints in this exhibition were created at Open Studio, and portions of this project were printed in collaboration with Jill Graham of Open Studio.
See Globe and Mail review about the exhibition (2010).