The Empowerment of Legendary Women
Format
Senior Art and Design Exhibition
Faculty Mentor Name
Lucinda Kasser
Additional Faculty Mentor Name
Daniel Kasser
Abstract/Artist Statement
We are shaped by what we have inherited from our ancestors as well as our environment. This series of portraits is based on three legendary women, all of whom take on multiple and frequently contradictory identities. Growing up on the island Oahu, I was exposed to Hawaiian traditions and language. As an islander, I was introduced to Pele, the Volcano Goddess and her two other sides-a young beautiful lady and wise elderly woman. As a Chinese American, I celebrate ethnic customs with my family. I read about Yeh Shen, the Chinese equivalent of Cinderella, and identified with her transformation from timid slave to confident female. As a young camper, I participated in the campfire tradition of telling and hearing scary stories. One of those stories was the legend of Bloody Mary, a witch who sucked the youth out of innocents, a concept that both terrified and intrigued me. Using black tempera with Sumi, chip and thin brushes, the portraits of these women are portrayed in black and white. The reason for this choice is to intensify the drama with high contrast and brush stroke thicknesses. Not only does the medium show the stylistic contrast in each piece, but also between the sets of women. In doing these paintings, I feel empowered and at peace with my past, present and future.
Location
Reynolds Gallery
Start Date
17-4-2013 6:00 PM
End Date
17-4-2013 8:00 PM
The Empowerment of Legendary Women
Reynolds Gallery
We are shaped by what we have inherited from our ancestors as well as our environment. This series of portraits is based on three legendary women, all of whom take on multiple and frequently contradictory identities. Growing up on the island Oahu, I was exposed to Hawaiian traditions and language. As an islander, I was introduced to Pele, the Volcano Goddess and her two other sides-a young beautiful lady and wise elderly woman. As a Chinese American, I celebrate ethnic customs with my family. I read about Yeh Shen, the Chinese equivalent of Cinderella, and identified with her transformation from timid slave to confident female. As a young camper, I participated in the campfire tradition of telling and hearing scary stories. One of those stories was the legend of Bloody Mary, a witch who sucked the youth out of innocents, a concept that both terrified and intrigued me. Using black tempera with Sumi, chip and thin brushes, the portraits of these women are portrayed in black and white. The reason for this choice is to intensify the drama with high contrast and brush stroke thicknesses. Not only does the medium show the stylistic contrast in each piece, but also between the sets of women. In doing these paintings, I feel empowered and at peace with my past, present and future.