Stuffed 3 Treasures, Acrylic on Canvas, 8" x 10"
Patterns are more common than we think it is in our daily lives. It is found in apparel, architecture, food, plants, and more. My recent practice focuses on exploring the possibilities of patterns by experimenting with different colours, density, shadow, and background. These mysterious shapes and whimsical scenes intend to provoke viewers’ imagination of what the subjects are.
The patterns are inspired by traditional street food in Hong Kong, which is suggested by the paintings’ titles: Egg Waffle, Milktea, Classic Breakfast, and Stuffed 3 Treasures. The name of the titles serves as the only hint to viewers of what the subjects are; however, it is up to the viewers of how they interpret the paintings.
The patterns have another layer of meaning. Food, language, and norms are a few of the common elements of culture. Out of the three, food has the strongest physical presence – something that we can see – it serves as the most accessible visual channel of cultural representation. In my paintings, patterns are placed against different scenes of product shots. Contextually, they are about the visual products of my culture. Together, numerous blocks of colour form an ambiguous shape of food representing an important part of my culture. These foods become important in my culture not because of individuals’ favour, but in collectives, which are represented by the numerous blocks of colour. These individuals have different colours, shapes, and characteristics but are unified by one shadow.
