STATEMENT OF WORK

I am an artist working primarily in painting. My paintings consist of man-made structures and dwellings amidst detailed landscapes with trees, rocks, sky, sea, flowers, critters, and other natural elements. I paint freely and spontaneously and my process begins with abstract color and gesture that I merge with imagery from my subconscious thoughts and dreams. This allows humanoid and animalistic forms to manifest freely without pre-determination. These paintings serve as visual narratives, hinting at my home region of Southeast Asia and its myths, cultural icons, landmarks, and landscapes, while capturing feelings of bewilderment, confusion, and anxiety that reflect global crises such as climate disasters, xenophobia, conflicts, and the rise of autocracies.

As a migrant artist in the United States, I draw deeply from my experience and the connections I make with the people along this journey. I bring with me a free spirit and undying hope that is reflected in the translucent and highly saturated hues I am fond of using. The canvas becomes a surface to bridge cultures, places, and people together through the free association of colored shapes and forms with my memories and lived experiences. My paintings delve into a personal journey of living with and resisting autocracy while expressing a deep longing for freedom and the pursuit of a more harmonized world. The vibrant colors in my paintings symbolize a longing for and hope of a kinder and more connected world, while revealing an extremity of feelings that range from wonderment and joy to that of anxiety, fear, horror, despair.