Sometimes you paint something because you want to paint something that is pretty, and this painting for me is exactly that. Of course, no art is made in a vacuum, so it reflects something about myself even with such shallow motivations. One, the jewelry is mine: the necklace, while probably fake pearls, is one my grandmother gave me before her stroke(s), somehow realizing that it would be the last time she would be lucid enough to give me anything of hers. The earrings are made by one of my college friends and thus are a show of support for her creative business. I love tea (my family would probably suspect I was switched as a child if I didn't), and while I no longer fit in that qipao, it is also a staple of second generation immigrant girls like myself who have the privilege of visiting their ethnic roots.
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This piece won first place at the 2019 Hill Center Regional Juried Exhibition, curated by Caitlin Berry, Fine Arts Dealer and Director at HEMPHILL Fine Arts in Washington, DC. The show was very diverse and I was greatly honored to have been picked out from such an exceptional group. A review of the show and a description of my piece can be found at East City Art.
