Wave

(mixed media Art, 2018), reflects this determination for freedom. It contains a transcription in Chinese of the story, “Tianmu Mountain Ascended in A Dream.” The author, Li Bai, wrote this story around 1300 years ago. The story is about the pursuit of freedom. My art includes both Chinese and English characters written on vinyl that lines the walls, 232 pieces mix media art and paper marbling, to create a combination of visual and tactile experiences. It is my intention for the audience to be able to re-examine and understand their lives through the stimulation of the senses. Each part of the art represents diverse meanings and shows the theme of self-liberation and aspiration. The painting show my development from bondage to emancipation. The wave is a symbol of hope and the idea of individualism that will grow to be giant in size. The goal of this work is to indicate traditional Chinese prohibitions on Queer culture and thought and the hope for a more liberated life in the West. In the story, “Tianmu Mountain Ascended in A Dream,” the lost world or paradise that the traveler momentarily finds can be elusive and may exist only between dream and reality. For me, the combination of Chinese and Western influences in my work create a tension between the desire for liberation and a simultaneous sense of individual constriction based on my background.