ARTIST STATEMENT
Cultural identity is important for most because it is a defining aspect of our life and how we view ourselves in this world. However, factors such as industrialisation, globalisation and immigration are the driving factors for the loss of cultural identity. “Melting Pot” represents my personal struggle of losing a sense of cultural connection to my Chinese culture. The blue and white colour palette and the symbols and patterns mimic the aesthetic design of traditional Chinese porcelain art. The distortion of the artwork symbolises my cultural identity slipping away as I grew up and assimilated into the multicultural world.
ARTWORK PROCESS
I began the creation of this artwork by painting gesso onto the canvas, this allowed me to ensure that the surface was flat to ensure the application of the paint pens and markers were smooth. The experiments I did before helped me with deciding what elements/symbols to incorporate into the design as well as the composition. Next, I used various blue paint pens and markers to draw on the patterns and symbols of the design. Lastly, I created a watered-down mixture blue and white acrylic paint and poured it directly onto my canvas to create that melted design.
