portals: another world is possible

This is the artist statement for the ongoing series titled “portals: another world is possible,” that I started in December of 2024 during an artist residency at The YES! House in Granite Falls, MN supported by my Springboard For the Arts Rural Regenerator Fellowship.

As someone with multiple intersecting identities, I navigate a society whose structures often feel at odds with my existence. My art emerges from the process of deconstructing limiting concepts and ideals that have created barriers in my life. This series originated from my deep emotional connection to my mother—a first-generation Chinese American immigrant who came to the United States to protect me from the potential consequences of China's One Child Policy.

My mother possesses a singular, extraordinary presence - vibrant, bold, and so deeply attuned to the world that her sensitivity feels almost electric. Throughout my childhood, her internal flame burned brilliantly, weaving both great times and grief into the fabric of my memories. Now, watching that flame gradually dim as we both age has become a profound source of sorrow.

The longing for "home" and "belonging" resonates throughout diasporic communities, where cross-cultural disconnections often leave individuals feeling marked as "strange" or "other." Both my mother and I have repeatedly heard that we are "too much" and faced pressure to assimilate into Midwestern culture.

I believe in our collective agency to create better futures - if not for ourselves, then for generations to come. Each painting in this series offers a glimpse into alternative worlds, visualizing multiple possible futures through surreal landscapes of hope and potential.

This work aims to spark imagination and nurture hope, suggesting that our current reality is not inevitable. Through community, connection, and creativity, we can actively shape the change we wish to see in the world.