The Flamekeeper

My work often explores the concept of cultural identity, integration, and
displacement. Most of my painting or wall sculpture was constructed with silk
fabric, a cultural-rich material, and a metaphor for my identity. Being an immigrant
and experiencing dramatic changes in the cultural environment, I was struggling to
rebuild my identity. Making artwork has become a way to meditate and recall those
lost memories.
The Flame-keeper was reconstructed with hundreds of hand-cut silk fabric ribbons
dipped into acrylic paint. I think of the alteration of painted silk to a sculptural form
as a visual second skin. These cut, torn, beaten, sanded, and layered forms represent
my cultural transformation.