Artist Statement
Stay with Time
Pencil Drawing, Collage on Cradled Wood Panel (8*10 in)
Due to Covid isolation and travel restrictions in my country, I have not been able to visit my father in person for the past three years. I create illustrations that showcase his struggles and resilience to keep in touch and capture his daily life, such as his solitary routine, walks, lonely birthday, and health issues, offering a glimpse into his life and his ability to carry on despite the challenges he faces. By capturing these daily moments through my artwork, I hope to inspire empathy and understanding for those facing similar struggles, as well as to reflect on our lives and relationships.
To emphasize the timeless nature of the subject matter, I create my illustrations on tea-stained paper, giving them an antique aesthetic that evokes a sense of nostalgia. To add an extra layer of detail, I include fragments of my air ticket and my father’s diaries in the illustrations as decorative elements. These diaries mainly document conversation topics like the weather, big news, or daily chores. In one of his dairies about the Lunar New Year, he wrote, “I am afraid of the holiday and am at a loss.”
Please cherish the moments we have with our loved ones and not take them for granted.