Artist Statement
This Is Us
My family is not perfect. I grew up in an Asian household and didn’t see us depicted in the general media. I created these four artworks to show my beautiful, loving, imperfect family, as exhibited through my childhood memories. My illustrations are made to show others that having a different upbringing is natural, and what makes every family unique. Here I have focused on the mischievous activities that my siblings and I got up to during our family holidays. Inspired by Norman Rockwell, an artist known for displaying the white American middle class life, I decided to use 4 of his pieces, No Swimming, Three Boys Fishing, Freedom From Want, and Crying Child Pulling Santa’s Beard, to depict the opposite of a perfect family interaction. I have decided to create my artworks with watercolour and pencil crayons in a children’s illustrated style, to give the audience a small glimpse of my childhood. The outcome that I would like the audience to take from these art pieces is to reflect and cherish the small moments that they have with their loved ones, even if the moments are not perfect.