C A N D I D A T E S T A T E M E N T 2 0 1 5
Having the opportunity to reside in an international community such as Hong Kong has presented itself as a major influence to the work I produce. The assimilation of Eastern and Western culture, as well as the exploration of my own cultural roots to Thailand and Hong Kong has allowed me to create immersive pieces that investigate the role culture plays in the creation of a person’s character. In compositions such as “Cynthia”, I strove to exemplify cultural undertones that make up a subject's personality, as well as communicate the importance of culture to self identification.
I often choose to express themes of cultural exploration through the use of minimalistic imagery; paired with symmetrical compositions that focus the viewer on a singular subject. The cultural experiences I have been exposed to, as well as those experienced by my peers, serves as an outline for the pieces I create. As such, the artists that inspire me the most are those that proudly display their cultural roots in unconventional ways. Chen Man, a contemporary Chinese photographer, critiques traditional Chinese concepts and pay homage to her cultural identity whilst employing modernistic imagery.
The medium I found to be the most appropriate in capturing the essence of cultures is digital photography and photo-manipulation. After creating ‘Cynthia’, I realised that I was able to communicate her cultural connection to Hong Kong in a manner that was unachievable through other mediums such as acrylic painting. Photography is perfect in capturing the emotional and physical essence of my chosen subject. When combined with photo-manipulation software such as Adobe Photoshop, I am capable of bringing my imagination to life. Therefore, the purpose of my artistic studies is to communicate my cultural experiences through unconventional forms of imagery, and to be able to portray the assimilation of different cultural identities in my own aesthetic manner.
