The New Girl and Red

Red, 76x 61cm, oil on canvas, 2012

 The New Girl, 76 x 91cm, oil on canvas, 2012

“The New Girl” and “Red” depicted modern Asian women who dyed their hair with different colors, from a dark hair Asian beauty to a brunette, brown, red and other color dyes………they keep changing their hair color until they forgotten what their original hair color is! (I was once received a comment regarding my so dark hair, queried why my hair is so black! OMG! I was born that way!). I place this modern era girls with a traditional batik motif background to show the contras between two elements: “Modern” and “Tradition”. The background girls in “The New Girl” are typical batik figurative design (kampong girls) commonly used. The dyed hair modern women in the paintings are more as a symbol of modernization. In the painting “Red”, the woman face is void of color; very pale looking, with striking red hair n red lips. The color used on the image of woman in “The New Girl” are also mostly towards the tone of “cold color”. I am trying to convey the message that some of the new generation today is so indifferent, cold towards their originality, roots, traditional values and culture. I am not trying to critique or impose my “traditional thinking” on anybody, or saying the new generation is in the wrong for not following their culture and tradition. How they live their life is their own choice, especially now most people are a bunch of technology savvy, web social network craving in this modern technology world.  I am just trying to present a contras image with two different elements for you to think, to ponder, to wonder, to deliberate about what happened in the world today and what have lost with the bygone era!

Choice

 Choice, 76 x 91cm, oil on canvas, 2012

“Choice” is my second piece based on Plato epigram.

"I throw the apple at you, and if you are willing to love me, take it and share your girlhood with me; but if your thoughts are what I pray they are not, even then take it, and consider how short-lived is beauty" - Plato (Epigram VII)
 

The two women, one receiving/holding the apple, the other laughingly throwing/watching an apple falling, show the choice we constantly make in our life. Either you are “throwing” or “receiving”, the choice is yours to make. We are free to choose our own destiny!

Illusion of Beauty

Illusion of Beauty, 76x91cm, oil on canvas, 2012

I started my new figure series with the piece entitled “Illusion of Beauty”, and “Sends in the Clowns”, gradually the ideas keep developed and evolved, then come the piece “Blessed” and “Choice”, next is the “The New Girl” and “Red”

.

For “Illusion of Beauty”, the painting depict 2 women, one in the background is a traditional Chinese woman in ancient China society who foot were bonded, in those days, women who bond their feet (also known as lotus foot) will only consider as a beauty, accepted by society as a worthy “lady” for marriage. The tiny narrow feet of the "ladies" were considered beautiful and to make a woman's movements more feminine and dainty. Men were crazy over the tiny but deformed foot which emphasized on their hips, make the women swaying when walking, they considered that as sexy! In the front is a modern woman holding up a stiletto/high heel, the woman is painted as a clown/as a sarcasm icon to mock women in this modern era wearing stiletto/extremely high heels in the name of beauty and sexy. In actual fact the structure of stiletto, from the tips of the heel to the base of the front part is about the same length achieve by a binding feet, which make a woman’s hip sway too when walking. Although wearing a stiletto is not as destructive as binding one foot, but if wearing for a long period of time, it will caused health problem too, causing back pain and deformed the feet in long run.

Blessed

"Blessed", oil on canvas, 76 x61cm, 2012

Apple often appear as a symbolism for mystical or forbidden fruit, a symbol for knowledge, immortality, temptation, the fall of man and sin in some religious traditions. In Greek mythology, apple is a symbol of love.

"I throw the apple at you, and if you are willing to love me, take it and share your girlhood with me; but if your thoughts are what I pray they are not, even then take it, and consider how short-lived is beauty" - Plato (Epigram VII)

We are blessed with the ability to feel pain, to love and be loved, to learn, to gain knowledge. We feel alive because we have the feelings, the emotions.........if not, we are not human.....we are just living dead! We are blessed! So whatever feelings or emotions we faced, embraced them, that is life!

Send in the Clowns

 "Send in the Clowns", oil on canvas, 91.5x122cm, 2012

My friend told me that the lyrics of the song "Send in the Clowns" approximate the tenor of my painting in a general sense, I agreed, so I titled it as such.

"Send in the Clowns"
Lyrics:  Stephen Sondheim
Sang by: Judy Collins/Liza Minnelli/Judi Dench


Isn't it rich?
Are we a pair?
Me here at last on the ground,
You in mid-air.
Send in the clowns.

Isn't it bliss?
Don't you approve?
One who keeps tearing around,
One who can't move.
Where are the clowns?
Send in the clowns.

Just when I'd stopped opening doors,
Finally knowing the one that I wanted was yours,
Making my entrance again with my usual flair,
Sure of my lines,
No one is there.

Don't you love farce?
My fault I fear.
I thought that you'd want what I want.
Sorry, my dear.
But where are the clowns?
Quick, send in the clowns.
Don't bother, they're here.

Isn't it rich?
Isn't it queer,
Losing my timing this late
In my career?
And where are the clowns?
There ought to be clowns.
Well, maybe next year.

My Gallery III

Optical Illusion I, oil on canvas, 46x46 cm, 2011, Sold


In Dilemma, oil on canvas, 76x61 cm, 2011


Reflection of Mind, mixed media, 76x91 cm, 2011


Red Stiletto, oil on canvas, 61x46 cm, 2011


Over the Years, oil on canvas, 41x122 cm, 2011, Sold


See No Evil, oil on canvas, 76x91 cm, 2011, Sold












Admiration, oil on canvas, 61x61 cm, 2011, Sold












Illusion, mixed media, 76x61 cm, 2011