Guiding Topic
The threat of human development to the future of mankind.
As our society continues to develop, I can see obvious issues emerging around us, and they are related to every single one of us in the world. My sustained investigation topic is the threat of human development to the future of mankind such as war and pollution. My intention is to create artworks that are inspiring and influential to others. I wish I could bring attention to the public through my artworks to those serious problems that are threatening humans. My main concentration is on the media, acrylic, I used it to explore a variety of textures such as plastic, metal, glass, and smoke.
I often observe the world and explore issues around us along with online research for inspiration, for example, mental health issues for teenagers need attention. I combined realism with abstraction, such that I used realistic shapes along with the unrealistic colors for the objects to create abstraction. My portfolio illustrates severe issues including how human behaviors caused numerous deaths and damages to the planet; as high technology develops, people are unwilling to socialize, robots take over the world leading human extinction.
Wrap Myself Around and Tie It Up
12in x 16in Acrylic on canvas
The peer and appearance pressure from society is crashing us. The fact that two friends had suffered psychological problems one after another made me more concerned about this phenomenon. I realized that we were trapping ourselves, and we couldn't breathe and couldn't escape.
Justice
31in x 52in Charocoal
The goddess of justice in the background holding a scale suggests the issue of equality. On one side are every child's life and right to live, while on the other is every mother's freedom and liberty.
Self Extinction
12in x 16in Acrylic on canvas
Walking into the robotics company, I was shocked to the point where I felt a tinge of fear. Many people's jobs are now being replaced by intelligent robots, some of which are beyond what humans can achieve, such as athletic challenges and memories. I have tried many compositions for this painting, and this one stands out to me because the mechanical hand stabbing out from the eye socket of the human skull represents that it is humanity's invention of high technology that has destroyed itself.
"Slaves" to Cell Phones
16in x 20in Acrylic on canvas
After the pandemic, I finally got to meet with my friends whom I hadn't seen for a long time. We sat in a circle for lunch, but when I looked up and tried to talk to them, it was a scene like this. I couldn't help thinking about whether high technology has brought us convenience or shackles. The world is full of "slaves" of cell phones everywhere.
War Hawks
12in x 16in Acrylic on canvas
I created this painting along with the sound of gunfire in Ukraine and Russia. People's instinct to make war is eternal. The tape represents the need to cover this ugly truth and symbolizes the need to mend the world.
The Life
11in x14in Digital
The title means our own lives, lives of our descendants, and lives of future generations. We, as humans, are polluting the world intensely and we are killing the future generations. In this piece, I used digital media to create a poster effect because I want the strong message to be influential. I made the blood vessels in the belly seem like the roots of the trees, which symbolize the irrigation result of what water is poured on them. I used a halo effect around the skull of the baby to emphasize it as the focal point. The color tone of the whole piece is dark and serious, which created a sense of unity. I also used an abnormal perspective to lead the viewer’s focus to the dying baby.
Expressive Art Therapy
Self-Healing
As the society develops, more and more people are mentally ill and affected by depressive disorder. There are more than 10 millions of people committed to suicide each year, and that number is still increasing. Especially many teenagers at the same age as me are losing sleep, being stressed and depressive, and even cutting themselves. In these digital pieces, I invited students to draw freely to express any stress and feelings through art. Then I used my imagination and creativity to re-create. Based on the shapes and colors, I came up with things from the beautiful and positive side of the world. It is a process of turning one’s mindset by trying to look at the light side of the world instead of the negative ones. Every cloud has a silver lining.
Re-creation:
Original Doodle:
Original doodle done by Carly Han
Original doodle done by Yi Zhong
Original doodle done by Cici Ye
Value of Fat
9in x 6in x 7in Ceramics
The value of fat equals garbage.
World War III
12in x 9in Charcoal pencil and charcoal pastel
The child with bloodstain represents innocence in evil and selfish war, and the burst openings symbolize his suffering and pains. I used black charcoal pencil for the boy to create a sense of sorrow, and I intentionally made the flames of war intensely warm colors. I created a smoky texture for the mushroom cloud and added red reflections from the atomic bomb in the boy’s eye, emphasizing the conflict.
Puppet
11in x 14in Acrylic on canvas and digital
Sadly, I see the whole society operates like a vast machine, and we are just the nuts and bolts, doing our loyalty. We run at breakneck speed until we tear and wear, then new parts will replace the old ones. The overlapping masks in the background create a sense of rhythm and repetitive patterns. Additionally, the powerful perspective makes sense of space.
Commodity
16in x 24in Acrylic on canvas
The hostility towards women continues to grow, including the appearance and body shape pressures. Expressionist Wassily Kandinsky’s Composition series inspired me to use such strong, vivid color contrasts and sharp-edged brushstrokes.
