Muchen Guo

The pandemic, quarantine, and confrontation of pernicious comments directed against Chinese people altogether engendered a strong feeling of isolation and loneliness inside me. Thus, I began an introspective artistic exploration to fortify my cultural identity and connect with people who are important in my life.

Initially, I explored subjects reminiscent of my Chinese background. Works 1-2 invoke memories of my hometown. I then engaged in direct, honest observation of myself and Mom while exploring various mediums, emphasizing their inherent qualities through my brushwork and focus on textures. Works 4-7 show my commitment to explore my identity and portray myself differently through various media. Works 9-12 trace my growing interest in creating psychological portrayals of my mom by incorporating symbols. My experimentation in 9-12 induced me to express myself beyond the confines of realism. Thus, my final works became ambiguous and symbolic, returning to introspection with a refreshed mindset. I visualized my loneliness and desire to connect with people important to me in #14 and established a new view on my identity through the distorted, expressive portrait in #15.