1. Christine Wan (Delegate)
Through the Monitor
54 x 39 cm, Digital Painting Adobe Photoshop
Through the Monitor, done on Photoshop CS6, is a reflection of our lack of admiration towards nature. Though the man is looking up towards a whale shark in flight, the whale shark is glitched and chromatically aberrated, suggesting that our only medium for admiring nature is through digital platforms. Though there is nothing wrong with appreciating nature through artificial media, the lack of direct spiritual and physical connection is evident in the 21st century. The curve of the whale shark and the perspective of the man creates a focal point where the source of light peeks from behind the clouds.
2. Crystal (Zi Qing) Tang (Delegate)
Devil’s Snare
56 x 42 cm, Digital Painting Adobe Photoshop
The title Devil's Snare is inspired by a plant (in the Harry Potter series) that strangles you the more you struggle, but when you find control and relax, you are released. The aim of Devil's Snare is to convey anxiety as interpreted from the words of others. She lies in a dark body of water, caught in the thin line between floating and drowning. Her peaceful expression symbolizes that anxiety can be hidden under anyone's skin. It consumes her, and no one can help her escape but herself. However, the brightness of her face signifies hope.
3. Felicity Lin (Delegate)
Lights at Home
50 x 50 cm, Paper, Paper Fastener, Fairylights
From detecting the business-oriented purpose behind traditional Taiwanese red lanterns displayed at storefronts to attract customers, to the symbolism of Polynesian patterns, a way to fetch spiritual power, I initiated my artistic investigation of culture. The installation comprises of multicolored mini-lanterns born in Taiwan printed with vibrant Hawaiian Tiki patterns. Even with the mixture of two different cultures, I aimed to emerge the viewer in a space where they feel right at home. Through creation, I hope the viewer would foster love for not only Hawaiian and Taiwanese cultural identity but also gain a new perspective on seeing the world.
4. Kelly Chen (Delegate)
An Invitation from a World of Nonsense
61 x 47 cm, Acrylic Paint
In the modern world, people are always too busy- parents with work and students with GPAs. I portrayed this chaos by painting a burning Taipei City, where the Cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland moves around slowly and at ease, even when situated in a world of nonsense. Climbing onto Taipei 101, it invites a busy business man to join him. The cat becomes the symbol of the escape from reality, a shelter from the overloaded city. I enjoyed experimenting with the texture of the flames, the contrast of light and dark of Taipei 101, and the looming darkness.
5.Thomas Chen (Delegate)
Between Worlds
38 x 8 x 17cm, Concrete and Wood
Considered to be an essential part of modern human urbanization cement’s rigid, and monochrome form usually lacks the gentler appeals of art. However, through this piece I wanted to break the stereotypical image of concrete and prove that concrete can be used to create fine art as well. I tried to convey the idea of movement through the repetitive usage of geometric patterns, but at the same time creating tension by adding the slab of wood in the center. It almost seems as if the concrete is writhing through the wood and coming into the world of art.
6. Alethea Wang
Rozzetto
92 x 67 x 12 cm, Cardboard and Spray Paint
As one grows older, one often looks into the future with doubts and insecurity or even forget one's past as time passes. I therefore created a contrast between the color and the medium, which is metallic silver/ gold against the earthly cardboard, so that there is a taste of the rather technological future but also a taste to the humble world of nature, past, and our roots. Silver gives a metallic texture that hints at the future, and the gold color, while also metallic, gives a bit of warmth and a gentle touch into the atmosphere.
7. Catrina Farrell
Endangered Labyrinth
67 x 35 cm, Micron Pen and Pencil
I have always had a fascination with animals and nature, thus many of my drawings incorporate them in some aspect. I choose three endangered African animals; the King Fisher, the Scimitar Oryx (Antelope) and the Black Rhinoceros (Rhino). Because they are endangered I drew the plants in a way that they were engulfing and overcoming the Antelope and Rhino. Demonstrating suffering. In contrast the King Fisher is spewing the vines out of its mouth. Showing that he is at an advantage, he can fly away. The Antelope and Rhino face the King Fisher to express their envy.
8. Christine Lin
Gaze
60 x 45.5 cm, Oil on Canvas Board
This piece is a portrait of my older sister, Ann. It is based off of a photograph I took of her last summer, when she returned to Taiwan from college in the United States. I wanted to capture the unique expression in her face, and I was especially inspired to paint this portrait because of the intense gaze of her eyes. Since my junior year, when I began painting portraits, I have aspired to portray the wide range of emotions found in our facial features. One of my main goals is to paint the human face as realistically as possible.
9. Ellen Chiu
Katsudon
46 x 35 cm, Acrylic Paint
I think that art should be able to evoke feelings of some sort, whether it’s sadness, excitement, or fear. I like to create pieces that are calming and pleasing to look at. Generally, this would imply images of scenery or nature, but for me, it’s in a more edible sense. Katsudon used to be one of my favorites foods, until I decided to stop eating pork. Giving up something like this may seem pretty insignificant, but honestly, I was quite devastated. It almost seems as though this piece is nothing but a mere painting to me.
10. Erica Liu
Tartines
30 x 33cm, Photoshop Illustrator
This is a Photoshop illustration of two tartines. The process of creating this illustration was a pleasant experience because I love to draw and I also love to cook; it was gratifying to be able to conflate these two passions. This artwork was inspired by Julia Kuo, a professional illustrator who visited our school. I never worked with digital illustration before, so her in-class demonstration really taught me the fundamental skills necessary for digital drawings. To me, the two major things I gained from this work was that it encouraged me to explore digital illustration, and that I realized how much I love to draw foods!
11. Henry Kuo
No Ragrets
60 x 45 cm, Graphite
This artwork of a close friend of mine symbolizes the irony of human nature - on the surface we like to believe that our life is perfect, but deep down we are all chained down by regrets. What if I had done this? What if I had done that? In this piece of work, I wanted to express how even though everyone has regrets, they do not have to weigh us down. Just like a tattoo, we feel pain when the needle pierces our skin, but when we look back all that is left is a reminder of the memories, both good and bad, that we can learn from.
12. Jackie Chang
Green Fury
18 x 18 x 10.5 cm, Glazed White Stoneware
Green Fury was inspired by a recent history lesson on the origins of paperwork in China. Before papyrus was found, thin slabs of reduced bamboo tied together would be the template people could write on. To this day, thousands of bundles of these bamboo scriptures are preserved in libraries and museums - each phrase inked on the bamboo hold knowledge and wisdom. Paying tribute to Scribe Zhou, the founder of scripture on dry medium, I crafted a celadon bowl marked with numerous brush strokes on its exterior. Each stroke of ink is scattered unevenly to create irregularity and elegance.
13. Jollene Liu
Obsession
61x 48 cm, Watercolor, Ink, and Crayon
This artwork is about a girl who has an obsessive love towards an individual and becomes possessive. She restricts the individual from meeting others and confines him in a world controlled and limited by her, thus the world in the background is flat and vacant with no color. The individual struggles to break free from the empty world that the girl created, but fails to do so due to the puppet strings dragging him back.
14. Julia Lin
MOD: Money Obsessive Disorder
48 x 61 cm, Graphite
As a social commentary, this piece portrays a demon as our current society. As I see it, money has become a necessary evil that haunts people, and our lives revolve around it. As such, the demon displays provocation and greed. I chose a sinewy skin texture and deformities to express the demon’s ugliness. For its extraordinary greed, the demon has two stomach and tongues. Its heart resides in its stomach, leaving a cavity in its chest, symbolizing how its existence is based on greed. Coins also spill out of the demon’s head, representing the dominance of money in our thoughts.
15. Juliane Chiang
Cuckoo’s Nest
43.5 x 54 cm, Drypoint Etching and Watercolor
In this dry-point etching piece, I have altered the simple black and white created through hatching and cross-hatching with the addition of color. The color features the super saturated Dr. Ph. Martin’s India ink and water color. From the edition of five prints, this image becomes unique with the additional marks and artistic intention. The color elements are free flowing and organic, whereas the etching done into a plastic plate is more rigid and linear. The newly created texture with color invites the viewer from a distance, and the details formed by the scratching are the reward for coming closer.
16. Lexi Buechel
Lilly Teapot
28 x 28 x 15, Glazed Stoneware
This tea set utilizes a variety of ceramic techniques such as slab construction 3D printing and wheel thrown aspects. The cups were modeled in Auto Desk 123 Design and printed on the Lutum 3D clay printer. The surface decoration is slip with sgraffito and high fire glazes. The tea pot features a wheel thrown body, spout, and lid with a pulled handle. The curve of the spout and the rhythm of the handle were intentional to make the piece flow. I also was deliberate in having the lily flower design on the pot match the one featured on the tray.
17. Li-Chun Pan
Triptych
42.2 x 26.7 cm, Photography
For this piece I explored the theme of different lines. Having travelled extensively around the world, I’m inspired by architecture and how architects utilize lines in their works in order to enliven and change the cityscape. Whenever I travel to a different country I always like to look up at all the skyscrapers. The colossal structure of them inspires me to create. My intention was to utilize a balanced composition with the blue hues in the sky and use strong contrast which emphasizes the lines on the buildings.
18. Lily Weddle
Lino Lion
45 x 30 cm, Linoleum Block Print
This piece is based off of a photograph I took in a Buddhist temple in Taiwan. I’m always fascinated by the beautiful detail of the paintings, carvings, and statues in these temples. I created this artwork using a linoleum block. Carved and printed in five steps, the final piece is a layered image of six colors. Each newly painted layer needed to be perfectly lined up with the layer beneath it, making it a challenging but very rewarding piece!
19. Michelle Yeh
Day Dream
60 x 45 cm, Graphite
A day dream takes away the sense of reality and restrictions, it brings you on a journey that has no limits. In this graphite piece I tried to recreate the image of a person having a day dream, her gaze shows her presence cut-off from what is happening in real life. It demonstrates how she is thinking about something and that there are no boundaries in which a person can dream. To achieve a surreal mood in this drawing, I used the technique of foreshortening as it uses perspective to create an illusion of an object appearing shorter than it really is. This technique creates a sense of depth in a piece as well as a three-dimensional illusion.
20. Nancy Zuniga
Save Wraps for Stuff
53 x 37 cm, Copic Marker
Dum dums and jelly beans have always been my favorite childhood candy. They bring vivid memories from my childhood, from rushing myself and trying to pick as much candy that fell under the piñata, to going trick or treating and expecting to get the best candy. As I grew up, my perception of candy changed and I would get too caught up in the calories that it contains or the cavities that I might get. However, I believe that it's important to let go of these worries and enjoy the candy just like back in the days.
21. Rebecca Huang
Periscope
43 x 61 cm, Photography
In the accumulation of images to tell stories, photojournalism strikes me as both an intimate and truthful investigation into the reality of the lives of everyday people. The story behind each snapshot is not told by the photographer but by the subjects themselves, and the camera lens of the photographer becomes allows them to record such a world objectively. During a trip to a school in a different country, this student chose to express his curiosity by also viewing me from a set of lens, though different from my own.
22. Sujin Park
Rainbow Muffins
55 x 55 cm, Drypoint Etching and Watercolor
Rainbow Muffins helped me explore the use of color and composition. Since I had many copies of this work, I wasn’t afraid to experiment. One led me to cutting and reassembling the print and the other made me use many vibrant colors that were super saturated. This piece was my first dry point etching and my first time using colors to create layered surfaces. When I was finished painting the muffins, it looked very bland because most of the attention was going to the bright pink and purple background, so I decided to add some orange. The orange made the muffins stand out in the sea of pinks and purples. I learned that taking risks is important in art because they can sometimes produce an unexpected outcome.
23. Teagan Robinson
A Poor Player
Film: 02 min 14 sec
This film is inspired by a monologue in Shakespeare's Macbeth in which Macbeth declares that living is being a 'poor player' who 'struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more'. The message of this quote is that life is meaningless. I wanted to take this idea and make it narrative by portraying a person who dies and then is taken to the 'backstage' that is the afterlife. She changes costumes, symbolizing her taking on a new 'role', and returns to the stage as someone new as if who she was is of no significance.
24. Vivian Kuo
Laws of Motion
75 x 40 cm, Drypoint Etching
In my piece I attempted to depict a bike in motion through the use of lines, directing the viewer's eyes from the strong contrast in the right wheel leading to the bold marks framing the left. As it turns out, the more you look at it, the more intriguing it becomes since you try to gage the speed and distance of the bike; the direction of the wind; hence the title Law of Motion.
25. YiChin Tsai
Dedication
45.5 x 52.5 cm, Watercolor
For this piece, I chose to capture the facial expression of Paula Radcliffe, the current marathon record holder, because she embodies the dedication and passion that long distance runners possess. I chose to use watercolor for this piece, because even though water color isn't as inherently powerful or striking as acrylic/oil paint, it has a subtle strength that I think is reflected in the runner's form.