Ty Nagvajara

Artist Statement:

I have seen the world through an Asian-American lens throughout my life, so creating an art portfolio that explores my adolescence through this cultural experience only seemed natural. My portfolio serves as somewhat of a picture book of my life, documenting different eras and memories. Through primarily still lifes, landscapes, and portraits, I intend to represent the history of Asians and Asian-Americans and my personal history through this cultural experience. Many of my pieces utilize bright and vibrant colors, as well as symbolism, in an effort to emphasize the vibrancy that comes to mind when I consider my heritage. I use the red sun of Japanese culture and cranes in my first piece, a bird that appears in many Asian art pieces. In my second piece, I painted a geisha, a traditional and respected figure in Japanese high society. In my third and fourth pieces, I document Asian food, one of my favorite aspects of my heritage. My fifth work is an homage to the vintage robots that live on the shelves of my uncle’s house in Bangkok.The fallen robot represents my father's eldest brother, who passed away a few years ago. In the sky, the word "Robots" is written in flashy Thai script (หุ่นยนต์). Beyond representing my familial history, I wanted to push my artistry by playing with extremely vibrant colors and having it make sense within the context of the piece. Here, the pink helps elevate the futuristic, dystopian, and mechanical elements that are reflected by the robots. I also represented my Thai culture in the painting of the Sepak Takraw ball and the chili paste, which is often used in my family’s cooking. Additionally, I wanted to represent an array of Asian American cultures, which can be seen in the painting of baby Krishna with ghee. Finally, I wanted to reflect the discrimination and social issues that are faced by the Asian community, which can be seen in my collage on the internment of the Japanese. In this piece, I played with colors to show the different emotions and sentiments that were being felt by both sides. For the Japanese imagery, it is in black and white, as it was a very difficult time; for the American imagery, it is mostly in color as it was a time of patriotism and uber-nationalism. I also represent asian struggles in my ninth piece, “Stop The Asian Hate,” which shows a pensive woman reflecting on increased Asian attacks and thinking about a more unified and peaceful world. Throughout my portfolio, I incorporated different mediums, symbols, and colors to capture the many elements and experiences of all Asian cultures.