ARTIST STATEMENT

CREATION OF BLUE

Creation of Blue represents a letter to my inner child. Blue is a name I have gone by in the past and continue to use because it resonates with me more than my given name. I tend to gravitate to the colour blue in my art and I find it to be vibrant and versatile whilst also being comforting and somber.

The first painting presents a caged child who felt the need to minimize themselves in order to fit into an environment that didn’t have space for them. Growing up as a first generation immigrant madeit difficult for me to relate to many of my peers and subsequently I became very anxious and quiet in all social settings for many years.

The second painting shows an older blue hand reaching out to take the hand of the child. This represents my current self reaching out to comfort my past self and to reassure them that they belong and that differences are to be celebrated and are not a source of shame.

The third painting in the set shows the fingers of my past and current self touching. It can be seen that the child’s hand is turning blue which represents them finally coming into their individuality and feeling comfortable expressing themselves.

This set of paintings expresses the work I have put in over years to break out of my own shell and learn to express myself through art and the relationships I have built with myself and many other important people in my life. It also presents my ongoing journey of understanding my inner child and learning to heal alongside them.