The Outsider 

 

Medium/

acrylics and Chinese ink on canvas

 

Size/

20 x 30 inch

 

Concept/

Personally, the fish is a metaphor that links life and death. In “The Outsider", the symbolism of fish has been extended, signifying a bridge communicating between two different fields. The painting clearly indicates two distinct roles, human and fish, that swallow each other, representing cultural conflict. The most significant emotion revealed in 'The Outsider' is anxiety – anxiety for exotic knowledge, the anxiety of cultural conflict, and anxiety of existence.

 

 

The squatting human represents me, with my Eastern culture background, together with a cluster of negative emotions – anxiety, depression, disturbance and disorder. In the metaphoric sense, the giant fish represent the irresistible forces which are overwhelmingly against the opponent – me. The fish does not have a completed shape because all cultures in the world are experiencing a time of strengthening and regrouping as they are merging with outsiders, who come with different cultures. As an artist who comes with invaluable cultural heritage, how do I relocate myself during the period when I stay in a foreign country? When these negative emotions have been stored in the subconscious and reach a critical point, I spontaneously released these emotions and transformed them into iconic representation.