MFA Thesis Exhibit

Nina Yushan Lai

Alfred-Düsseldorf Painting

Follow

Artist Statement

Nina Yushan Lai’s painting and printmaking practices use memories as the material to embrace the uniqueness of self through understanding repetition and iteration. Her works reflect her experience as a growing child living between two different cultures, China and America. While identifying as an outsider to both cultures, she has always desired to understand the world around her. Her works build conversations between her past self and present self: from understanding and accepting the differences between herself and her twin sister to attempting to grasp the pureness of language through the activity of applying paint. Now, with the longstanding physical absence of family members, she is motivated to create family portrait paintings in her own means. A series of paintings reflects the experience of learning about the family as an outsider on the internet while searching for her identities and origins. Revisiting and understanding family history through intertwinement of shapes and colors. Disciplining the paint while embracing chaos and the process of abstraction.
In the middle of the squared canvas is Orange to black gradient stain in the shape of an abstracted Chinese character “orange” on gessoed canvas. Some spots of white gesso are shown. The stain is surrounded by phthalo green (dark saturated green) and the phthalate green is surrounded with a margin with a wash of lime green (transparent yellow green) . On top of the phthalo green is a very detailed hand painted grid made up of white lines. The very last sitting on top of all the layers is a pattern of orange-liked shapes. The pattern is painted with orange paint directed on thick charcoal drawings creating a powdery texture. Click to view In the middle of the squared canvas is Orange to black gradient stain in the shape of an abstracted Chinese character “orange” on gessoed canvas. Some spots of white gesso are shown. The stain is surrounded by phthalo green (dark saturated green) and the phthalate green is surrounded with a margin with a wash of lime green (transparent yellow green) . On top of the phthalo green is a very detailed hand painted grid made up of white lines. The very last sitting on top of all the layers is a pattern of orange-liked shapes. The pattern is painted with orange paint directed on thick charcoal drawings creating a powdery texture. Full-Screen

Orange and Railway // 105 x 105 cm // Acrylic and charcoal on canvas

Across the canvas is an oil pastel drawing of a mountain trail map. Two identical maps facing each other and are placed vertically on raw canvas. Purple as the trail, green as the mountains, and red as resting spots and tourist sights. Covering the drawing is then a layer of stained light grey purple and a layer poured white paint. Both layers follow the creases of a the canvas’s folded pattern in grids. 8 crease from top to bottom, 6 crease from left to right. The natural color of canvas is still showing through from the layers as well. Click to view Across the canvas is an oil pastel drawing of a mountain trail map. Two identical maps facing each other and are placed vertically on raw canvas. Purple as the trail, green as the mountains, and red as resting spots and tourist sights. Covering the drawing is then a layer of stained light grey purple and a layer poured white paint. Both layers follow the creases of a the canvas’s folded pattern in grids. 8 crease from top to bottom, 6 crease from left to right. The natural color of canvas is still showing through from the layers as well. Full-Screen

Recalling // 110 x 160 cm // Acrylic, fabric dye, and oil pastel on canvas

The painting is made up of two 110 x 140 cm canvases. On the canvas is varies shades of blues. Starting from the first bottom layer is a stained dark blue following the creases of folded canvas in the pattern of a grid. On each canvas, one crease vertically and one crease horizontally. Some white is showed through where the stain doesn’t take other. The second layer is dark blue (almost black) and phthalo blue (dark green toned blue) poured on top of the stained canvas. This layer blends in with the previous layer. The last layer is a drawing like pattern of ultramarine blue (saturated electro blue). The pattern spans across the painting. It is painted with taped edges resulting in a slightly raised surface. There are some spots of silvers around the ultramarine blue pattern. Looking from a distance, they are similar to stars from a night sky. Click to view The painting is made up of two 110 x 140 cm canvases. On the canvas is varies shades of blues. Starting from the first bottom layer is a stained dark blue following the creases of folded canvas in the pattern of a grid. On each canvas, one crease vertically and one crease horizontally. Some white is showed through where the stain doesn’t take other. The second layer is dark blue (almost black) and phthalo blue (dark green toned blue) poured on top of the stained canvas. This layer blends in with the previous layer. The last layer is a drawing like pattern of ultramarine blue (saturated electro blue). The pattern spans across the painting. It is painted with taped edges resulting in a slightly raised surface. There are some spots of silvers around the ultramarine blue pattern. Looking from a distance, they are similar to stars from a night sky. Full-Screen

The Blues // 140 x 220 cm // Acrylic, fabric dye, and gouache on canvas

To the left is Untitled #8. On a kaki green stained canvas with a spot of black ink stain on the lower left corner. Lime green (saturated electro green) dot patterns are painted all over the canvas, with clean taped edges. 9 rows from top to bottom, 7 rows from left to right. A shape most people described similar to a palm tree sits on top of everything filling the whole canvas. It is drawn in with charcoal while the edges are clean from taping. To the right is Untitled #11. On a black stained canvas is another wash of black ink making the painting difficult to see from afar. A checker-board pattern is painted across the canvas. The pattern is made up of big square and smaller squares. On the top 1/3 part and the lower left corner of the painting are some stained-like shapes painted with black acrylic with clean edges. Due to taping, there are also a glimpse of white shown from underneath the black acrylic. Click to view To the left is Untitled #8. On a kaki green stained canvas with a spot of black ink stain on the lower left corner. Lime green (saturated electro green) dot patterns are painted all over the canvas, with clean taped edges. 9 rows from top to bottom, 7 rows from left to right. A shape most people described similar to a palm tree sits on top of everything filling the whole canvas. It is drawn in with charcoal while the edges are clean from taping. To the right is Untitled #11. On a black stained canvas is another wash of black ink making the painting difficult to see from afar. A checker-board pattern is painted across the canvas. The pattern is made up of big square and smaller squares. On the top 1/3 part and the lower left corner of the painting are some stained-like shapes painted with black acrylic with clean edges. Due to taping, there are also a glimpse of white shown from underneath the black acrylic. Full-Screen

Untitled #8 and #11 // 14 x 24 cm // Acrylic, fabric dye, charcoal, and ink on canvas

An installation shot of the painting His Map (to the left) with two people (to the right) walking into Siennie Lee’s installation room. From the angle of the photo, looking into the installation room, one can see several transparent painted chiffon (with black, pink, orange, green, blue, and purple ink brushstrokes) hanging from the ceiling. Some touching the floor, touch cut off in the middle of the air. Looking at His Map, the first layer is a wash of lime green (yellow green) and light purple on gessoed canvas. following the flow from the center right expanding out to the left. A very faint wash of white is painted on top following the same flow. The sanded gesso adds a texture to the wash, showing fine creases of white gesso. On the bottom and to the center right is a shape with clean taped edges, creating a slight raise of surface. The shapes are made up of pastel cobalt blue (purple tone cool blue) with pastel lime green shapes. A white wavy grid is painted on top. The combination of the blue, green, and white grids mimic a strange view of earth from space. Click to view An installation shot of the painting His Map (to the left) with two people (to the right) walking into Siennie Lee’s installation room. From the angle of the photo, looking into the installation room, one can see several transparent painted chiffon (with black, pink, orange, green, blue, and purple ink brushstrokes) hanging from the ceiling. Some touching the floor, touch cut off in the middle of the air. Looking at His Map, the first layer is a wash of lime green (yellow green) and light purple on gessoed canvas. following the flow from the center right expanding out to the left. A very faint wash of white is painted on top following the same flow. The sanded gesso adds a texture to the wash, showing fine creases of white gesso. On the bottom and to the center right is a shape with clean taped edges, creating a slight raise of surface. The shapes are made up of pastel cobalt blue (purple tone cool blue) with pastel lime green shapes. A white wavy grid is painted on top. The combination of the blue, green, and white grids mimic a strange view of earth from space. Full-Screen

His Map // 120 x 180 cm // Acrylic, gouache

An installation shot the painting Untitled (Green and Orange) (to the left) with Siennie Lee’s work (to the right). The painting is stained with dark kaki green and yellow orange (closer to the shade of raw canvas) following the gridded creases on the canvas. 8 rows from top to bottom, 6 rows from left to right. There is the same map images drawn with oil pastel from Recalling. Two identical maps facing each other and are placed vertically on raw canvas. Purple as the trail, green as the mountains, and red as resting spots and tourist sights. In the middle, sitting more toward the top part of the canvas is a black pattern drawing in a square. A pattern made up of Chinese calligraphy’s text box, many describe it in the shape of “*”. The pattern has a clean taped edge. It is made up of densely packed black pigment creating a matte powdery texture in contrast to the blur stain of green and orange in the background. Click to view An installation shot the painting Untitled (Green and Orange) (to the left) with Siennie Lee’s work (to the right). The painting is stained with dark kaki green and yellow orange (closer to the shade of raw canvas) following the gridded creases on the canvas. 8 rows from top to bottom, 6 rows from left to right. There is the same map images drawn with oil pastel from Recalling. Two identical maps facing each other and are placed vertically on raw canvas. Purple as the trail, green as the mountains, and red as resting spots and tourist sights. In the middle, sitting more toward the top part of the canvas is a black pattern drawing in a square. A pattern made up of Chinese calligraphy’s text box, many describe it in the shape of “*”. The pattern has a clean taped edge. It is made up of densely packed black pigment creating a matte powdery texture in contrast to the blur stain of green and orange in the background. Full-Screen

Untitled (Green and Orange) // 110 x 160 cm // Acrylic, Pigment, Fabric Dye, Oil Pastel

An installation shot looking through the walkway. To the right is a part of the painting Untitled (Green and Orange). Looking further is the installation room of Isabel Monti with multiple miniature paintings on white wall (to the left) and dark blue wall (in the middle). At the end of the walkway is Untitled #8 and #11. Click to view An installation shot looking through the walkway. To the right is a part of the painting Untitled (Green and Orange). Looking further is the installation room of Isabel Monti with multiple miniature paintings on white wall (to the left) and dark blue wall (in the middle). At the end of the walkway is Untitled #8 and #11. Full-Screen

cata{longing} Installation

An installation shot from an angel looking at both Isabel Monti’s miniature paintings on dark blue wall (to the right) and Orange and Railway on white wall (to the left). Click to view An installation shot from an angel looking at both Isabel Monti’s miniature paintings on dark blue wall (to the right) and Orange and Railway on white wall (to the left). Full-Screen

cata{longing} Installation

An installation shot with partial view of The Blues (to the left) and Recalling (to the right). In the middle is a white brick pillar. Click to view An installation shot with partial view of The Blues (to the left) and Recalling (to the right). In the middle is a white brick pillar. Full-Screen

cata{longing} Installation

An installation shot with Untitled #8 and #11 (to the left) and The Blues (to the right) in the background. Click to view An installation shot with Untitled #8 and #11 (to the left) and The Blues (to the right) in the background. Full-Screen

cata{longing} Installation