Installation: Compact Colonies
2017

Compact Colonies is an interactive installation constructed entirely out of metal material uniquely treated, dyed, and painted multiple times before it is slowly hand shaped into its immersive form. The lightweight industrial material used to create the work alludes to our urban environment and sense of constructed reality, yet its delicate form suggests a certain fragility. The specific nature of the installation's material invites light to enter, and radiate from its entirety - heightening the luminescent shades of blue, purple, and yellow and evoking the swirls and colors reminiscent of tropical waters and its corals. With the threat of climate change, oceanic acidification, and never ceasing human activity affecting life at all levels, the installation invites a deeper contemplation of the ecosystems that drives our existence and relationships.
This installation is 7 ft tall and 10 ft wide. Detail shots and sneak preview of the work (above and below).
This installation is 7 ft tall and 10 ft wide. Detail shots and sneak preview of the work (above and below).
Alternative Dimension
Art Installation
February 25 - March 25, 2016
This 8 ft tall immersive installation was presented at Project: ARTspace at 156 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan from February 25 - March 25, 2016.
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Sehnsucht / 心驰神往
Sehnsucht is a German word with no English equivalent. It means the “longing for something.” It is difficult to translate adequately. C.S.Lewis defined it as the “inconsolable longing” in the human heart for “we know not what.” 心驰神往 is a Chinese idiom that describes longing. The title of this work is in German and Chinese to evoke emotions that cannot be completely translated or understood fully. Identity can be often linked to a memory of physical geography, or a sense of one’s environment. When removed from one’s place of origin, a sense of dislocation and rootlessness can form. It also marks the formation of new psychic spaces for myth creation and for new beginnings. Art becomes the platform that functions as the symbolic stage for our lives, a temporal shelter for comfort, and a space for urban myth-making. The most elemental building blocks of life are triangular. Inspired by the geometrical properties and symbolism of this form, this sculptural installation is created using metal, cardboard, styrofoam, and other industrial materials to construct a hybrid triangular structure – one that recalls a shelter akin to a safe space, the sensibilities of the displaced, the physical awareness of space and time, the sense of loss and longing, and the subsequent myth-making for a new beginning. People can step into and interact with the work, and also interact with each other. Recently, the personal stories of the Syrian crisis and refugees seared into my imagination. This installation serves as a tribute to displaced Syrians, friends who crossed oceans to make New York City their new home, and the undocumented who toil silently in this vast land – this work is dedicated to all those who have ever experienced the longing for what they left behind and dream of, and for finding the courage to create new myths, new identities, and new beginnings. |
REALITY UNDER CONSTRUCTION
2014 - 2015
Painting dimensions: (H) 51 inches (W) 39 inches
Detail below. |
This work is a visual journey of artistic and personal discovery. Blocks of industrial Styrofoam were discarded near a construction site in New York. I collected and brought them back, carving out the Styrofoam, and merging it into the canvas with multiple layers of acrylic paint built up upon the surface. It was created and completed over the span of one year. To perceive, imagine and reflect upon one’s existence in relation to the world, is an essential part of my artistic vision.
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