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Aileen Chong
Copyright © 2010 All rights reserved

Artist Statement

My work suggests a dialogue about cultural fusion rooted in personal experiences and is manifested through abstraction. The intent is to establish these recollections in a visceral manner rather than overtly. My background as a female Chinese Peruvian growing up in Long Island, New York, has played a significant role in my body of work. The experience of these multi-cultural dichotomies and its customs and traditions with the values of American life brought a fractured sense of identity. The question of which side I identify with more has been a recurring issue. The majority of my grandparents are from China, but I identify with Peruvian customs and Spanish was the primary language spoken while growing up. Outside the household, expectations of dominant American culture built a divergent sense of self. My comfort level alters with certain situations that I am faced with and I find resolution in my work. Through my paintings, I am able to communicate a visual representation of my thoughts and feelings.

My intention is to abstract from ideas, feelings and emotions rather than concrete objects. For me, this is an honest and direct process for conveying the experiences in my life.  I do not have specific images in my mind when I begin a painting; rather they are produced through an organic process. Metaphorically, they offer a visual pathway to understanding myself. The truth is I cannot recreate a painting. Each one is like a fingerprint of my emotional state of mind. They are immersed with emotions that I have succumbed to, which are defined by the color palette, composition and texture.

The process I developed fuses conscious and accidental methods of painting. Organic forms come naturally and create harmonious fluidity throughout the piece. I utilize the liquefied and unpredictable nature of paint by often increasing its viscosity. Gravity and surface variances pull the medium into multitude directions. I work in numerous layers and make conscious decisions about leaving parts visible, obscuring or covering up areas. Each step is dictated by the previous one as I proceed with adding and subtracting the oil paint on canvas, wood panel or dura-lar. Metallic colors are incorporated in all of her paintings because they bring richness and luminosity to the surface.  I use circles and lines as elements to draw the eye throughout the painting.  They either emerge or recede depending on how the paint is laid over them. The reaction between combining certain oil mediums is unpredictable and can manipulate how a piece turns out.  It becomes a process of discovery which informs how I approach future works. The complexity of paint application and layering techniques offer the viewer a tangible document of the visual language which I am building.

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