This thesis is centered on the author's creations from 2022 to 2023. The series of works re-explored the traditional theme of painting women and flowers through the diverse concepts and ideas of contemporary painting. It extended the lady painting series in my undergraduate production by digging deeper into my negative affects.
I used ink as the basic medium and integrates contemporary techniques such as collage and image projection to reorganize the traditions of Eastern lady painting and Western portraiture. Taking advantage of the transparent nature of rice paper, I painted from not only the front but also the back of the paper. In addition, I also deconstructed each piece of work to break the original framework and point of view. The completed work was dismantled, and fragments of various overlapping shapes were interspersed to reorganize the painting into collages of different forms. Finally, even image projections were added to challenge the viewer’s perception of a painting. The integrated techniques represented the complex and diverse inner feelings and life reflections that I experienced at the moment.
Starting from the perspective of a female artist, I attempt to deconstruct the symbolic order in male gaze, and reflects on how the theme of women and flowers carries more explorations into the dark side of affects such as pain, so as to expand feminine value in contemporary paintings - feminine not in the sense of female creations, but the potential power that loosen the fixed connection between signifier and signified, the freedom to travel back and forth between sensory experience and meaning. At the same time, this thesis is also a journey of self-exploration. I constantly gaze into the abyss of my soul through creation, and also looks back at myself through the abyss in order to find a breakthrough point for my future creation. I also expect my works will create an open dialogue with the viewer, and engaging them emotionally by transferring the right of interpretation.
