Image Courtesy of Victoria Jiang
Using a combination of abstract patterns and intricate details, Victoria Jiang ’22, an Arts Concentration student in Visual Arts, reflected on self-image and contemporary issues in her art collection, “The Different Components of My Identity.”
Since she was young, Jiang has always found painting to be a way to express her emotions and interests. Over time, her passion for painting deepened and became a way for her to connect with the world. Paintings enable her to capture distinct details in reality, while maintaining artistic freedom and interpretation. “There are infinite amounts of possibilities in one painting, and each viewer may obtain something different,” Jiang said. “This is why painting is such a powerful and influential media.”
“The Different Components of My Identity” is composed of six artworks, each with a distinct theme that represents an aspect of Jiang’s identity or an ongoing issue that she observes in her life.
While studying the artworks of Chuck Close, a 1970s American painter known for his abstract portraits, Jiang recognizesd the contrast between photorealism and the trend in our current society. That is, in the late 1960s and early 1970s, many artists focused on recreating the realistic detail of photos using other media; nowadays, the trend of digital pictures outweighs other artistic media.
Inspired by photorealistic artworks, particularly Chuck Close’s pieces, Jiang created a large-scale portrait entitled, “Jenny and Me.” The painting is composed of many squares, each saturated with vibrant colors, representing layers of emotion that Jiang hopes to convey. “The small pieces of squares are insignificant by themselves but are profound when contributing to a larger vision,” said Jiang.
Reflecting on the “small pieces of squares” that define her, Jiang realized that she is constantly adding new pieces into her life, but rarely subtracting the trivial details that overwhelm her. Eliminating all the supplemental aspects of the human experience, Jiang focused on the fundamental composition of all humans, the body. Her piece, “Sanctuary,” depicts x-rays of human organs bursting with flowers and butterflies. She hopes that the piece emphasizes that our bodies are santuaries and our health should be a priority.
Another piece, “Blindfolds,” criticizes the concept that luxury goods are the ticket to the fashion world. Jiang expressed that the current fashion trend which promotes the pursuit of luxury brands largely distorts how we perceive and are perceived by the world — our identity is often defined by the way we dress. The subject in the artwork is wrapped by brand tapes, suggesting that our vision in fashion is often manipulated and limited by brand names and societal standards; the boxes that the subject stacks in their head represent the incorporation of others’ judgement into one’s own identity.
“The desire toward a sense of belonging and acceptance by society blind us from expressing our true selves. We need to tear the blindfolds that have been blocking us from our inner selves,” said Jiang.
