An Inscrutable Portrait, Stare

My 2022 oil painting, Stare, portrays a precocious boy who emerged from a chaotic and somewhat menacing background. The lighter and purer figure demonstrates the relative innocence of the boy, in contrast to the murky and impenetrable swirling background surrounding him like a maelstrom. The somewhat stunned or stupefied expression denoted the moment when his attention was caught, and he stared straight ahead as if confronting the viewers; a moment of a sudden turn of events.

Stare, oil on canvas, 24x30, 2022
Stare
Oil on Canvas
24” x 30”
Completed in 2022

This painting was published in February 2024 by Artistonish, Issue 43.

July Exhibition at San Francisco City Art Gallery

From July 3 to 28, I am exhibiting 9 gouache paintings at the City Art Gallery in San Francisco. Opening, July 5, Friday, 7-10 pm. Here are the pieces I am showing. They are vibrant and colorful, though modest in scale, the emotions are big and bold.

Confluent, gouache on paper, 14"x11", 2024
Confluent, Gouache on Paper, 14″ x 11″, 2024
Pulse, gouache on paper, 14"x11", 2024
Pulse, Gouache on Paper, 14″ x 11″, 2024
Net, gouache on paper, 14"x11", 2024
Net, Gouache on Paper, 14″ x 11″, 2024
Pink Marsh, gouache on paper, 9x12, 2022
Pink Marsh, gouache on paper, 9″ x12″, 2022
Stream, gouache on paper, 14"x11", 2024
Stream, Gouache on Paper, 14″ x 11″, 2024
Bountiful, gouache on paper, 11x14, 2023
Bountiful, gouache on paper, 11″ x14″, 2023
Dazzle, gouache on paper, 11x14, 2023
Dazzle, gouache on paper, 11″ x 14″, 2023
Diffuse, gouache on paper, 14x11, 2023
Diffuse, gouache on paper, 14″ x 11″, 2023
Capricious, gouache on paper, 12x9, 2022
Capricious, gouache on paper, 12″ x 9″, 2022

A Few Vibrant Gouache Paintings

After having worked on a somber series, After Fire, I made a few more cheerful pieces, and I grabbed striking colors. It was great fun to make these vibrant pieces.

Net, gouache on paper, 14"x11", 2024
Net Gouache on Paper 14″ x 11″ Completed in 2024
Stream, gouache on paper, 14"x11", 2024
Stream Gouache on Paper 14″ x 11″ Completed in 2024
Confluent, gouache on paper, 14"x11", 2024
Confluent Gouache on Paper 14″ x 11″ Completed in 2024
Oblique, gouache on paper, 14"x11", 2024
Oblique Gouache on Paper 14″ x 11″ Completed in 2024
Pulse, gouache on paper, 14"x11", 2024
Pulse Gouache on Paper 14″ x 11″ Completed in 2024

Successful East Bay Open Studios Winter Event

On December 2 and 3, fourteen artists and artisans presented paintings, drawings, ceramics, mosaics, and jewelry at Makers Workspace Studio during the East Bay Open Studios (EBOS). It was a successful communal space. I am particularly pleased that my friend Edith Ng presented her beautiful ceramics to the public for the first time, as our guest artist. Her debut brought tremendous energy and many guests to our studio and all of us benefit from her presence.

During the EBOS event, I was able to sell more than a dozen gouache and ink paintings. Here a some of these works:

Roots, gouache on paper, 14x11, 2023
Roots, gouache on paper, 14×11, 2023
Hydrangea, gouache on paper, 14x11, 2023
Hydrangea, gouache on paper, 14×11, 2023
The View, India Ink on Yupo paper, 14x11, 2023
The View, India Ink on Yupo paper, 14×11, 2023
Flickering, gouache on paper, 14x11, 2023
Flickering, gouache on paper, 14×11, 2023
Profusion, gouache on Yupo paper, 14x11, 2023
Profusion, gouache on Yupo paper, 14×11, 2023
Ethereal, gouache on Yupo paper, 14x11, 2023
Ethereal, gouache on Yupo paper, 14×11, 2023
Autumn Song, gouache on paper, 11x14, 2023
Autumn Song, gouache on paper, 11×14, 2023
Red, gouache on paper, 11x14, 2023
Red, gouache on paper, 11×14, 2023
Breaching, gouache on paper, 11x14, 2022
Breaching, gouache on paper, 11×14, 2022

I am so grateful for all the support I received. Thank you!

Hallucinatory oil painting “Disperse”

My 2022 oil painting, Disperse, captures a hallucinatory moment of a nighttime landscape — between the silhouettes of two monumental and interlocking trees, a group of tiny figures scurrying by, running away from their familiar ground, their fates, their tormentors or captors. The specificities are intentionally omitted, so as to leave the viewers to interpret freely and to fill in the missing details, though the title does hint at diaspora stories in the headlines of late.

Disperse, oil on canvas, 20"x30", 2022

Disperse, oil on canvas, 20″x30″, 2022

This piece will be part of the juried exhibition “Within Sight or From Imagination” at GearBox Gallery, 770 West Grand Ave, Oakland, CA 94612 (August 10 – September 9, 2023). Juror: Jeremy Morgan.
Opening Reception: August 12, Sat., 1 to 4 pm | Juror’s talk: September 2, Sat., 2 pm

July Exhibition in City Art Gallery, San Francisco

In July, I will return to the wonderful co-op gallery in San Francisco: City Art Gallery, which “opened its doors at 828 Valencia St. in 1998 and has remained a constant in the radically changing Valencia corridor.”

Exhibition date: July 5-30
Reception & the City Art’s 25th Anniversary Celebration: July 7, Friday, 7-10 pm Location: 828 Valencia St, San Fransisco (between 19th & 20th)
Gallery Hours: Sun, Wed-Thursday 12-9 pm, Fri/Sat 12-10 pm
My gallery sitting shifts: July 16, Sat, 12-4:30 pm, July 22, Sun, 12-5 pm

Below are the sample of the pieces I will exhibit:

Resting, 11x14, Ink on Yupo paper, 2023
Ripples, 11x14, Ink on Yupo paper, 2023
Undulate, gouache on paper, 11x14, 2023
Jaunty, gouache on paper, 11x14, 2023

Exploring new media – India ink on Yupo paper

Recently, I started to explore painting with black India ink on synthetic, non-absorbent Yupo paper, whose water-resistant nature can be exploited and allow some interesting effects when the ink is washed, sprayed, scrubbed, and removed. I am happy with the results; these new paintings look richly layered, light and shadow contrasted in a complicated and mysterious way, and the flowing ink traces are often unpredictable, playful, and evocative.

Petals
Petals, Ink on Yupo paper, 14"x11", 2023

Petals, India Ink on Yupo Paper, 11”x14″, 2023

Petals, India Ink on Yupo Paper, 11”x14″, 2023

Petals, India Ink on Yupo Paper, 11”x14″, 2023

Dandelions
Dandelions, Ink on Yupo paper, 14"x11", 2023

Dandelions, India Ink on Yupo Paper, 14”x11″, 2023

Dandelions, India Ink on Yupo Paper, 14”x11″, 2023

Dandelions, India Ink on Yupo Paper, 14”x11″, 2023

C Major
C Major, ink on yupo paper, 9"x12", 2023

C Major, India Ink on Yupo Paper, 9”x12″, 2023

C Major, India Ink on Yupo Paper, 9”x12″, 2023

C Major, India Ink on Yupo Paper, 9”x12″, 2023

Scour
Scour, ink on yupo paper, 9"x12", 2023

Scour, India Ink on Yupo Paper, 9”x12″, 2023

Scour, India Ink on Yupo Paper, 9”x12″, 2023

Scour, India Ink on Yupo Paper, 9”x12″, 2023

Ripples
Ripples, 11x14, Ink on Yupo paper, 2023

Ripples, India Ink on Yupo Paper, 11”x14″, 2023

Ripples, India Ink on Yupo Paper, 11”x14″, 2023

Ripples, India Ink on Yupo Paper, 11”x14″, 2023

Resting
Resting, 11x14, Ink on Yupo paper, 2023

Resting, India ink on Yupo paper, 11″x14″, 2023

Resting, India ink on Yupo paper, 11″x14″, 2023

Resting, India ink on Yupo paper, 11″x14″, 2023

Orbit
Orbit, India ink on Yupo paper, 11"x14", 2023

Orbit, India ink on Yupo paper, 11″x14″, 2023

Orbit, India ink on Yupo paper, 11″x14″, 2023

Orbit, India ink on Yupo paper, 11″x14″, 2023

Stone Flower
Stone Flower, India Ink on Yupo Paper, 12x9, 2023

Stone Flower, India Ink on Yupo Paper, 12”x9″, 2023

Stone Flower, India Ink on Yupo Paper, 12”x9″, 2023

Stone Flower, India Ink on Yupo Paper, 12”x9″, 2023

Diffuse
Diffuse, Ink on Yupo paper, 14"x11", 2023

Diffuse, India Ink on Yupo Paper, 14”x11″, 2023

Diffuse, India Ink on Yupo Paper, 14”x11″, 2023

Diffuse, India Ink on Yupo Paper, 14”x11″, 2023

Luxuriant
Luxuriant, India Ink on Yupo Paper, 12x9, 2023

Luxuriant, India Ink on Yupo Paper, 12”x9″, 2023
🔴 Sold

Luxuriant, India Ink on Yupo Paper, 12”x9″, 2023
🔴 Sold

Luxuriant, India Ink on Yupo Paper, 12”x9″, 2023
🔴 Sold

Pervade
Pervade, India ink on Yupo paper, 14"x11", 2023

Pervade, India ink on Yupo paper, 14″x11″, 2023

Pervade, India ink on Yupo paper, 14″x11″, 2023

Pervade, India ink on Yupo paper, 14″x11″, 2023

The View
The View, ink on yupo paper, 12"x9", 2023

The View, India Ink on Yupo Paper, 12”x9″, 2023

The View, India Ink on Yupo Paper, 12”x9″, 2023

The View, India Ink on Yupo Paper, 12”x9″, 2023

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Petals
Dandelions
C Major
Scour
Ripples
Resting
Orbit
Stone Flower
Diffuse
Luxuriant
Pervade
The View
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Purifying “Luminous”

“Luminous” is a translucent landscape in the midst of a thorough purification – loaded yet still airy rain clouds release a generous yet gentle downpour, which rushes into the solid ground and continues to overflow in the already soaked terrain. The dark clouds, and darker soil, rendered the space in between even brighter, as if backlit, glowing, and luminous. Above the warm earth, the cool rain and clouds leave a refreshing impression.

Luminous, gouache on paper, 9x12 inches, 2022

Luminous
9” x 12”
Gouache on paper
Completed in 2022