Some forty years have passed since I arrived in the United States. I found my life and goals in a state of flux amidst the multi-cultural, new environment embroiled in the emotional effort of assimilation. Despite this, I was able to focus on my work on Human Life series in print, deriving daily reward from the hard work of living and discovering different meanings to life.
Personally, I do not find particular meaning in religion but witnessing the multi-facets of human life helped conjured for me the 108 mantras in the Buddhist tradition. My latest project, Human Life series, replicates and expresses the various scenes from life into 108 woodcut reliefs that depict happiness, labor, love, and pleasure.
Previously the subject of my work was concerned with and depicted the neglected and abandoned city streets, and back alleys into etchings/print works. Going forward, I plan to continue to work on Human Life series as well as attempt to fuse etching and woodcut into a new art platform. ‘What is art?’ ‘What is life?’ are questions I have repeatedly asked myself. I wonder perhaps honest, true art is one that evolves fluidly, naturally from life. I wonder that life itself, deriving happiness in the day to day labor of creating, and the process that it requires, is in fact an art form?