Where I am from and what I do

I am an artist living in New York city, grew up in Taiwan.

“I guess you are on the path that is meant to be yours, no matter how long the detour it was.” My mom said this to me couple years after I switched my career to be an artist. She continued. “I am a bit worried, but I am happy that you are happy.”

I drew and loved crafts when I was a kid. Later, it seemed to be so normal to leave them just be habits. I went on to study chemical engineering in university. Changing my major to costume design was an attempt to break away from the mainstream. However, I fell back in again once I graduated from the university. I had stable jobs and tried to settle.

Years went by, I was not far from turning 30. I panicked. “It is either now, or never.” I told myself. Then, I quit my job, prepared for pursuing an art study in US.

Many things happened between then and now, both good and bad. There were times that I was going to give up and almost fell back again. Lucky enough, there was always something happened to remind me why I chose what I am doing now. Sometimes it was like a slap in the face, bitterly woke me up from doubting. Sometimes it was a gentle encouraging push that reignited hopes and motivated me.

It’s empowering to live a life I choose for myself. Surely, there is still hesitation and struggle. I am learning to cope with the reality and to grow my career as an artist. Uncertainty can be scaring. Yet, stepping on the path of doing what I love is a very solid and real feeling!

About the image:

Before I left for US, I asked my parents to take a family photo with me. I told them I wished them to wear their wedding or engagement clothes, but I would be naked in the picture. There was a moment of silence. Then my mom said. “I will need to see if I can find the clothes.”
They never really explicitly said to me that they agree with my decision to be an artist. But now I realize, they express their support loud and clear by their actions.

Title of the work:
“Generation”
It conveys the culture and history of my family. The shrine for the tablet with name of ancestors and statues of gods was behind my parents. My parents in their engagement clothes posed as for a formal photograph, while I curled up as a baby in my mother’s womb in lower front of all of them.