Red and Prideful

16” x 12”
Acrylic on wood panel


This was a fun experiment about abstraction and painting where I honed in a color palette and play around with shapes. I started by just creating gestures and lines of motion on the canvas. Using the lines and shapes I then created forms that materialized objects! I really like the bunny head, so then I made a rabbit’s foot which also looks like a paintbrush. I think this was a good exercise for me to loosen up just have fun filling space. I like all the textures that I got out of this as well as discovering how much imagery I can fit in a small space. I hope to create more pieces like this that are playful, busy, and not totally representational. It reminds me of an “I Spy” puzzle, which I love.

The inspiration for some of the elements that I did create were still based on heritage. The bunny is a symbolic animal used in Chinese mythology. The most well known story of a rabbit was the Jade Rabbit, who accompanies Chang E 嫦娥 on the moon in the tale of Chang E 嫦娥. The patterning on the far right fabric-like form was taken from different decorative patterns in Chinese pottery which often drew inspiration from forces of nature. I included some Chinese knots hanging in the top as good fortunes and festive vibes. The overall color palette was the first very warm, analogous scheme that I tried out. I like the idea of this playful painting representing heritage in a better light. Red is a auspicious color and a vibrant part of Asian cultures and I love to use it!