Healing Ourselves, Oil On Canvas, 24” x 30”, 2021

  • Senior Exhibition
  • May 3 to 8, 2021
  • Stan State Art Space

Join us for Stan State art student Ia Yang's Looking Glass Exhibition. The Looking Glass exhibitions are a display of the artist's work at the Art Space downtown gallery, viewable from the exterior sidewalk. On display 24/7!

Artist Statement:

Painting portraits and garments have always been my passion. I am especially captivated by capturing people’s facial expressions, human figures, and traditional Hmong clothes through direct observations and photographs. The diversity of dynamic color values on human figures and the vibrant colors on the clothes are something that I am always thrilled to paint. I like to challenge myself by rendering fine details as realistic as possible. In the past years, I've been focusing on Hmong culture and historical events in my paintings. As a result of my artwork, people can learn more about Hmong people and acknowledge their existence, expressing not just my respect and appreciation for my culture, but also informing them about it. My recent paintings express my anger and frustration over the brutal Asian hate crime that Asians have been exposed to since the Covid-19 pandemic began. Asian hate crimes have risen by 150 percent since the pandemic started. In the United States, Asians are physically and mentally abused, and others have died as a result of these attacks. Nearly 3,800 hate crimes against Asians have been reported, according to a report by Stop AAPI Hate. My paintings serve as a symbol of hope for a better world that treats all equally, as well as a voice for justice and kindness. My paintings depict our tragic stories and illustrate that we are all human beings who deserve to be treated as such, regardless of skin color or race.

 

Updated: May 30, 2023