
Artist Statement
--Zeqi Tang
My artistic practice is a profound exploration of the intricate emotional landscapes that define human relationships, with a particular focus on the complex dynamics between mothers and daughters in Asian familial contexts. Through abstract figurative painting, I seek to unravel the invisible threads of power, intimacy, and cultural conditioning that shape our most fundamental human connections.
Working primarily with diluted oil paints on linen canvas, I embrace the poetry of chance and material unpredictability. Each brushstroke becomes a meditation on the unspoken tensions within family structures. The material behavior of paint—its flow, precipitation, and unexpected patterns—serves as a metaphorical language, revealing how cultural influences imperceptibly mark our bodies and consciousness.
Drawing from feminist theorists like Chizuko Ueno and Sara Ahmed, my work interrogates the subtle mechanisms of power and emotional labor. I'm particularly interested in how familial relationships simultaneously embody intimacy and oppression, how mothers unconsciously become agents of cultural expectations, embedding social norms into their daughters' very being.
The gaze of my subjects becomes a critical element of dialogue. Sometimes turned inward, creating invisible lines of connection, and at other times directed outward, challenging viewers to engage directly with the emotional landscape of the painting. My art seeks to transform personal experiences into universal insights, breaking down the boundaries between individual narratives and broader social structures.
By embracing the contingency of emotions and the rich complexity of human experience, I invite viewers to look beyond surface representations and touch the profound, often unacknowledged dimensions of our interconnected lives.