I arrived in LA a few days before the opening reception so I could paint on the walls of the gallery.
In my mind, I envisioned something that would feel like the Caves of Lascaux or the Cueva de las Manos, and so I decided to use the designs I created for my Post-It show pieces.

"When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe," is a quote from John Muir which has been influencing me and my life ever since I read it in high school. And I am now seeing how it has also influenced my art and creative practice.

With my roots in printmaking, I have always considered the background surface as an integral part of a piece or design.
The paper, canvas, fabric, or wood is not merely just a surface to be used for the sake of a piece. Instead, it's colour, texture—it's very self—is incorporated into the piece. It has more value and meaning this way.

Interacting and existing within a three-dimensional space has been something I've been thinking about as I work more and more with clay and sculptures. And I think with the gallery and my show, I did not want the walls and building itself to simply exist as the container for my work to reside within. I wanted it to play a role and add to the story that I was telling. I wanted the space itself to have value and meaning.

I actually had a grand idea to turn the entire gallery into something that felt like a museum exhibit full of old work, sketchbooks, and artifacts from my personal life alongside my pieces. But as I worked on the show throughout the year, the creative spirit within me began editing and refining what this show would look—and feel like—in the end.

Even during this process, I was editing and refining.
It's difficult to see the texture in photos, but I originally intended on filling these completely in solid black.
But I just loved how the texture of the wall itself was showing through as I painted, so I decided to leave some of that texture visible because it added to the whole "cave art" vibe I was aiming for.

When I started painting these, I honestly started to doubt my idea and felt like I was making a mistake painting all of these. But I decided to just go with it and trust the process.

In the end, I edited out the majority of the details I originally planned on painting within each animal.
I felt that more line-work would detract from the texture of the wall. Simple felt more impactful and less distracting.

I also painted the front because it felt so empty without something there.
And what better way to entice folks to the gallery walking down the street than to see a group of mysterious animals running towards a big red door?

Here are some pictures of me painting that GR took!
This is honestly how I look when I'm working at home—hair pinned up in some sort of bun shape, simple clothes, and a messy apron.

Me and Jenn, my Soul Sister in Clay!
Jenn makes these wonderful, Japanese folklore inspired sculptures that you can find here:
https://www.instagram.com/jlima_studio

More painting—

Cassia Lupo (she helps organise and curates many of hte GR shows!), Me, Eric (gallery owner), and Nancy!!
Nancy (https://www.instagram.com/nancywyuen/?hl=en) is one of the go-to Asian voices when it comes to racism towards the Asian/Asian-American community.

One thing I've come to realise as I find myself folding more and more into the Giant Robot family is how it feels like a community that nourishes and speaks to the Asian side of myself.
Chatting with Nancy while she was visiting the gallery gave me the chance to hear about a lot of the sociological, racial issues with Hollywood and media that the Asian/Asian-American community are dealing with that the Black community also faces, but with the nuance that comes with it being a different racial community.