Artist Statement:

The Zodiac panels of 'Faith in China/信心于中国' [(Chinese-simplified)'Faith in China', or 'Confidence in China'] were strongly influenced by Ancient Chinese and contemporary Asian art conventions. Heavy uses of the ink medium are an interpretation of traditional Chinese ink paintings of nature and animals. Both Western and Asian contemporary artists influenced the artwork, including MC Escher, Ai Wei Wei and Bao Pham.

The most striking structural process of the work are the ways which pieces have been cut out and glued over backgrounds to express a sense of fabricated depth. These pieces merge the contrasting materials of bright inks, oil pastels and soft graphites. This layering is used in the central work to mirror the religious dynamics of modern China. The government centres Confucianism in the forefront of society, yet Buddhism looms large in the background with the majority of civilians practicing Buddhist traditions. The Zodiacs are simultaneously personified by their fashion trends and objectified through still-life positioning. Like in modern Chinese society, the mythical Zodiacs have been diminished from powerful figures of folklore to celebratory objects for Chinese New Year.

As the title suggests, Faith in China comments not only on religion in modern China but censorship. They are records of the artist’s observation of religion in postmodern China. She combines China’s modern self-endorsement with the historic Western antagonisation of dictatorship and her own experience as a Chinese-Australian. These works present personal yet objective insights into the complexity of modern Chinese culture.