Ashely Su

My artwork is about the individual within the community. It is a representation of my personal experiences and how they are intertwined within the public. In my pieces, I aim to capture the lost narratives within my identity that are often overshadowed by insecurities. 

This semester my works have been based around fluidity and structure and finding a balance between both of those aspects in one’s life. I mainly work with acrylic paint, watercolor, and graphite, and have been experimenting with photography this year. I aim to capture one element of fluidity and an element structure. I think the contrast between the two ideas reflects the ways humans function. 

In my latest work, I’ve been exploring the meaning of belonging and home. When visiting new places or trying new things, I often find myself feeling a sense of imposter syndrome. This feeling blocks me from a lot of opportunities and experiences. However when going back to old and familiar places, I find myself feeling confident. I wanted to explore how the familiarity of a new place can make the biggest difference in one’s experiences within them. I used blue acrylic paint and drawing paper to write the definition of home to me in a structured format to mimic the blueprint of buildings and cities. I then took these paintings and cut the maps of places I call home on a Cricut laser cutter. Putting them together, they are meant to be laid on the body. This mimics the often heard phrases “wear your heart on your sleeve” and “home is where the heart is”.