Curiouser and curiouser!

2023. Oil on Canvas, 16" x 20"

Inspired by the surreal, imaginative imagery of Alice in Wonderland, I explored the symbolism of color in my imaginative composition.

As Alice embarked upon a peculiar, obstacle ridden adventure of self-discovery in Wonderland, I, too, delved into an unpredictable adventure of balancing my two cultural identities. The koi fish, symbolizing resilience and tradition in Chinese culture, resided in a small fishbowl on my desk. As I stared into the transparent glass bowl, I would see the little fish swimming in circles, over and over. I saw myself reflected in the tiny koi fish, looking at the world through a refracted lens that distorts, reshapes, and magnifies various aspects of my cultural identities. Constantly code-switching between my cultural identities, I never learned the significance of embracing my holistic, complete self. As the koi fish escapes and swims freely in the vibrant currents of abstract colors, mirroring Toronto’s multiculturalism, I, too, recognize the importance of embracing my true self, as Alice did.