Jade Liu

Jade Liu, hailing from Sichuan, China, is an artist and educator currently based in Orange County. She is primarily a painter, whose oil paintings and installations convey reflections on her traditional upbringing, challenge the gender roles imposed on her identity, and raise awareness of gender inequality.

In her painting process, the canvas itself becomes a narrative. She carefully sands down the old paintings, intentionally leaving traces of the previous artwork while using the remaining white canvas as her background. This symbolic act of 'sanding down' is the process of unveiling her authentic self, with traces of her upbringing ingrained in her subconscious lingering behind on the canvas. Subsequently, she paints symbolic elements to compose the artwork and convey the messages.

In her 'Spring' series, three figurative oil paintings tackle the anxiety induced by societal expectations on women, including the assigned duty to reproduce and the pressure to balance dreams and family priorities. This body of work underlines the significance of individuality, identity, and the questioning of social expectations.

Her installation piece, 'The Womb,' drew inspiration from Judy Chicago’s 'Dinner Party.' She exaggerated the scale of this distinctive organ, exclusive to women, symbolizing a fertile space for creation and reproduction. By exaggerating the size of the womb, it allows viewers to enter and exit, experiencing the comfortable and warm space in contrast with the chaotic outside world. Additionally, she incorporated a speaker on the top of the sculpture emitting the sound of a heartbeat, providing viewers with a sensory experience reminiscent of being inside the womb. In a sense, providing a healing experience to the viewers who engage with it.