October 28 - November 15, 2010 

Catharsis

Paintings from past years to the present have been, for my purposes, centered on emotional self discovery. I want to unearth catharsis in its purest form. This body of work represents an evolution, a step-by-step process, by which I have been observing my own growth as an artist and human being. My goal is to create layers of discovery in much of my artwork by impelling the observer to stand back from the painting, but also come face to face with it. I do this in hopes to prolong the relationship between the artwork and the audience.

In addition to the presentation, the process also is a series of layers. I like to begin with a very cathartic under-painting.  Each layer in succession becomes more refined until I find a balance between expressiveness and realism. This concept is also applied to my stencil artwork, where the first layer is a single shape, and each layer after it accentuates the three-dimensionality of the subject.

Artwork for me is a way of asking my big questions: “What is the true raw essence of a person? Where is it within the human body, how can I experience it undiluted and how can I capture it?” In the future, I hope to pursue these concepts of true catharsis through as many means as I can, but primarily through sculpture, drawing and painting. 

Evan Yee