Liuqing Ruth Yang

West Virginia, USA, Cydney with a Chinese Traditional Garment Han Fu, oil on linen canvas, 16 x 14" (40 x 35 cm) Finalist

My Inspiration

I am a portrait painter in oils, valuing the traditional painting skills developed by European masters. My artworks are greatly informed by the master painters Raphael and Caravaggio, particularly their religious works, which are inspirational as a Christian. In this painting my inspiration came from Old Master Johannes Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring. I am creating a new connection between history and contemporary art theory and melting Chinese culture with African-americans.

My Design Strategy

I researched contemporary painters examining and crossing cultures and painting methods such as Kehinde Wiley and Kurt

Kauper. My paintings are tied with traditional painting techniques to explore Christian icons, symbolism and culturalism, but replace the historical landscape with contemporary components such as a pink makeup table and makeup products. I used Vermeer’s pose for the portrait but removed the Western clothes and jewelry—a reinterpretation of the beauty of culturalism. My model is a African-american girl who wears a Chinese traditional garment, Hanfu, with China Ming Dynasty headgear and earrings.the reflection of the mirror creates a threedimensional space. I want my painting to torch our time and let the audience feel that artwork is immediate, shortening the distance between art and the viewer’s life.

My Working Process

I explore individual humanism and personal subjectivity through multiple layering techniques for the underpainting and colors. I focused on sensitively describing the threedimensional space of the characters and their dynamic, vivid body language. This artwork employs a green background to make a strong, chiaroscuro contrast to the hot pink color of my subjects. This was a very tedious, mentally and physically laborious painting process of repeated modification. Also, I hand made my own high-quality linen canvas and wood frame, as did many of the Old Masters.