Liên Trương (Vietnamese, b. 1973)
From the Earth Rise Radiant Beings, 2021
Oil, silk, acrylic, copper pigment, enamel on canvas
72 x 96 in.
Gallery Purchase with funds from the Dr. Joan Huntley Art Acquisition Endowment and Lisa Robinson Chidsey ’83 & John Chidsey ’83
Liên Trương’s exhibition, From the Earth Rise Radiant Beings, was on display in the Van Every Gallery from August 23, 2021— October 03, 2021. As a Vietnamese refugee, Trương explores what makes up our systems of belief and ideas of heritage. During the time of the exhibition, Asians, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders faced several instances of attacks and racial injustice. Trương focused on taking back control of oppressive narratives, particularly through the concept of Asian Futurism, by reframing, rejecting, and referencing them. Her exhibitions typically demonstrate her use of a unique artistic language to create dissonance between rigid perceptions of the Western world and the visual aesthetics of Vietnamese culture.
The vibrant magenta and chartreuse hues were the first things to catch my eye in this artwork by Liên Trương. These two colors are variants of red and green—complementary colors. It is known that when in each other’s presence, complimentary colors create a visual battle for dominance over the viewer’s eye. In this work, the fight is not only between the colors but also between the figures of the foreground and background. The two off-white shapes of women—sitting with their backs towards each other—are confronted with the dark sorrows of the bottom corners. Above them hang various fragments of limbs and greenery. The third large off-white female figure is centered and is marked with leakage from the background. Atop this figure’s head is a pink-ivory crown shape. Her intent to be a leading figure is tarnished by the extensions of the background that cover her.
The closer you observe this piece, the more the faces and patterns emerge. A haunting is taking place. Hands reach out to touch but they too are veiled and interrupted by patterns. These patterns, reminiscent of Japanese and Vietnamese silks, refer to cultural stereotypes that often force women into submissive and sexualized roles.
It is here in Trương’s work that these sitting, “submissive” women are able to emerge out of the chaos of a complex, colonial, and violent background. Depicting them in the yellowish off-white hue presents them as beings that direct the gaze of the viewer. Even if they are obstructed by the multitude of patterns and textures, Trương manipulates the visual hierarchy to provide the figures with some sovereignty.
Liên Trương (Vietnamese, b. 1973) is native to Vietnam and emigrated to California in the United States when she was eighteen months old. She obtained her BFA from Humboldt State University located in Arcata, CA, in 1999. Her MFA came from Mills College of Oakland, CA, in 2001. Trương has had several shows and exhibitions at renowned galleries such as the National Portrait Gallery of Washington, DC and the National Centre for Contemporary Arts in Moscow, Russia. Trương’s Translatio Imperii: Afghanistan can also be found in Davidson’s collection. From the Earth Rise Radiant Beings can currently be seen in Chambers.
– Barbara Lopez ’28