Cathleen Luo
Artist Statement
Yearning is the seed for change. It is the basic feeling that acknowledges that things can improve, and it’s a human feeling that brings people together. Reflecting on yearning is to say “Let’s imagine a better future.” Showing the entire process of advocating for change is important, and my art focuses on the initiation, the root feeling of hope.
Where?when?
Oil paint on Canvas
18x24"
$500
I’ve lived in the Upper West Side for 3 years now, and the proximity to greenery through Riverside and Central Park, along with the shared respect from my neighbors makes this community special within a city that is known for its rush-rush culture. I made these paintings when I lived on 107th street over the pandemic. I had both time and space to dream, while helping at the community compost site where we talked about city sustainability, ways to support local businesses, and accessibility for the senior citizens, which inspired a lot of personal reflection
“DreamGirlx” reflects the wide range that my dreamscapes can capture, addressing gender, fantasy, and infinite possibilities, and not to be afraid of a future full of difference.
107th
Acrylic paint, needle, yarn and thread on canvas
16x20"
$750
“107th” is a painting of the couch that I sat on critically thinking about things that needed to be addressed. My painting “where?when?” is a self-portrait about dreaming in the space before a thought arises.
I want to celebrate that first psychological space so many tend to jump over and rush into action. There is power in taking time to think, to yearn, to dream of change.