In my recent artistic endeavors, I've been exploring themes rooted in my personal history, including memories, landscapes of my upbringing, and cultural heritage. This ongoing series of paintings is transformed into a photo album, serving as a visual narrative of my past experiences. I’ve been on a journey to represent the intertwining of my cultural Vietnamese heritage with my upbringing in Louisiana. This ongoing series of paintings turned into a photo album will serve as a visual narrative that balances the influences of both worlds, evoking memories, landscapes, and traditions that have shaped my identity. Drawing from my Vietnamese roots, I will use elements of tradition, symbolism, and cultural motifs. Simultaneously, my experience of being raised in Louisiana adds another layer of complexity to the narrative. The landscapes of the south, being a tomboyish child, and my experiences growing up find their way into my art. Furthermore, as a trans (non-binary) lesbian, my identity is an integral part of this narrative. Utilizing fabric pages and sewing techniques, I envision a tactile and intimate experience for viewers. My work explores personal themes through a blend of visual artistry and handcrafted techniques, offering viewers a unique perspective on my journey as a person!
My process involves integrating quilted elements to add depth and symbolism to the narrative. This will be done with the use of a sewing machine and various painting and scrapbooking materials. For display, I am considering building a small space for the book to live in, such as a little reading nook. With a lamp and a place to sit that invites the viewer to hold the piece itself.
Thi Bateman’s interest in art started when they were very young; all their life they have found themselves surrounded by art in various, sometimes unconventional forms. For example, their mother is a florist, as well as the fact that they were born and raised in New Orleans which itself is built on the arts. Yet art for them is kind of like another limb attached to their body; but it’s always been something they’ve leaned on to express themselves in various ways. Their art is an outlet for them to explore many different topics that have been very important in their life, such as gender, religion, familial and cultural ties, fear, and more. Bateman’s artistic process varies greatly with each piece [and then maybe here you can add something about the various kinds of things you make, like paintings and books etc], but one constant is the fluidity they try to maintain with each project. With time or what they're going through the art piece remains constantly changing, until they feel like they're done with it. Yet the fun thing about their art is that no one will ever know the full meaning behind some pieces, as they themself do not either, which is where the true magic and mystery of their art’s connection to them lies.
☆ where 2 find me ☆:
