social issues

Artwork: “Trapped” : Domestic Violence Awareness

Posted by Sherrie Thai of ShaireProductions.com

Trapped: Domestic Violence Awareness

“Trapped” is an emotional piece for the “Yearning to Breathe Free” 2010 USF Domestic Violence Awareness Art Show.

I tried to capture the internal turmoil that some women are forced to endure. Images that I have seen of this unfortunate issue normally includes battered women and physical scars, but I wanted to address the emotional effects of abuse–sensitively–without the graphic nature of the violence. The hand blocked by the barbed wire, entangled in hair speaks to the helplessness felt by the abuse and occasional societal gender barriers. The subtle color scheme simplifies the content, causing the viewer to focus on the message and details.

Proceeds of the event will go to La Casa De Las Madres, a SF domestic violence shelter.

Artwork: Sorrow (Heritage Series)

. Art by Sherrie Thai of ShaireProductions.com

Sorrow

Sorrow is my third piece of the Heritage Series (Ghosts of Khmer Rouge and Contemplation), a self-initiated project concerning the historic atrocities in Asia. Originally a personal tribute to my family in regards to their experiences via the Khmer Rouge, I think this particular piece is applicable to the current events as war is still prevalent. Regardless of your position, the effects of war is saddening.

The background of this image was similar to the rest of the Heritage series–patterns from a brush pen infused with a cloud texture in Photoshop. I’ve always loved trees and thought they have many human aspects. The trees of Angkor Wat have so much life to them–they seem to cry out in pain. Combining horror elements with social themes may have a greater impact to the message of the artwork.

Artwork: Ghosts from Khmer Rouge (Heritage Series)

. Art by Sherrie Thai of ShaireProductions.com

This piece was inspired by the stories of my family–of tragedies from the hands of the Khmer Rouge (Pol Pot), military intervention, and refugee camps. Different times beget different circumstances, but overall, history repeats itself. In a general sense, this piece is also a commentary on the atrocities of war, power, and corruption. Because this artwork comes from a very personal space, it holds great sentimental value. My family is ethnically Chinese, but have faced the same atrocities as Cambodians and Vietnamese from the Khmer Rouge. Modern Pan-Asian pollination has unified different cultures through basic life experiences. Sparked by personal events and a sense of self-exploration, I’m glad to have finally created the first (in hopefully–many) artistic tributes to my family and culture: The Heritage Series.

The initial illustration on the right is graphite on vellum. From there, I scanned in the artwork, collaged patterns (created from my brush pen) and digitally colored the piece. In many of my mixed media pieces, I tend to leave certain areas in grayscale. I’ve always loved juxtaposing detail with simplicity–in concept or through visual elements (Graphic Alchemy). While the Buddha monument is in the foreground, it’s mostly monochrome–the viewer gets drawn into the detail, and not distracted by color. Although color can be a powerful tool, I like to emphasize the simplicity of the subject matter by taking color away. View Larger Version