Mai Ta expresses herself through mysterious paintings of obscured women
To Mai Ta artistic expression is a form of freedom. She can express herself and explore her feelings without any guilt through the making of her mysterious and beautiful paintings. In the works below from her 2019 series titled “I set the Moon on Fire Because She Wouldn’t Wake Up” we take an intimate look at Mai’s feelings. In each work, the subject is obscured sometimes by their hair, plants, and even shadows. This a direct expression of how Mai herself feels, often finding it easier to hide than express herself.
“Obscurity in my work represents my own inability to be confident about who I am. It’s easier to hide behind my hair (shadows, plants, anything) than to honestly express how I really feel.” – Mai Ta (Via Colossal)
In the works below and the series, Mai was inspired by many events in her life and events in her friend’s lives. Events like breakups, feelings of being homesick, and of course her light night moon watching sessions on her rooftop. You can view more of Ta’s works on her website or Instagram.
Sources: thisiscolossal.com
Images © Mai Ta
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