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Artist Interview:
Interviewee: Maria Thaddea, artist showcased in the Kudos Pop-up exhibtion ‘Double Happiness’ 2024.Interviewer: Quintina Huang, Kudos ArtStart Volunteer.
Maria: Um, yeah. I think that we have a group of eight artists, and there are definitely quite a few of us who are trying to sort of deconstruct the stereotypical image of the Asian woman and what's expected of them. But I feel that as a group as a whole, collectively, our aim was not particularly to deconstruct and give this new image to the idea of double happiness, because basically we're all just a group of friends. Through talking to each other, we found that we all had this sort of underlying understanding of what was expected of us, but we all have our own different stories and sort of views on how we've adapted it into our own lives. So, I guess we're trying to. If we are deconstructing something, we are deconstructing tradition and trying to present this new take on something that connects us all, but shows how each of our takes on it is a bit different.
Quintina: Yeah, and there is one thing that connects you all. I found it from the description of this exhibition, which was 'showcasing a contemporary take on the female experience within familial and romantic relationships in Chinese culture.' Regarding this 'female experience,' from which perspectives is it explored? Is it from the viewpoint of a mother, a wife, a lover, or a daughter? Cause you know, ‘female’ could be a lots of roles.
Maria: Yeah. With all of us, we definitely took from our own experiences. So even though we do have some motherly figures in the group, none of us are particularly mothers or wives yet. I think we are mainly creating from the point of view or perspective of a daughter or sister or a granddaughter, lover, partner, that sort of thing. And also, just being a girl. Being a woman, but also being a girl. Talking about what's expected of us as those labels and how we react to it.
Quintina: I followed one of the artists on Instagram, but I just forgot her name. I remember her Instagram story, I think she's a photographer and the artwork she prepared for this exhibition was a photo of a female and a male. And there was a red thread between them.
Maria: Yeah, that is Penny.
Maria: I think that most of us aren't explicitly going to show the male perspective, but I think with the nature of how some of us approach the topic, there is a discussion or an exploration of queer identity and gender identity. So, there is a bit of that going on, whether or not it's explicitly shown in the pieces, it's still definitely part of the process for a bunch of us.
Quintina: Great. And as you said before, this exhibition is trying to present the convention in a new way. I think this process seems reflective, as you are attempting to break the concepts that you have grown up with. Will the artworks in this exhibition convey this sense of breaking and rebirth through your reflective creation?
Maria: I think that's a really good way of looking at it. I think who exemplifies that the most is Penny. Her work is these really delicate paper cut-outs, but made out of ceramic. They’re broken up into sharp pieces and placed in a pile. It speaks to the idea of deconstructing and reconstructing an old idea or tradition. Something that connects us is the way traditions are taught to us as children and how that continues to affect our lives into adulthood. Weaving itself into our subconscious. We're all contemporary women and we're all living our own lives, but there's still going to be parts of us that because of what we were told as kids, that it's still not us. I think a lot of the artworks show how even if we don't agree with some stuff, there is still that underlying red string of double happiness. That still goes throughout the whole work. And yeah, just even how small it may be, how it affects how we see ourselves in relationships, whether that be romantic or with family. I like the traditional ideas and stereotypes, but I think that you know, with all stereotypes, there is a truth to it, and we acknowledge that some parts are true.
Quintina: Yeah, and I think the stereotypical image is kind of a connection between the artist and the audience if we both have the same cultural background. Because when I saw the name, Double Happiness, I knew what it meant. So, before I go to the exhibition, I have some thoughts in my mind. And maybe when I see your artworks, I will gain something new from you. So, I think, the stereotypical image is quite, a two-sided thing, which sometimes can connect you and the audience, but meanwhile, you need to break what they thought before.
Maria: Yeah, and it's always nice with the whole double happiness thing. Around uni, you see people seeing the poster and just understanding what it means almost and getting a bit excited for that. It's like there is a level of, oh, if you know, you know, and it kind of connects us all, which is nice.