Analysis of Cultural Collisions: Identity and History in the work of Hung Liu Article by Allison - Essay Example

"I often feel suspended between the two cultures, but I see this as a unique position, hopefully, a situation that will energize me" (pg. No. - 39). But the most important thing about Liu is that she has been successful in fusing Eastern and Western Cultural traditions by very placidly combining traditional Chinese painting with Western style. It should be noted that Liu has used her artistic skills not merely to exhibit them as an artist but to expose the evils of Chinese traditions. After immigrating to the United States she enjoyed the freedom of expressing herself freely through murals, which otherwise wouldn't have been possible if she had been in China.

She has used her art as a weapon to rebel against the oppressive patriarchal system of China. Her paintings deal with intricate issues like foot binding and Western art historical tradition. The most remarkable style of her painting is the reproduction of female characters from the photographs she got from Chinese books. One such book was 'The Face of China', which was published in the United States and had photographs taken by foreign tourists in China between 1860 and 1912. She manipulated the images in the photographs and painted them on canvas by using the Western style.

She incorporated photographs in her paintings, which was otherwise discouraged in China. And a fine example of this is 'Resident Alien', which is essentially a Self-portrait constructed on Green Card, which belonged to an immigrant "Fortune Cookie" alias Hung Lieu. In this, she uses her identification card photo. She calls herself "Fortune Cookie" and it signifies the Western manipulation of Chinese Culture. This article reveals how Chinese women suffered in a male-dominated society and were physically and mentally abused under Communist rule.

They lacked autonomy and were debarred from public life. Women were looked down upon by men and were considered objects to satisfy their desires. It was said that education was not the virtue of women. An ancient code confirms this point: " The wise man founded the city, but the wise woman destroys it. Disaster does not descend from Heaven; it comes from Woman"(pg. no. - 37). Liu desires to give these women their place in history. Her paintings change the angle of a viewer to look at her paintings as mere objects for gazing at, but he sees something beyond that.

This shows that she is successful in not only proving her point but also in creating awareness amongst people all over the world. One of the most remarkable points about Liu is that, despite immigrating to the United States, she has not forgotten her roots, which are China. She continues to fight for social causes. She has dared to mock the patriarchal Chinese culture by exposing the most erotic part of women, which are their feet, in her paintings. She also rebukes the traditional Western portrayals of women by referencing the iconography and using the titles of canonical artworks such as her Mona Lisa I, Madonna, and La Grand Odalisque (pg. No. - 35).

Arieff has very well dealt with social issues of Cultural Collisions, the Plight of Women in a male-dominated society, and Art and Traditions by citing the example of Hung Liu.