Relic 12 Hung Liu Analysis

Hung Liu was born in 1948 in Changchun, China, however, she grew up in Beijing. There, she experienced the Cultural Revolution under the power of Mao Tse-tung. Around the age of 20, Hung Liu went to live in the countryside where she had to work with peasants in the fields. When schools finally reopened, she started thriving chose to study. Later she became a teacher at an elite Beijing school. She also had a television show revolving how to draw and paint. Then in 1984, Hung Liu was off to San Diego, California for the visual arts graduate program. She did not return back to China until 1991. Hung Liu’s paintings were influenced by mostly her Chinese culture even though she studied in America. She used her background of China, both modern and ancient to her advantage. …show more content…
The straight and curved lines appear “to work together to create an image of the wholeness and unity of creation” (Sayre 71). This painting has the creation of the universe as its theme. It characterizes a Chinese prostitute surrounded by representations of China like “pi” and the butterfly. In front of the prostitute, in the middle of the painting, is a red square is the characters symbolizing “female” and “Nu-Wa.” Nu-Wa was the Chinese divine creator. It is said to believe that Nu-Wa was the one who created the first humans, invented the concept of marriage, and granted couples children. “Relic 12” was done in oil on a canvas and lacquered wood. Hung Liu uses the drips of paint to conspire with the figure of Nu-Wa, the butterfly, and the flowers and