Richard Liu Art
40" x 50"
Graphite on paper, 2024
What is perfection? Is it the expectation that others have for you or the ones you set for yourself? In this drawing, I explore my lifelong pursuit of perfection, striving to fulfill both external and internal expectations. I attempt to transform myself into a flawless Renaissance marble sculpture, embodying the ideals of beauty and flawlessness. Yet, through this journey, I confront the stark reality of my own imperfections. This artwork is a reflection of my struggle, a visual narrative of the relentless chase and the acceptance that perfection may be an ever-elusive ideal.
Graphite and Charcoal on paper
25.5” x 40”
2021
I started planning this piece back in May of 2020, when I saw the news that an 84-year-old elderly Asian woman was jump kicked in the face by teens at a bus stop in Minnesota for absolutely no reason other than her looks. When COVID first reached the US, I was consistently seeing my Asian friends suffer from harassment because of it, whether it was from homeless people yelling slangs at them or people making slant-eyed gestures towards them.
These stories brought back many memories from my childhood growing up in Pennsylvania when others bullied me for being Chinese. As a kid, I thought it was normal for people to treat me this way because I looked and behaved differently. Even as a young adult, I contently accepted the idea that there are negatives to being human; and that my experience - although unfortunate, was typical due to my ethnicity.
The recent absurd attacks on Asians, especially the elderly, made me realize that the reality is much more horrifying. Apart from the physical assaults, many of my family members and community lost their businesses because people feared them when the pandemic started.
To them, we represented the virus. Behind all the protective gear, through the masks, the gloves, they saw what was left - our eyes, and they feared, they hated.
This is not okay, #stopasianhate
2020-2021
Graphite on Stonehenge
44’’ x 30’’
2020
30’’ x 44’’
Chinese watercolor on rice paper collaged with graphite on Stonehenge
2020
22’’ x 30’’
Chinese watercolor on rice paper collaged with graphite on Stonehenge
2019
11’’ x 15’’
Chinese watercolor on rice paper collaged with graphite on Stonehenge
Second piece for senior thesis, similar concept to the first piece, with the addition of incorporating characters and symbols.
The Chinese character “死” and English word “die” is subtly displayed in the negative space of the piece, as well as traditional seals in the corner.
2019
22’’ x 30’’
Chinese Watercolor in rice paper collaged with graphite on Stonehenge
My first piece for my senior thesis series.
22”x 30”, traditional Chinese watercolor on rice paper collage with graphite on Stonehenge.
Inspired by a recent death within my family, this piece used western and traditional eastern media to explore how the two cultures perceive the concept of death, as well as the relationship between abstraction v realism, and color v B&W.
2019
22’’ x 30’’
Chinese watercolor on rice paper collaged with graphite on Stonehenge
2020
22’’ x 30’’
Screenprint and Oil on black velvet
2018
22’’ x 30’’
Graphite on Stonehenge
2018
22’’ x 30’’
Graphite on Stonehenge
