Jacquie Meng’s art is a deeply personal exploration of identity. It’s self-portraiture that goes beyond the traditional notions of depicting oneself. She delves into the relationship between objects and identity, believing that everyday items and scenes can speak volumes about a person.

Cadmium red, orange, yellow, and green are her favorites, chosen for their vibrancy and ability to reflect the world as she sees it. Her canvases often come alive with the intense hues of sunsets. Jacquie blends the colors of the sky into the portraits of her subjects, creating a  connection between the environment and the individual.

“I try to reflect the sunset in a person”

Divination Patterns and Practices

I Ching coins, incense, traditional patterns are woven neatly in her works like a true enchantress. She bewitches you with labyrinths of elements like in ancient tiles, advancing into the viewer’s consciousness and opening up new realities. 

“When I was younger, every time we went to China we always visited our ancestors. Fuming incense, we pray with it in our hands and then we stick it in an orange. When I was younger, I didn’t really know what it was, besides, I just remember doing it, as an act. Which is why I later painted the incense in orange. But I think it’s kind of fun because other people could think: “Why is it in orange?” But it’s just how we do it.”

images by PILOTENKUECHE or supplied by artist

Playing and experimenting with the mysteries and mythologies of her Chinese-Australian background, she realized that relying solely on cultural imagery can be reductive. In search of a balance, Jacquie dives deeper into the world of objects, melds them into a new narrative. She’s not bound only by historical accuracy, yet revels in the imagined and the abstract. 

“Who I am is not confined to one national or geographical identity, it’s made up of movement of images and even simple things like a lighter or a hat. It says a lot. These objects have a lot to say about who I am.”

Serendipitous Collage

Jacquie’s canvases are like windows into a parallel universe where reality and fiction intermingle freely. She draws inspiration from the tangible world around her, collecting images, patterns, and scenes from her travels and daily life. These diverse elements braid together into a mesmerizing collage that mirrors her vibrant psyche.

“I think my paintings are like a collage of different things, both made up and real.”

Jacquie Meng connects disparate elements within her work, transforming seemingly unrelated objects and images into a harmonious narrative. The chance encounters and random patterns she notices in daily life inspire her to collect images and visual motifs. Her talent lies in bringing them together, forging links and sparking conversations among her creations. A butterfly in a hand may lead to a bolt of lightning, evoking a sense of wonder and curiosity.

Meditation through Layers

The act of creating art is a meditation in itself. Jacquie Meng immerses herself in her work for hours, meticulously adding layers, patterns, tiles, and brush strokes. This repetitive and focused process is a gateway to a state of deep mindfulness, akin to a soothing mantra. As she loses herself in the rhythmic motion of painting, her mind is free to wander, meandering through thoughts and musings, adding a layer of introspection to her art.

Jacquie’s art is a vibrant mosaic of identity, culture, imagination, and self-expression. Her ability to blend the real with the imagined creates a rich, visually stimulating experience for her viewers. Jacquie’s art dives deep into the multifaceted nature of being human, a manifestation of the idea that identity is not confined by borders but is, instead, a beautiful collage of influences, experiences, and imagination.

written by Elizaveta Bazhkova

                                                                                                                                                                                          Follow Jacquie on her Instagram and her website.

Circle Becoming Body

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