The foundation of my artistic practice is deeply rooted in my family, serving as both inspiration and motivation for my work. My curiosity about our family dynamics, history, and contemporary condition has been the driving force behind the personal narrative elements embedded in my art. As I explored historical texts filled with kings, queens, and other notable figures, meticulously documented and preserved through images and artifacts, I became acutely aware of the absence of such careful curation for ordinary families like mine. This realization sparked a profound desire to acknowledge, preserve, and honor my family’s own complex and layered history. I see my work as a means of not only capturing these narratives but also fostering dialogue among family members, exploring how our shared past has shaped each of us in different ways. By navigating the intersections of personal memory, collective identity, and historical erasure, my practice becomes an act of reclamation, elevating the significance of our lived experiences and ensuring they are seen, valued, and remembered.
In Retrospect will be open in Memorial Union's Main Gallery from Friday, April 4th, 2025 through May 16th of 2025. Galleries are open from 8am - 10pm, Monday through Sunday. (with the exception of holiday/winter closures)
The Wisconsin Union Directorate Art Committee is partnering with The Art Department Visiting Artist Colloquium to bring alumna Tyanna Buie’s work to the Union Galleries in a concurrent exhibition to her lecture with the Art Department Visiting Artist Colloquium. Buie’s Visiting Artist Colloquium lecture will take place Wednesday, April 9th from 5 to 6:15pm in the Elvehjem building room L160. The retrospective exhibition reception will follow the lecture from 6:30 to 7:30pm in Main Gallery at Memorial Union.
Beyond Horizons is a captivating photographic exhibition exploring the landscapes and cultural identities of West Texas and Southeast China—two places the artist calls home. Through immersive photography and experimental projection techniques, the exhibition blurs spatial and temporal boundaries, encouraging reflection on cultural interconnectedness, identity, and belonging in an increasingly globalized world.
Beyond Horizons by Jiawei Gong will be open in Gallery 1308 at Union South from April 11th, 2025 through May 23rd of 2025. Galleries are open from 8am - 10pm, Monday through Sunday. (with the exception of holiday/winter closures)
With this body of work, I explore the intimate stories people carry within their bodies. The works in O Brawling Love delve into the bodily experiences of both transgender people and cisgender women, reflecting on the complex connections between these lived realities. The abstract sculptures presented here are intended to amplify uncomfortable sensations associated with the female-presenting body. These pieces examine the discomfort and pressure of being scrutinized—both by oneself and by society—and the expectation to conform to a female body, often sexualized through the male gaze. The abstracted forms of the body in these works invite viewers to engage with their own physicality and personal connections to these themes.
O Brawling Love will be open in Memorial Union's Class of 1925 Gallery from Friday, April 4th, 2025 through May 16th of 2025. Galleries are open from 8am - 10pm, Monday through Sunday. (with the exception of holiday/winter closures)
