

"In my early work, I used to draw only from observation to help me build a better sense of belonging. However, the more I drew my everyday life, the less it became easy for me to define where I situated myself culturally speaking. To compensate, I started to investigate the theme of childhood and home in different mediums such as textile, installation and performance. It naturally unfolded into learning more about the country I was adopted from. In my recent work, I often search to overcome the linguistic barrier in order to access to my Chinese heritage. Within my multidisciplinary approach, I invite the viewer to look for an in-between signification of cultural identity. My main goal is to develop a visual language allowing an intercultural exchange and nuancing the discourse of cultural affiliations. Thus, I enjoy playing with the double meaning in my titles to better convey a sense of ambivalence in defining reality. Overall, my art practice is a self-learning journey to navigate the sense of (be)longing."
To Hope One’s Daughter Becomes a Phoenix - 2020
Annie Tong Zhou Lafrance
Wooden pencil on paper
27.9 X 43.2 CM ( 11" X 17" )