"Many may say that living with
the collision of two cultures is a burden, but I find it a blessing in disguise."
|
Growing up as a child, art was the only way I knew how to conceive
images and meanings. I naturally found peace when I physically produced visual images to each of my father's stories.
With nothing but wooden sticks and a dirt floor as my canvas, my imagination went to work. My very first piece of art was
an elephant. And from there as each story visually came alive in my imagination, so did the dirt canvas in my parent's
hut. I knew then I wanted to be an artist.
When I came to the United States, I realized the best way to
communicate was through art. I did everything from sketching what I wanted to say, but couldn't and drawing everything
I wanted to do, but wouldn't. Art was my comfort. But that comfort soon turned into a problem for my parents. They never
saw art as an acceptable career and thus never supported my passion. In the Hmong culture which values reputation, my parents
wanted more for me. They wanted bigger and better things. Therefore, the only solution to please myself and my parents was
to teach, to teach art.
In 1997 I graduated from Augsburg College in Minneapolis, MN with degrees from Studio
Art and Secondary Education. I have been teaching for eleven years with Minneapolis Public Schools and currently teach at
Patrick Henry High School. I have also had my art shown in many galleries across the Twin Cities.
I believe my
experience with living through many generations and seeing the blending of the two cultures, both Hmong and American, I have
a very unique perspective of both worlds. Because I can understand and appreciate the older Hmong generation and the new young
Hmong-American generation, I am able to convey a kind of art that speaks to both.
I find images or subjects that
best represent the Hmong culture and combine it with the best visual art style in hopes of enlightening my viewers. The technique
I chose to use was gold leafing. In my Hmong culture gold/silver/currency shows value. Therefore, I chose important symbols
and aspects of the Hmong culture to illustrate and highlighted them with gold leaf to convey the idea that these things show
value.
In my most recent art pieces, the Qeej and the Ncas are two of many Hmong instruments. The Qeej is
a mouth organ, similar to the bagpipe. Its size ranges from 2 to 6 feet long and 3-4 feet tall. It is made of brass blades,
a wooden case with bamboo rods. Out of all Hmong instruments, the Qeej is the universal symbol representing the Hmong people
because there are none like it. The Qeej has great significance because it is used during a funeral service to lead the soul
of the deceased back to the ancestors.
The Ncas is a 6 inches mouth harp. It is made of a wooden case with a brass blade.
It is played by vibrating next to the mouth while blowing air through the blade. It is mainly used for courtship among men
and women.
My desire to find a way to artistically show valuable aspects in the Hmong culture has helped me to
appreciate my culture even more. As each idea comes to me, I find that I am learning more and more about my roots. Furthermore,
I find that I am wanting to learn more and wanting to preserve priceless and crucial elements of my culture. As I see the
generations after me assimilate to the new American culture I wonder whether these symbols and aspects of the Hmong will hold
true anymore. Thus, my art hopes to inspire younger Hmong generations and other cultures to be willing to learn and even appreciate
what is left of our culture and hope that someday 50 years from now these instruments and concepts will still be valuable.
Thank you for supporting the arts.
