Doily #1 (Trees and Crows)

Doily #1 (Trees and Crows), hand-cut paper, 8 x 8 inches, 2012

It has often crossed my mind that the craft of my work resembles that of a handmade doily. So, that is another territory that I wanted to play with --what would my rendition of a doily look like? For now, this piece is 8 x 8 inches, in an edition of 7. I am currently working on a 19 x 19 inch version. I want to make a really large doily, because I am fancy like that. 

Remembrance Day Newspaper Cut-out

Poppy newspaper cut-out

My grandfather was a General for Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalist Army. During that time, my grandmother became a refugee with three children under her care. I remember my grandmother telling me many stories of hardship, of fear, while struggling to survive (including an encounter with bandits, which were commonplace at that time). When communism took over, my grandparents decided to settle in Hong Kong under British rule. 

My parents immigrated to Canada in 1976. I was born a few years later. My grandparents were later sponsored by my parents and eventually came to live with us. I have always been profoundly stricken by all things associated with war, imagining my family suffering during that time, and knowing that it exists in many different forms all over the world.

Interview for meaning-full.com

Almost forgot to mention that I did an interview with meaning-full.com which was published in October. 

Here's the link: http://meaning-full.com/10/art/illustration-joyce-lau/ (images) and http://meaning-full.com/10/art/illustration-joyce-lau/2/ (interview)

Playing Card Cut-outs (The Bluff)

King of Diamonds, Queen of Hearts, cut-outs on playing cards, back view, 2011-Present

King of Diamonds, Queen of Hearts, cut-outs on playing cards, front view, 2011-Present

My idea for making cut-outs on playing cards came about in 2011 during my residency in Holland. The concept behind these cut-outs is based on "the bluff" involved in particular card games, such as poker and black jack. In this series, I create cut-outs of particular cards on a playing cards. The bluff involves whether the viewer believes what I cut out on the backs of the card is the actual card to be revealed on the front side.  In the cards above, the King of Diamonds proves to be a bluff, revealing the 7 of Spades. The Queen of Hearts reveals truth.