Evan Yu
Ashfield Boys High School
CATHARSIS IS BREATHING
Drawing
Fineliner pen, Tiepolo paper, paper bags
My body of work investigates my internal struggles, using the technique of stippling for its ability to bring me peace of mind and an escape from reality. This therapeutic representation of the thoughts and emotions that engulf me released my repressed conflicted feelings and let me 'breathe'. The motif of paper bags conveys how the work is my personal outlet, cleansing away my inner turmoil. My intention is to empower the audience to find their own 'paper bags' that help them overcome, push onwards, and to let them know that they are not alone in this world.
My artmaking practice is influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Yayoi Kusama; Vincent van Gogh; Omocat, Omori [video game].
Marker's Commentary
This contemporary drawing practice presents an intimate experience from the artist’s life. The series consists of a conventional portrait capturing a private act and a more contemporary sequence of drawings executed on the vernacular surface of brown paper bags. Both aspects are technically resolved; however, the paper bags function as evidence of a process the artist relies on to manage personal anxieties. These paper bag drawings reveal an otherwise invisible method. By using the bags directly as a drawing surface, the artist offers the audience a first-hand encounter with the labour involved in maintaining mental stability. In the portrait, the body, clothing, hair, and paper bag are rendered with convincing accuracy, reinforcing and grounding the more conceptual aspects of the series.
The sitter’s vulnerability is conveyed through the absence of eye contact, while the clarity of the drawing makes the captured moment feel immediate and unsettling. This creates a sense of discomfort for the audience as we become aware of what the sitter is enduring. The sequence of paper bag drawings introduces a temporal dimension, suggested through shifts in scale, from small to large and back again invoking the rhythm of inhalation and exhalation over time. The influence of contemporary practitioners such as Sol LeWitt is evident in the sensitive stippling and controlled modulation of density. Similarly, Vernon Ah Kee’s portrait practice is reflected in the realistic yet pained facial expression achieved through mark-making. The work invites a quiet emotional response; the audience is drawn into a deeply personal space and left with a sense of appreciation for the artist’s honesty and vulnerability.